Growing up homeschooled, my world was full of books, travel, and art. My parents are both avid readers, and they had a book for every experience. When they noticed that I loved to draw, art became a part of every school subject, too. I drew my way through museums, historic sites, Shakespeare plays, and even the dreaded math textbooks. Reading and drawing became my primary means of understanding the world, and the joy I found in them became my motivation to keep learning.

Now I’m working at the same public library in my Appalachian hometown that I frequented as a kid. I read with children every day, and I dream up pictures and stories to spark their imagination (we usually work some art into our library programs, too). It is such a gift to use my creativity to worship God as my Creator and to serve children.

My aim is to create illustrations and books full of beauty and delight with a healthy dose of silliness. If I’m not drawing, writing, or shelving books, you’ll usually find me cooking with my family or playing Dungeons & Dragons with my friends.