I think I'm getting the hang of Gifs! Okay now onto short animation. I hope to do a small stop animation really soon. Keep hope alive. Have a great day!

This time playing in the snow! Oh boy this is fun. Once I master how I did I will share it with you. Later Good People!

She's waiting for snow.

They came bearing gifts. Not just toys and food, but they came sharing their love, community, unity and such. Stuff that can't be brought with money. They came with open hearts and plenty of hugs. They came with laughter and songs. They came and everything changed. The gift without the giver is bare.

Are you finding it harder to find the joy these days? With the elections and the shootings and the killings and just the very air of the world right now? It can be so very overwhelming to the mind, body and soul of a person. So many questions. So many why's. It can drain the life out of you. Joy is not about happiness or prefection. Joy, is an emotion. It is a choice. A choice to turn off the news or deciding to extend kindness to others. It is smiling at someone even if they don't smile back at you. If you are looking for prefection you will never find it in this world. It's filled with imperfect people at every turn. I often find joy in music. Music is so very important to me. I couldn't do what I do or even make it through the day without a song. Music is very powerful and can bring the heart joy. I find songs that lift me and help me get through the day. Find a song to fill your heart. Wishing your heart joy and music! ROCK ON GOOD PEOPLE!!

It is so very important that every child gets to see themselves beautifully illustrated in picture books. I never saw myself in picture books until I saw the "Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats. I didn't see myself on tv or in magazines as a child. I thought that I was invisible for a very long time. Is is now my desire to illustrate every child. Show them that they are special and unique. I want little brown girls and boys to see themselves as princes and princesses Kings and queens. This is a little project that am working on. A Very Brown Princess and the green the Pigeon pea! It's a little Spanish and a little African and a whole lotta Gullah with just a touch of Crucian! It's all to funny as well. Wishing you all a very Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving! Hugs V

I am so looking forward to the movie, " Hidden Figures". It inspired this little piece for the cover of the fall issue of SCBWI. The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. SCBWI.org. If you are interested in learning about how to write or how illustrate children's books you want to start here.

Sometimes we live life just waiting for the other shoe to drop. We expect bad things to happen to us most of the time. I use to think like this. Recently I just went through one of the roughest seasons in my life and people had lots to say. I find that some folks just like to hear themselves talk. They don't want truth they just want to have their ears tickled with negativity and then want to spread it everywhere they go, but what if those same person lived with expectancy? Expect some joy, peace, creativity, laughter and love. What if they went to their mailboxes and found some good news or a check? What if they expected good news on the daily news? What if they looked for it in every situation? Disappointment shows up because you expected it too. Doubt, hurt and fear showed up because you expected it too. It had to show up so that you won't think you are crazy. My challenge for you today is to EXPECT something WONDERFUL to SHOW UP TODAY! Just for today!

https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Little-Glam-Tammi-Sauer/dp/1454913932/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471613248&sr=8-1&keywords=Mary+Had+A+Little+Glam

Sending healing thoughts your way.

School Library Journal

I was commissioned to do the cover of SLJ for the fall. School has already started for some and I can't believe it's almost here again. Time to get ready I guess. Have a wonderful week!

Quietly singing, " He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" and He does. I know it doesn't look like it to some. I know that the world feels like it's vibe is slipping off it's axis, and that people are loosing their minds, but none of this is catching the Creator off guard. He is still in control and even if you don't believe in Him, He believes in you. Sometimes we dim our lights so that we don't stand out, but now is the time to let the light of love, kindness, understanding, brotherhood and community come forth like never before. God, I know your listening. We need you right now. We need YOU!

Lost my Cousin Sharonda Coleman=Singleton and Ms. Sally Jackson. Just two of the Charleston 9. It feels like yesterday and it was just a few days ago 49 Beautiful people lost their lives in yet another shooting. This evil wants to take my breathe away. I am angry, but yet I forgive. Not because other people need it so badly or even want it from me, but because I need to love and live my best life and continue to be a vehicle of love to anyone and everyone who might need it. I try so hard to put love on everyday, but sometimes I forget a sock, or jacket and it only makes me want to try harder. So easy to hate people. People that don't even care that you hate them. The best way to get back at them is for us, you, me is to keep living and loving to the best of our ability. LOVE always WINS.

