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About Me

I write and I draw. My repertoire is eclectic – it includes children’s books, short stories and YA novels, sequential art and film. Please message me if you’d like to connect.

kajablackley

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Miyamoto Musashi is perhaps Japan’s most celebrated swordsman. He is a historical figure whose exploits have reached mythic proportions. He defeated his first opponent at the age of thirteen and won all subsequent duels; it is said that he even defeated one master with a bokken (wooden sword) he fashioned from the oar of the boat which carried him to a remote island for this very match. Musashi was also a teacher, a vassal, a ronin, artist and calligrapher. In the latter part of his journey he became a hermit, living in a cave until his death. In this cave, he completed a manuscript which has been translated the world over –– The Book of Five Rings.

Many English translations of The Book of Five Rings exist, some translations are better than others. The Book of Five Rings covers parts of Musashi’s life and experiences, including his philosophy on why he never lost a duel –– a fascinating account for anyone to apply to their daily lives and chosen fields of endeavour. Musashi emphasizes a strong work ethic and the importance of transcending thought. In other words, if you have trained well, you react without thinking, your sword an extension of your own body.

My favourite part of The Book of Five Rings comes at the very beginning of the 1974 edition (though some subsequent editions have omitted it) –– a list entitled, “The Winning Strategy”. Musashi’s strategy is a guide for any life, at any stage of personal and professional development, for student and master alike. In my experience, No.3, No.5 and No.6 of the list are particularly relevant for those in the creative arts. Without further interjection, I leave the final word to Musashi:

1. Do not harbor sinister designs.

2. Diligently pursue the path of two-swords-as-one.

3. Cultivate a wide range of interests in the arts.

4. Be knowledgeable in a variety of occupations.

5. Be discreet regarding one’s commercial dealings.

6. Nurture the ability to perceive the truth in all matters.

7. Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.

8. Do not be negligent, even in trifling matters.

9. Do not engage in useless activity. Image: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1852)
#creativepeople

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Maurice Sendak and his book Where The Wild Things Are hold a special place in my heart. It was the first children’s book by a writer and illustrator that spoke to me on a creatively spiritual level.

It wasn’t the protagonist Max who won me over; it was the idea that with enough will and imagination I could transform my bedroom into a jungle, captain a boat, set sail to a far off island and become king of the monsters that inhabited it.

I loved the design of Sendak’s monsters. Beyond the inherent charm and playfulness of Sendak’s drawings, I never trusted the monsters –– I always felt that they would eat me if they got hungry. The monster with spiked hair and a striped top remains my favourite to this day.

Sendak treated me, a young reader, with respect. The story was not preachy, the art was gritty, the colours were muted, his monsters, while playful, were slightly feral-looking and that kept a nervous excitement stirring inside of me. I liked that feeling.

I wanted stories that challenged me and my imagination and, perhaps, scared me a little. Maurice Sendak succeeded in giving me a book with that kind of a story.

What I respected as a young boy – without understanding then that it was respect – and truly appreciate as a grown man, is that Sendak understood that a child is “a complicated creature.” They can deal with a lot more than bright colours, simple shapes and hyper-safe content.

Maurice Sendak inspired Jim Henson, he inspired Mercer Mayer, he inspired me, and he inspired countless other dreamers and adventurers. May we be so accomplished as to inspire as many people with our own work.

Photo: Frank Armstrong for the Rosenbach Musem & Library
#wherethewildthingsare #mauricesendak #children_illustration #kidslit #childrensbooks #childrenbookillustration #childrenswriters #imagination #monsters #read #readingtime📖 #kids #magicofreading

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#simplicity

The older I get, the more I try to simplify my life. If I’m writing, I ask myself if I can get to the point quicker and still be thought-provoking. And if I’m drawing, I ask myself if I can say it in fewer lines but achieve a fulsome, engaging picture.

