Discover the current importance of diversity and representation in the publishing industry, and why it is crucial for artists to embrace inclusivity in their portfolio.
An Invitation
At a recent webinar hosted by ITSme Learning Academy I was invited to partake as one of the panelists to discuss about the importance of representation in publishing and artists' portfolios. When I received the email invitation, I wondered why they thought I was qualified to talk about this topic. I have not really dwelled upon this subject matter and have only realized its relevance until I began making children's books. I have also often wondered why this was something to talk about in the first place. Why is there even a need to categorize underrepresented authors and illustrators in today's publishing? Why can’t it be just all writers and illustrators? Is the so-called progressive discrimination the way to go or is it just the beginning? Racism has not been an issue in my country since our independence after WWII. So maybe I see things differently.
You see, I was born and raised in the Philippines where I belonged to the majority, meaning, we are mostly (Austronesian) Filipinos and yes, brown in many tints and shades with black hair. My mother tongue is Filipino, which was based from Tagalog, the language largely spoken in central and southern Luzon, the largest island, especially in the nation's capital, Manila. It was declared as the official language of the entire archipelago of 7,101 island among the nearly 200 languages spoken there plus English as the second official language to accommodate the non-native speakers of Tagalog.
Compared to the rest of Asia, the Philippines stand out as the only Christian nation, where 88% are Christians and 79% of that is Roman Catholic in which I was indoctrinated. Although Muslims and a minuscule number of indigenous tribes populate the northern and southern regions, one might say we are in the wrong continent.
I only realized I was Asian when I set off to see the world because people I met pointed it out. They nodded their heads towards me whenever the topic is about all things Asian. Up until then I was just minding my own business. Little did I know that as soon as I left my country I represented my nation, my culture, language and even my skin color. In the last 14 years I have gone to 27 countries and lived in 4 of them.
I have my fair share of traveling and boy, do I have stories to tell and perhaps a few things to say about diversity and representation after all.
The hour-long webinar had a very open discussion about the topic but was not enough to fully get deeper into the specifics. From the point of view of an illustrator and an expat, here are my more in-depth answers to the questions asked.
What is the difference between Diversity and Representation?
When creating characters, diversity answers who, where, what—what kinds of people or animals as well as inanimate ones, what are their backgrounds (whether race, religion, language, etc.), where do they come from, and who are the characters? It’s about putting together your cast of characters—major and minor ones.
Representation answers the how and why: How and why are we going to tell their stories through words and in my case, as an artist, through pictures? How are we going to design, dress or accessorize a character, (“what” questions come in tandem here, too), why are these characters making these choices in the story? We get even more specific here through the details because we want them portrayed as authentic as possible.
Representation is the authentic portrayal of the character.
It’s a good thing to see a variety of characters coming from different backgrounds on a double page spread, but it is even better to see and understand their individual stories.
When I was working in movies back home as a crowd director, my job was to stage the actions and positions of the extras within the frame of the scene. Similar to blocking in a theater, I would position and time their movements in such a way that did not distract the main action. However it did not mean that they could just mindlessly walk around. We give them props or a back story as to why they are included in the scene. For example, a street scene would perhaps need a mother and child crossing the street, rushing cyclist or a balloon peddler in the corner. Each of them has a purpose and not just merely ornaments. This crowd directing skill has helped in creating a scene in picture books. Along with the main story, as an illustrator, you are also showing micro stories.
As an illustrator of books, why do you think it's important to showcase representation?
We live in one planet—the only known living planet in the universe, as far as we are concerned. We belong to one human race—an accidental species that is capable of intelligence, consciousness and complex emotions. Representation is important because everyone has a story to tell and voice to be heard. We inherit the stories that our ancestors told before us and layer that with our own. If young readers learn this early on, I believe that the issue about division will eventually disappear. Their experiences are validated and told through lyrical text and wonderful pictures. They will feel they belong. Moreover they will also feel empathy towards other people’s stories that will foster kindness, openness and tolerance towards everybody’s quirks. It just gives me hope for the future of humankind.
Representation is important because everyone has a story to tell and voice to be heard.
As I was sitting at a cafe in Mandela Square in Johannesburg, I saw a bunch of South African kids playing altogether. These are children of all ages and sizes and color. In the context of South Africa's history of apartheid, 30 years ago that scenario was impossible—criminal even! Children are not prejudiced until they are taught. It was such a beautiful sight that I kept that memory and drew it later.
Do you have a personal connection to why Representation is important to you?
