Perseverance is evident as Blake Nuto shares his love of story creation from an early age and his self-doubts about his illustrative abilities. With maturity came purpose – and the joy of expression through art. This passion is beautifully portrayed in his recent title, When You’re a Boy, shortlisted for the New Illustrator award in the 2024 CBCA Book of the year nominations.
© Blake Nuto
When I was a boy, I loved drawing, playing, making. My brother and I would sit side-by-side for hours, as he made his Headless Chookens series and I made my Solar Mancomic. Solar Man was always foiled by a passing cloud. These were no works of genius and I didn’t care. I knew I wasn’t the best at drawing, not even in my primary class. I just loved the process of making them and then filing them away, never to be looked at again. Making art led to well-being.
Through high school the standards changed. Not being the best still didn’t bother me, but my art grades did. I didn’t enjoy investing a lot of hours into something to get back a mediocre grade. This just wasn’t motivating for me. Friends' competitive comments didn’t help either. Suddenly, making art started to feel like a graded performance and I more or less gave up, dropping the subject as soon as I could.
Fortunately, this turn from art led to a deeper investment in writing, particularly songwriting and poetry. I found these formats limitless and playful and would constantly write short snippets purely for my own enjoyment. All the while, I looked on at painters with envy, knowing how lovely it would feel to run a paint brush across a canvas.
I was 28 when I thought I might make some art again. What motivated me was joy. In my 28 year old brain I was now too old to ever conceive of making it as an artist and I might as well just get back to making for delight. This remains the motivation behind my work. When this focus shifts is usually when I stop making art for a while.
Making for joy has usually led to my best ideas. My first book Child of Galaxies was written while I was marshalling a Cross Country event. I wanted to write something to read to my kids at night, something about the world. Within half an hour I had finished it. I didn’t know I had just written my first book, that it would go on to be published in the UK and US or translated into multiple languages. I didn’t know it would receive a Yoto Carnegie nomination. But I did feel really happy after writing it because I knew I wanted to share it with my kids.
My second book, A Day That’s Ours started as a short poem for a friend. I offered to write some free poems for the first 10 people who asked for them. One friend asked me to write about her daughter starting school. It was easy to write, because my son was about to start school at the same time. This is what I wrote:
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| © Blake Nuto |
I gave it to my friend and didn't think much of it, until my editor asked for some drafts for my second book. Suddenly, I knew I had the start of an idea. I would call it One Last Monday. My editor loved it and the idea developed until it became A Day That’s Ours.
I sold the concept for my third book to Affirm Press. It was just a scrap idea I wrote down on the bus after work. I was basically writing a note to self: It’s okay not be hyper-masculine. That’s not what your son needs you to be. I wasn’t trying to write an award nominated picture book, I was trying to work out my thoughts.
After Affirm bought the text they were searching for an illustrator. When I shared a concept sketch online for a poem I’d written, just for fun, my editor saw it and asked me to draw some concepts for When You’re a Boy. So, I did and I landed the chance to illustrate my own book.
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| Image from When You're a Boy © Blake Nuto |
All this to say... amidst the striving and ambition, remember to play. To enjoy the process. To make for enjoyment. At worst you’ll have a good time.
Blake Nuto is a children’s author and illustrator based in Southern Tasmania. His titles include When You’re a Boy, shortlisted for CBCA 2024 New Illustrator and the Queensland Literary Awards.
Instagram: @blake_nuto
Website: https://www.blakenuto.com/
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