Sometimes you have to be willing to unplug from the negative and plug in the positive. It's a choice. Unplugging from the negative and plugging into the positivity of hope, peace, love and joy. Again, it is a choice. Happy Wednesday.

Sometimes you have to see it before you SEE it! I have this idea for my character,"Lil' V. She is me at 5 years old. I had the biggest imagination ever and pretended all the time. Didn't have a clue as to how powerful all of that daydreaming and imagination was at the time. Now as a grown woman, it's so hard sometimes to imagine the good and the positive. Constantly having to change the records of the subconscious mind because what we think about we bring about and I remember so vividly having adults tell me to stop daydreaming and get your head out of the clouds and somehow, they taught me to doubt myself and to think that others where better than me. That others deserved beauty, hope, joy, creativity, love and peace more than me. This is the rebooting of Vanessa Brantley-Newton. I go back now and I get to speak to my 5 year old self and I tell her to dream big babygirl and after you have dreamt big, dream even bigger. So big that when it actually happens you will know that it was something greater that brought you too it! I tell her that no one is better than you and even when they come against you and say all manner of evil about you, you have to know yourself and love yourself. Embrace the you that you are. That she is not the failure or the lack, or the disappointments that have come in her life. That these are some of the ingredients that were needed to make big Vanessa into who she needed to be for life. That there will be awesome people like Bella Sinclair Eric Barclay, Shell Nita Jo, Melissa KJ and a host of others who come to visit this little blog. I am so blessed. One day this little book is going to find it's way into the world of children's books. It's gonna hit the shelves and speak very loudly to another little 5 year old who has a dream! Sometimes you have to see it before you see it! Peace!

Her Grandmama was gone, but she remembered the powerful words that she shared, "Baby!", she said, " Your words have power to create your reality so speak life, love and abundance. Speak well of others even when they don't speak well of you for in doing so, good will come back to YOU." And so, I speak life, love and abundance as often and as fast as I can creating my reality. Thank you Mama.

"Once the Pink Lady faced her fears she became stronger, wiser and more yes, fashionable!" Thanks so much Kate Thacker! Facing your fears helps you to move forward with strength, courage and wisdom. It's been inside of you all along! Working on myself and my dreams. It may be a while, but know that I'm thinking of you all!! Be good!

If they can see themselves then they can free themselves! Ari dared to be awesome because he was awesome already. He went running and flying into his destiny! Okay, now it's your turn. See your inner wild child. Love him or her and then free yourself to run to your destiny! Gotta fly!!! See you later good Peoples!

Fear.... false, evidence, appearing, real. Doing it a little scared, but doing it just the same. Have a good one beautiful people! You can do it!

Hey Blogger Family!! Just popped in to say, "Hello and I miss my Beautiful Peeps!" Life has been interesting and full of surprises! I want to say Thank You to ALL of you who emailed, called, and encouraged me. Thanks so much for your kind words and support it meant the world to me. I appreciate it so very much! I'm still standing and I'm still here quietly watching and listening. Learning that we are so much stronger, bigger and better then we even know and it's not what people say about us, but what we believe about ourselves! Our situations should never define who we are and it's not what people call us, but what we answer too. Not asking, "Why me?", but rather, "How does this serve me?" Not feeling sorry for myself, but understanding that there is a bigger picture and plan and what doesn't kill you fattens you for the rest of the journey and the journey is great! All things are working for my good because God is intentional never failing and still I rise and still I move forward and still I live in abundance, joy, peace and love. Nobody and nothing can take that away from us! My joy, peace and love belong to me. It's easy to dance in the sunshine of praise, but can you still do the same dance in the storm? I've learn that I can dance in the storm, lift my hands to the sky and smile with tears streaming down my face, because I am loved and I love me some Y'ALL! I don't dwell on the negative cause it just doesn't serve me. If you live long enough there will be some rough patches, but know this, nobody get to tell you when you can speak, dance, rejoice, or smile! ONLY you get to do that. So I will keep it moving and I will keep smiling! Thanks again you Bella Sinclair, KJ, Shell, Michelle,and so many other wonderful and beautiful people who have encouraged me and supported me. Love to you all! Shalom