The topic of diversity and representation was not so big of an issue to me growing up. Where I came from the majority of the population has brown skin, as far as skin colors are concerned, but... Being part of the majority did not necessarily come with privilege. There was discrimination, social inequality, regionalism, religious extremism and colonial mentality. Our pop culture’s standard for beauty meant possessing fair skin, due to the reverence to our former colonial masters: the Spanish, Americans and Japanese. We were led to believe that our darker complexion and flat noses are something to be ashamed of and it stuck through generations. Skin whitening and hair coloring products are much desired. Even though as a child people made fun of my brownness and skinniness, my experience might not be comparable to a Filipino child growing up in the US, for example. Darker skin in my culture meant you are ugly and dirt poor while darker skin in the US denotes graver than that. Hence, I was careful to talk about colorism before I educated myself about the plight of the “other” within a dominant culture. This topic became evident when I left my country and especially when I began illustrating children’s books, because almost instantly I became the "other."
In Africa, I was either seen as a Chinese or Japanese. In Shanghai, as the only Asian in a group of white people, the taxi driver spoke to me in Mandarin. While in Europe, people think I’m either Thai or Vietnamese. In the Americas people spoke Spanish to me! When he met me, my German husband thought I was American in my own country because I spoke English with a twang! As a Filipino expat, who has lived and traveled in several countries, I realized that I represent my country and culture wherever I go. So whenever I get the chance, I talk about my country and our many languages and our traditions and even cook our food to friends just to acquaint them and erase that identity bias. Because of centuries of colonial rule our identity as a people was erased and those millions of Filipinos who have migrated abroad have assimilated into their adopted countries. Since more diverse picture books are being published worldwide, the younger generation especially of Filipino descent growing up outside the Philippines is getting to know now what a nipa hut is, or what a sari-sari store is or what a Tinikling dance is.
As a Filipino expat, who has lived and traveled in several countries, I realized that I represent my country and culture wherever I go.
As an artist, have you experienced any clear benefits to showcasing a range of different characters across various ethnicities, backgrounds and abilities?
You get so much project inquiries that have a wide array of themes that can be exciting for you as an artist to explore because clients recognize your potential and versatility as well as your sensitivity. You are not pigeon-holed to one genre. You can do both fiction and non-fiction, as well.
Personally I love learning about history and culture and this education gives me a wider view of the world around me, which also greatly informs my art. For example I like using decorative elements in my illustrations if I see it fitting. So I take bits and pieces of whatever I have learned from many cultures and use them to enrich the page I illustrate. When using such elements I also make sure that that particular ornament or symbol is in public domain and is not appropriating any culture.
Do you have any tips for artists to help them ensure their characters don't look overly stereotypical, and more culturally appropriate?
Ask yourselves questions such as, what kind of hats do people wear in that place? How do they wear them? What material? The answers will inform you.
Basically, observe and study people. To be specific, do your research about skin tones, eye color from the region, hairstyles, clothing—what are the patterns, do they have meaning? Which dye colors were used in fabrics? Do those colors mean anything? For example in the picture book "A Little Bit of Everything", which tells the story of a biracial child, I was specifically told that the location in the Indian side of the story was in South-Western India. I chose Goa for the architecture and diverse natural beauty. Characters were wearing traditional clothing such as saris. So I studied not only the woven patterns of the fabric in that region but also how it was draped. Read about my art process here.
Go to libraries or museums whenever possible to see and feel the 3D object like the clothing or ornaments. To create the illustrations for "Oisín and the Land of Youth" I went to a Celtic museum with a reconstruction of a village and hilltop gravesite so I could immerse myself into that ancient world.
If museums are not an option, watch documentaries or even listen to podcast about your topic. I’m a YouTuber and it’s always on while I’m sketching. There is a wealth of records out there and you need to devour information to achieve authenticity.
But nothing beats traveling. If you can, see and experience the world. Talk to locals if you have the opportunity. Listen to their stories. You will be surprised how willing people are to talk about their lives. I was lucky to have that expat experience, which made my visual storytelling more interesting and authentic. In Dubai during Ramadan, I was invited to an Iftar, the meal after fasting, which became quite useful in illustrating Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp.
Take lots of pictures of the architecture, the landscape, the details—the little things. Build a library of photographic references and even books about patterns, symbols that maybe helpful to enrich and diversify your characters and the world they live in. It’s all about accessories and the details.
Be sensitive. When you’re drawing poses, be aware about hand gestures or even feet poses. When creating an environment for your characters, mind which flora and fauna are found in the region. I always go into the rabbit hole during research.
