mood board a dream book
and chart the course
This is a spell for storytellers — for those of us who make books or are trying to. We want the work to sustain itself, we want it to feed us and keep us safe, but sometimes it feels like we're missing a map. How can we get to where we want to be? What is the hack, the strategy to make it happen? What words do you chant into the space between spaces, to bend your desires into reality? - Akwaeke Emezi, Dear Senthuran (2021)
I knew after writing my first book I would have to make another. Maybe it takes one book to find out. Maybe one book can seed a lifetime of passion and purpose even if it’s the only one we ever write.
Craft books are visual creatures with specific requirements:
Sourcing materials
Designing new projects and writing the instructions
Capturing how-to and finish product photographs + videos
Sizing and design schematics
I struggled to write my first book until I realized my work begins with the tactile.
When I commit to a color scheme, the options diminish and choosing materials becomes easier.
When I create a basic word outline, I feel less overwhelmed and can focus on one theme at a time.
When I design a garment and can confirm a gorgeous fit, writing the instructions is exciting.
When I capture even one fire photograph of a design, developing a story for the intention comes with less effort.
…there is a requirement for patience beyond what you thought possible, for trust beyond what seems sane; there is an end, but you cannot see it. I don’t blame people for not completing the spell. It’s a bloody road to stick to, simple as it is. It asks for the world and gives you silence, but part of the rigor is staying, showing up for the work regardless of the conditions. This is ritual, religion, sacrifice, magic — this is the spell. The first time is the hardest. Akwaeke Emezi, Dear Senthuran (2021)
Nothing could have prepared me to write my first book during the 2020 stay at home order. The plan to travel someplace cute to get the outdoor photographs in a week was shut all the way down. I ended up hiking to Shirley Chisholm State Park with 50 pounds of self-portraiture equipment, wardrobe, and knitwear several times in cold and warm seasons. I stripped down to my bra and yoga tights changing outfits in 40 degree weather.
I didn’t have a plan of execution except my book proposal. No design timeline for the patterns. No shot list for the photoshoot. No word count goals for the essays. I just worked 14+ hours a day (with a full-time job and freelance work) prioritizing emails from editors and collaborators, doing tasks based on this feels good. And it worked. I made the book! Now I am documenting the process. Years from now when I want to make another book of this scale or guide someone else through the journey, the templates are handy like a job manual.
Beginning with mood boarding activations.
A mood board is a type of visual presentation or collage consisting of images, text, and samples of objects in a composition. In my self-publishing framework mood boarding fits into STORYTELLING —> CHART THE COURSE.
My strategy for the month of September is to get as many design ideas, writing themes, and distribution plans out of my head and into a physical or digital space. To create gardens of information, plot by plot. When I begin to feel overwhelmed by the destination, in progress projects stall, or I start to doubt my compass — one of the first things I do is sweep.
3 ways to visualize and organize ideas, design elements and research:
Write a quick 1-word outline. List 10 themes you are excited to explore. I save this document in Google Doc as Knitting is a Love Language: Book. Right now, I only have 6 and decided to make them all action words: begin, love, play, nap, gather, and season. The BEGIN chapter is for my newbies and includes projects like My Day One Scarf and Easie Beanie. Gonna try new things like designing a board game and a pair of booty shorts for PLAY. Fiction writers can make a list of 10 character names or 10 personality traits for the protaganist. Screenwriters, a list of filming locations.
Choose a color scheme. Start with 6 colors. This can be helpful for deciding what colors will make up the cover of a book or the mood of the world. Grey scale or neons? Jewel tones or pastels? I am picking through yarn scraps from my stash for a color wheel and creating a color chart with tiny linen squares a company I order from sends with every order. Pick up a bunch of those paint sample cards they giveaway at the hardware store.
Gather inspiration in a collage: digital and tactile. On Instagram, I have bookmark folders called WARDROBE and BOOK TOUR. I want my book to have a where R&B meets forest fairy feeling so I’m saving lewks, nail art, and a lot of things I can’t afford but watch me DIY a situation. I have my eyes peeled for book and craft fairs, cool shops I hope will carry my book, and dream collaborations.
inspired, unplugged
At the end of September, I’m heading to North Carolina to attend a 3-day digital detox experience called “inspired, unplugged” hosted by my dear friend Jamila Reddy. A space for people who need time to be with their thoughts and ideas. A space to collectively practice living a creative, connected life without the distraction of our phones. The first edition is for black queer folks. There are spots still available!
Imagine sitting around a living room, cozy, drinking hot tea surrounded by plants and creative, visionary people. Reading, writing, stretching, being in nature, naps, delicious home-cooked meals, silence, stillness, lying on your back and looking at the sky. An adult sleeper :) Jamila is a magical facilitator and the experiences they curate are so dreamy. Click here to learn more and join us.