Ep 82: How to Become a "Certified Kid at Heart" with Melquea Smith

In a world that too often forgets how to play, today’s episode is your permission slip to remember. I’m joined by the radiant Melquea Smith, a Black, Queer, multi-award-winning children’s book illustrator and certified kid at heart, who also creates joyful clip art for educators, authors, and entrepreneurs.

We talk about what it means to be a "certified kid at heart", how to feel wonder again, how to soften in a hardened world, and how to choose joy not as a feeling, but as an act of rebellion. Melquea’s art centers positive, joyful imagery of Black kids and Black families, especially little Black girls of all shapes, sizes, and shades. And her voice is just as vibrant as the illustrations she brings to life. 

Topics Covered:

• Why joy is a creative, rebellious act in a chaotic world
• How Melquea brings her kid-at-heart energy into daily life
• The surprising path from drawing animals to illustrating picture books
• Healing childhood gaps by drawing the representation she longed for
• Creative rituals for romanticizing the ordinary and staying enchanted
• The emotional weight of choosing softness in hard times
• Why reconnecting with awe can shift your entire perspective
• Gentle, practical ways to rediscover play and imagination as an adult

Here are some actions you can take, whether you have 5 minutes or 50:

• If you have a little more than 5 minutes, I have a TedX video called “Rediscovering childlike wonder as an adult” that invites you to rediscover the magic in everyday moments
  • https://youtu.be/aHsDd0ZSags?si=6JBK2zLq7kZ-54tD
• If you have 50 minutes,  I have an article from The Aesthetics of Joy called “How to embrace your inner child and find more joy.” They also have a guide you can download that gives you 50 ways to find joy every day.
  • https://aestheticsofjoy.com/embrace-your-inner-child/
  • https://the-aesthetics-of-joy.kit.com/1af2b71031

Join the monthly clipart membership, Brown Sugar Graphics! https://prettykittypaintings.com/bsg

Connect with Melquea!
Website: https://www.prettykittypaintings.com/
Free illustrations here: https://prettykittypaintings.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prettykittypaintings/

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Until next time, muah!

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