Colour Our World: The Beginning

The summer has come and gone like a wave in the ocean that forms, curves, breaks, and is gone. Autumn is upon us, and the dark days of fall are here. This summer was different than most. My house was transformed through renovations, throwing off the old siding and busting holes in the gyprock for new windows. And a brand new colouring book transformed my life as my summer passed in a flurry of fairs, sales, building new connections, and renewing old ones.

The rush was on from the very beginning. I pushed everything I had within me to prepare my new colouring book, “Colour Our World,” for printing. I chewed my nails through last-minute alternations and waited for my first presentation in June.

It was Friendship Day in Lennoxville, Quebec, a cold, dreary day that would determine my book’s success. My husband and my son, William, stood by me in an elementary school basement. The parade passed and lunchtime approached. People made their way into the school to see the wares and artisans within.

The excitement was contagious as people saw my book and called for friends and family to join them. William held a book in his hand and performed his rehearsed sales pitch. He loved it. He flipped through the pages for everyone to see and displayed the sketches within, explaining how you could use markers or crayons to fill the empty spaces. He showed off the work that his momma had done, and I beamed with pride.

The rainy weather was a downer, but it never dampened people’s spirits as they eagerly came by to check out my table and be one of the first Townshippers to own a copy of my book. My English teacher from high school, Janet Angraves, supervised the table in front of me for the Township’s Sun and I finally bought the magazine subscription that I’d been planning on for years. The Lennoxville Vocational Training Centre at Alexander Galt also had a table on my right, advertising courses for continuing student. William took an immediate interest in one of the sales programs, and his choice was affirmed with every book he sold.

The encouragement I received was overwhelming. The community supported me in every way they could. My career as a colouring book artist began, and I couldn’t have been happier with the response.