With that in mind, be careful not to stay long in that rabbit hole or even be paralyzed by cultural appropriateness because it might limit your creativity. Case in point, I was tested to illustrate a funeral scene in Ghana. I even called an acquaintance in Ghana to fact check the description in the manuscript—if people indeed danced during the funeral procession. The text was contradicted for people treated the funeral as a solemn occasion and only reveled afterwards in celebration of the deceased loved one. Despite my research I did not win the book gig. After some time, I realized I could have illustrated the scene more magically. I was so focused on being culturally appropriate that I forgot to consider what the clients were expecting to see from me as the artist.
Ask your client if there is something you should be mindful of in terms of character features. There are no dumb questions if it will help the story and will make your job easier.
Also take note from the words used in the manuscript or the art brief. For example in Lullaby for the King, some of the animals like the Asiatic Lion were specific. Turns out there is an obvious difference between an African lion and an Asiatic one other than the size—how the ears are exposed!
Lastly, just have fun creating your characters! You are building a world here and your characters. When I am drawing diverse children, I highlight their individual quirkiness—not their physical appearance. If you observe kids anywhere, all of them have accessories like toys or little bags, so have fun with those just to give them character or show their micro stories. Pinterest is also a great source of kids' fashion.
How do you think the need for more Representation will influence the Publishing Industry moving forwards?
We will have more beautiful stories from all over the world to read to children. Growing up, apart from our own Filipino folktales, we only knew about Disney or anime adaptations of world fairytales. Now we know that those originated from old tales from around the world retold through the point of view of dominant pop cultures. We simply accepted what the media and publishers offered. I love seeing books whose authors and illustrators come from different backgrounds—especially artists who illustrate stories that are not from their own country. Because as an artist myself, while I am always careful to tell stories that are not mine, I learn a lot about a culture at the same time. After finishing Oisín, I am confident will be able to write a PhD thesis about Celtic folktales!
It’s a joy to see diverse books. Book buyers like librarians, parents, and teachers will also learn about these stories that they probably never heard of, and when paired with wonderful pictures, they will be excited to read them to children and these children who have been exposed to such stories will have a much open understanding of the world. Children are open to any stories and it will be a disservice to them if we underestimate their capacity to comprehend them.
As someone who is passionate about this subject, how would you encourage artists to bring more of their Own Voice/ Lived Experiences into their artwork?
You have those stories in you, you just need to tap into them and let them out through your illustrations. I find making personal art really invigorating and authentic in many ways because those are expressions of yourself. Whereas client work, which is what I have been doing a lot lately, are direct products of your previous personal artwork. In the beginning clients always referred to my personal work in my portfolio and always tell me, they want something like that in their book. Now they use samples of my latest book covers from my portfolio along with my older personal work.
Be bold and daring and be sure you can back that up through your authenticity, fact checking and research. I can’t tell you how many times I have defended my creative decisions just because I felt that not only will it elevate the story telling but also it’s either historical or culturally appropriate to the narrative. If you explain it concisely and nicely, your clients will hear you out and even consider adjusting the manuscript. Also always include a website link to verify your claim. Your clients are time poor and so you are doing them and yourself also a favor if you make it easier for them.
Be bold and daring and be sure you can back that up through your authenticity, fact checking and research.
I even bring in my past professional experiences in my art process and work ethic—just like my crowd directing experience. You need to be a full package of an artist with life experience, technical skills, cultural sensitivity, work ethic and love for wonder and exploration.
Lastly, you have a limited real estate on those double page spreads. Make it count. That’s your stage. My background in the movies and doing theater in school allowed me to see a spread as a stage. You can compose it as you wish. You can create an alternate world. Every single element you place in there will be seen by your readers—even a negative space tells a story.
What if you don’t have the same experience as the characters in the story, how can you represent the characters?
Nobody will have the same experience but there can be similarities. Like I said I did not have the same experience as that of a Filipino child raised outside the Philippines, but I can tap the nuanced common traits and traditions that identify as Filipino. Suppose I was tasked to illustrate a story about a white American child’s emotional breakdown, will I be able to represent the child's difficult experience? The most important key here is to empathize with the character and put myself in her shoes in order to authentically represent the character. I was also once a child, who also had meltdowns. You don’t have to be a balloon in order to illustrate balloon stories authentically either.
Are there elements that illustrators need to avoid when illustrating, that reinforces stereotypes or negative representation?
