THUNDER BAY — Long-time friends joined forces to publish a book with the message ‘there’s no one way to be.’
Tigers and Teddy Bears written by local author, Jennifer Barrow, and illustrated by local artist, Laura Paxton, was released at the end of October.
Barrow said she found inspiration in her family and the many different people she regularly talks to at work.
“I’m a hairstylist, so I talk with a lot of people on a regular basis. This sparked this idea of, don't put anybody in a box, that we can kind of embrace our very strong, fierce sides and our soft and vulnerable sides.
“They're kind of always interchanging. Just you be you, no matter what that looks like. We speak to there's no one way to work, no one way to play, no one way to be a family.
“The big message to take away is you be you no matter who you are and we're here to support you. When you see that Tigers and Teddy Bear symbol someday, you know that we are here to support you,” Barrow said.
“I've been drawing forever,” said Paxton, illustrator of Tigers and Teddy Bears.
“When Jenn showed me her manuscript and I went over the story with her, I could start envisioning things right away. Our process was taking that jumping point from the logo and then creating a character to go with it and then presenting a couple different styles for Jenn to see.
“Then we went from there and we picked a colour palette that we just really liked. It just built from there. It was a nice team process and it was a really fun way to explore a different medium for me,” Paxton said.
Barrow said it was interesting to go through everything.
“I have a thought in my head and I have to explain it to these other artists to try to get them to get the concept and, you don't want to settle for the end product and Laura just totally understood it.
“It started as an idea, it’s been about two years, but a solid year of really committing to doing this creative process.
“We didn't want to target anyone person, it's how the book is interpreted to each individual,” Barrow said.
Barrow and Paxton go way back as friends, connecting with each other in kindergarten.
“Jennifer and I have been like best friends since JK/SK.
“When she approached me to be the illustrator for her book, it was like a no brainer, of course, we bonded over creativity like from the get go and that's kind of been alongside the relationship.
“We’re just creative together, we’re ourselves. It was just a no brainer,” Paxton said.
Barrow said her two daughters inspired her with their differing personalities.
“One leads a little more with her tiger and one leads a little more with her bear. I just think it's so beautiful that they're just uniquely themselves and how sometimes one will be a little bit softer and one a little stronger.”
Barrow said there’s a concept that people should act one certain way.
“Who's to say that you never act differently? We're always just evolving.
“It’s not a new concept, but it's just a different way of looking at it and breaking it down for lots of different ages to know that you can change and it's OK, you can have different feelings and that's OK.
“Making sure that they understand that you're allowed to be who you are and you can look very different to different people,” she said.
Be kind, true and honest to yourself and try to understand where people are coming from, Barrow said.
“At the end of the day, we have to make sure that we're using kindness, leading with our hearts and being brave and strong and that looks different in everyone.
“As a person, I love connection and I just love to just watch with people and be with people.”
Barrow said it’s vulnerable for her to let her thoughts outside her head, be in people’s hands, and left for interpretation.
“It's being received just as I hoped it would. I couldn't be happier with what it's come out to and just proud of us and I'm happy we're doing this together.
“To have my daughters see me do something that's outside my box also makes me super happy,” Barrow said.
Paxton said as someone who does lots behind the scenes, seeing everything come to fruition really makes her heart full of happiness.
Tigers and Teddy Bears is available as an eBook on Apple Books, Kindle and Google Books as well as locally at Entershine Bookshop. It is also available at the Thunder Bay and Murillo Libraries in all forms.
