Becoming a Storyteller

Hello again! Niña here. 

For years I've helped bring other people's stories to life, and I still LOVE collaborating with authors.

And it wasn't until I started calling myself a storyteller --not illustrator, not writer-- did the lines between what I thought I could do and what I allowed myself to explore began to blur. 

Now that I've authored a middle grade anthology and am working on my second author-illustrated picture book, I think I've officially stepped over to the author side of creating books. One question I get asked about transitioning from illustrator to author is: Was writing always something I wanted to do?

Yes and no.

Essays & a short story I wrote about Leonardo DiCaprio 1995 😂

Yes, 'cause I've always loved writing. I have a whole box of essays, poems, and short stories I've collected since I was a teen. No because I didn't think I was allowed to be in this lane...or more honestly, didn't give myself permission to. 

For the longest time, I thought writing required a degree. Oh I'm sure proper education and training would save me soooo much time and...tears--I don't doubt that for one bit. 'Cause words have their own beat, their own ability to emote feelings and I wasn't sure if I had a big enough word bank to create a whole story. 

Growing up, drawing gave me instant gratification from everyone (I'm an only child...no need to expand haha). I didn't get encouraged to write more until I was in college. 

So naturally, I pursued illustration and learned storytelling through that lense. As an Illustrator, part of what we do is to push the narrative forward. We decide how characters move on the page, what happens between the lines of a story, and how to build page-turns without words. 

Books that forever inspire me

When I started writing my own stories, I realized just how valuable these instincts were. The world-building, layering, and showing not telling apply in writing too. 

Of course, this doesn't mean storytelling for an audience came naturally. I learned that by reading. A LOT.

Sure we all have unique voices, but we're also shaped by the stories that inspire us. Part of finding your voice is understanding what moves you and why. 

When I began writing NEW, it started as an essay recounting my first few days of school. 

I wrote every uncomfortable thought and feeling down about being the new kid in an unfamiliar setting. The ending didn't come until I stepped away from the trauma dumping and asked myself, how could the adult version of me comfort my inner child? 

The title came when I wrote the second draft as a poem with every sentence starting with NEW. 

If you've ever gotten an email from me, you can probably imagine how many pages the first draft was. (LOL...sorry not sorry!)

When I started creating the book dummy, the visual artist in me took over. Once I let the pictures speak, words started falling away, and the dance between illustration and words began. That's pretty much how my first author-illustrated picture book was made. 

None of these steps I'd taken required anything outside of what I already possessed. It required my willingness to try, and a little honesty. 

Sometimes the only credentials we need to pursue something we love is the permissions we give ourselves. We are all storytellers. 

Until next time!

Niña 

Niña Mata is an award winning author illustrator known for creating art for books like New York Times Bestseller I Promise by LeBron James and Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson and the Geisel Honored I Can Read series Ty's Travels by Kelly Starling Lyons. 

She is also the author and illustrator of Girls to the Front: 40 Asian American Women Who Blazed a Trail and her debut picture book, NEW. 

Niña is the creator of Dear KidLit, a traveling sketchbook project that is sparking conversation within our KidLit community. You can find her on her IG page @ninamataart and www.ninamata.com.