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| Birds are an inspiration for books: Jodie McLeod (left) with illustrator Eloise Short |
The first time I saw a lyrebird I was completely gobsmacked. I’d just moved to the Blue Mountains, and I’d heard of these strange creatures and their ability to imitate everything from other birds to chainsaws and crying babies, but I hadn’t really considered the outrageousness of that idea.
Then, one misty Mountains morning, a
cacophony of birds sounded in my backyard. Well, not birds, but – bird.
A lyrebird. Putting on a spectacular show, just for me.
WOW.
I knew right then that this bird had to become a character in a story one day. (Leonard the Lyrebird, illustrated by Katoomba artist Eloise Short, was published in 2018 and went on to win the Whitley award for Best Children’s Book from the Royal Zoological Society of NSW).
Birds have continued to be an inspiration for my stories primarily,
I think, because seeing them fills me with awe, and because seeing Eloise’s
artworks also fills me with awe (birds and nature are her specialty); and awe –
as it turns out – is the most awesome starting point for doing anything
creative.
Anyone who’s read Julia Baird’s beautiful book Phosphorescence will know the power of awe and wonder in generating not just creativity but a whole host of physical and psychological benefits. Innumerable studies show the positive impact awe has on everything from our health to our happiness, cognition, stress levels, feelings of generosity and cooperativeness, sense of community and sense of meaning in life.
Nature is the most common source of
awe for humans, and being amongst it has so many documented benefits. One 2023
Harvard study showed spending just 15 minutes in nature daily can improve
mental health. Even viewing
imagery of nature through visual art has positive health benefits.
Awe can of course also be experienced
in response to art, music, dance, collective experiences, human endeavours and books.
I love this idea that my little
moments of awe – seeing birds in nature – spark my (and Eloise’s) creativity,
which in turn sparks awe in young readers, which often then sparks their
creativity.
It’s a lovely cycle of awe-inspired
giving, which I imagine carries all the mind-and-body benefits that awe
entails.
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| The cycle of awe and creativity: Artworks from students at Fadden Primary, ACT |
Awe helps me write, and it helps
children write, too.
In my creative writing workshops, I might
ask students to write down three things that make them go: WOW! What makes them
feel that feeling of wonder and curiosity? What makes their breath catch in
their throat?
These are the starting points for
stories.
But what happens if you’re asked to
write about something that doesn’t give you that feeling of WOW?
This, I say, is when we put on our WOW
glasses.
These are like our ‘noticing’ glasses. They help us look at the tiny
details of something ordinary and help us turn it into something interesting.
(Side note: When I told my own kids,
ages 9 and 11, that I put on my WOW glasses in writing workshops they groaned
with life-threatening amounts of cringe. Thankfully, students not related to me
don’t seem too mortified.)
Whether it’s a nature walk, noticing
birds, looking at beautiful illustrations or bespectacling oneself with
imaginary eyewear, finding the WOW in the world is always the beginning of
something wonder-ful.
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| Awe-inspiring birds: The 12 Birds of Christmas by Jodie McLeod and illustrated by Elosie Short is out now |
Jodie McLeod is an award-winning
children’s author and publisher at Wollemi Press, based in
the Blue Mountains. Her most recent book The 12 Birds of Christmas,
illustrated by Eloise Short, is
out now. The
Black Cockatoo With One Feather Blue, also by Jodie and illustrated by
Eloise, was on the CBCA Notable list for Best Picture book in 2024 and won the
Whitley Award for Best Children’s Book from the RZSNSW. Jodie has an honours
degree in creative writing and regularly visits schools for talks and writing
workshops. When not writing you’ll find her running the trails of the Blue
Mountains or hanging out with her husband, two daughters and cavoodle, Rufus.
Follow Jodie on Instagram, Facebook and
visit her website.
Follow Wollemi Press on Instagram,
Facebook and
visit the website.