An editor told me once, it's all about the eyes. The way you draw the eyes of the characters makes a huge impact. If you are drawing an Asian character, does it automatically mean smaller, narrower eyes? (By the way, there are books about Asian eyes.) Some artists have their signature style of drawing eyes, which makes it safe and recognizable, but also limiting in terms of showing diversity. Similarly, do girls have to wear pink and boys only blue? Some publishers will tell the artist to avoid these colors especially in book covers to avoid "genderfication" of books. Sometimes it is even safer to make the children or any character look androgynous through their hairstyle or clothing, unless otherwise specified in the manuscript.
How can you include representation into classic books/stories?
I believe you must always represent the characters according to their origins, their geographical location and culture especially when written precisely in the text. Again, representation means an authentic portrayal of a character or a group of people or location within the context of the story.
However, if it's a retelling of a classic fictional tale (often you will see this in the title such as "retold by") with ambiguous geographic location, then in my opinion, you may consider having diverse characters. You may also consider adding diverse characters if not specifically described in the text. If the characters are fairies/magical folks, there is an opportunity there to explore diversity. “Oisín and the Land of Youth” by Leslie McCune is a retelling of a classic Celtic folktale, which is intertwined with Ireland’s history. The client wanted diverse characters but was specific that Oisín, the warrior-hunter band Fianna and Celtic humans are white Irish and some with Mediterranean features because according to archaeological records the Celts that reached Ireland came from the Iberian peninsula. On the other hand, the immortal and forever young magical folk, the Tuath(a) Dé Danann were described in the art brief like “black-Japanese warrior princess with braided golden hair" or “Indian fairy king” all in their mid-twenties. My head was spinning when I read the art brief! But who was to argue that the inhabitants of the otherworld were all white in this retelling? It was an attempt of the publishers to diversify what was classically known as an Irish legend for Gen-Z and Alpha readers. As the illustrator, I had to do heavy research about the Celts, in order to represent the characters and location properly and at the same time find solutions in creating the magical folk that would make sense in the manuscript and in that period. I also asked if they wanted leprechauns and pixies just to cover all kinds of Celtic mythological beings. I described my art process for that book here.
However, if it's a Shakespearean historical drama set in England, or one of the tales in 1001 Nights or even from the Bible, there's something to be considered there. In my opinion, representation is imperative but are we allowed to change the major characters for the sake of diversity?
The better question is, is it necessary to insist on including diverse characters in classic stories?
In art conservation, (I was a media conservationist and archivist), whenever we come across an archival film on nitrate that needed to be digitized and then exhibited to the public, we always ask ourselves, what was the intention of the filmmaker? How and when was this originally presented and was the medium part of the story or concept taking note that compatible film projectors may no longer be available in the market and that film substrates like nitrate is prohibited and deteriorate over time? If the artist is long gone, are there records that inform us about this intention?
In the context of books, what was the intention of the author? Those classic stories were written by authors who were products of a particular time and place in history as well as the so-called zeitgeist of their generation. If no documentation exists, the expert about the artwork or book, who studied the creator’s life and works, is the next ultimate reliable source. J.K. Rowling alone can change the representation of Hermione Granger because she is the creator of the Harry Potter Wizarding World, now a modern classic. In one hundred years when her books will be reprinted or the films remade and even when the books enter the public domain, are the publishers or the film producers at liberty to change the characters’ physical appearance knowing that the author was quite specific in her requirements and that there were numerous written and spoken records of these demands?
What is the best way to achieve that balance between accuracy and artistic freedom?
You must always be respectful and sensitive when telling other people's story and you must back up your creative decisions with research. However try not to be trapped by cultural appropriatenes or historical accuracy that you forget to do what the clients were expecting to see from you as the artist. You are not a historian nor an anthropologist but clients appreciate when you do the research, too. For example, in Lullaby for the King, which is a fantastical retelling of the Nativity, I was given freedom to be whimsical but I also needed to find out which species of animals lived in the Middle East because the author described them in the text. In fiction, remember that you are creating an alternate world and you have the freedom to not follow the laws of nature.
They chose you to illustrate for a reason.
Note that you may ask your clients to cite samples from your portfolio that resonated with them and that informed them that you can illustrate this book. My client loved my colorful animals and so I capitalized on that. You can kickstart your brainstorming from those samples. Then start to solve the problems through sketches and more research. Also always ask questions—address the elephant in the room when the art brief is vague. When not described, ask the client if they want a biracial family, or diverse children or if they have visual references that will help you create the character they want to see. Finally, tell your version of the story—you become part of the storytelling, too. Bookmaking, after all, is a collaboration where every voice is welcome and as the illustrator, you are a co-creator.
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