This weekend I gave something new a crack—my first time ever using graphic markers while making art with the kids. The table was a wholesome, arty mess: colour everywhere, kids totally engaged, and a parade of oddball cat faces coming to life. These markers are bold, a little unpredictable, and really satisfying. Maybe it’s the smell or the bright colours—but I’m hooked. There’s something about the whole process that makes me want to keep playing and see where it goes.
I’m not trying to create a masterpiece—I’m just exploring. And that’s what art should be all about. These markers are definitely going to make their way into future work once I learn how to tame them.
What does “having it all” mean to you? Is it attainable?
Honestly? I think “having it all” used to sound like being good at everything. All the skills, all the confidence, all the outcomes wrapped up with a neat little bow. But now, I think that would just be… boring.
To me, having it all is being okay with not having it all yet. It’s that magical moment of starting something new, sucking at it, and watching yourself slowly get better. It’s the colourful mess at the beginning. The progress shots. The squiggly cats.
That learning curve—that little buzz of “oh hey, I didn’t know I could do that”—that’s the real joy. That’s what I chase in art, in parenting, in life.
And honestly? I think that might be better than “having it all.”
Kids Book Illustrator Andy C Marshall 