The more we learn, the more tempting it may become to overcomplicate our work. And let’s not forget the age-old desire to out-do our competition. Some people would call this having a healthy ego. I call it a recipe for disaster. I often reflect on one of my early teachers’ who called the ego “the guru of all transgressions.” But consider Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. The plot is very simple: residents from a poor farming village enlist the help of seven ronin samurai to help defend it from bandits intent on stealing their crops. Many movies, including Pixar’s A Bug’s Life, were based on Kurosawa’s classic. Why? What makes the Seven Samurai narrative so engaging? Beyond Kurosawa’s direction, it’s how fully defined the character of each samurai is, and how invested we viewers become in the nobility of their aim: self-sacrifice for a group of strangers most others deem pathetic and unworthy of support.

Conflict and a group of honourable people directed to take action by a shared moral compass make for all sorts of compelling adventures. Quite frankly, this describes many of my artistic compadres: we are all united under the common goal of making our art come to life. We all struggle. Some struggles are character-testing, like self-doubt and anxiety. Other struggles are financial and material – like the farmers from the Seven Samurai, we labour under the pressure to care for the welfare of our families. Sometimes we face bandits intent on stealing our work. However, if we can invoke the ideal of the samurai – perform simple acts, remain in the moment, be disciplined and resist distractions – we can face the risks and engage the burdens with which we live as we share the beauty of life. “A focused mind,” as the Japanese proverb says, “can pierce through stone.” #onemomentatatime #creativepeople #zen #calmyourmind #peacefulmind #artist #writer #musician #lessismore #inthemoment #breathe

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I dig the background colours. #kensingtonmarket #graffiti #streetart #creativepeople #lostintoronto #toronto #coloursplash #alleyway

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About The Event 60 Mary St Barrie, Ontario L4N 1T1 Canada
October 27, 2019
12:00 pm - 6:00 pm

I will be signing copies of Maggie MacCormack and the Witches’ Wheel at the Drawing House on October 27, 2019, between 3:00PM and 6:00PM.

Prior to the book signing, I will be holding two workshops open to the public.

Admission to Workshop is Free with Food Bank Donation.

Please bring a non-perishable food donation to the Drawing House on the day of the workshops. If you attend both workshops, please bring a separate donation for each event. All contributions will be donated to the Barrie Food Bank.

Food donations are welcome throughout the day but are not mandatory for attending the book-signing.

Noon to 1:00 Workshop 1: Character Development

This all-ages workshop will benefit writers and illustrators of fiction, comics and animation.

1:30PM to 2:30PM Workshop 2: From Notebook to Published Book

This all-ages workshop will benefit creative individuals interested in acquiring an understanding of how to find agents, publish with legacy publishers, self-publish, distribute, market and potentially sell books in several different markets.

I have pledged, in perpetuity, 10.5% of the gross sales of Maggie MacCormack and the Witches’ Wheel to the following four non-profits: The Barrie Food Bank (2.5%), One Tree Planted (2.5%), Sea Legacy (2.5%), and Toronto’s the Children’s Book Bank (3%). Softcover editions of Maggie MacCormack and the Witches’ Wheel may be purchased the day of the event for CAD $20 and hardcover editions for CAD $40. Purchases are cash-only.

I hope to see you there.

#freckledmagic Believe in it.
#booksigning
#meettheauthor
#ireadyafantasy
#canlit
#yalit
#booklaunch

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I would like to thank book blogger @readwithangie for her lovely review of Maggie MacCormack and the Witches’ Wheel. Please visit readwithangie.com for more details.
#freckledmagic Believe in it.
#yablogger #ya #magic Posted @withrepost • @readwithangie 📖 New Book Review 📖 ⠀
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⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 ⠀
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Maggie MacCormack and the Witches’ Wheel is a YA fantasy full of magic, ghosts, talking animals and becoming who you were meant to be. There are talking dogs guys! It’s amazing. ⠀
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This would be a great spooky October read for YA! The writing is fluid and fun and the plot is full of surprises. I would highly recommend this book for teenagers and young adult readers.⠀
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Full review and link to the authors website on my blog!

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Contents TM and © Copyright Kaja Blackley 2019. All rights reserved.