Come Along This Magical Tale
Hey Everyone!
Welcome to my Wings and Whispers Tales of Friendship Volume 1 first blog post! I am your host today, Kaelen Felix, an author, illustrator, and designer of four children’s books I self-published for clients.
Now, where does my story fall into this?
Nine years ago, while I was finishing my undergraduate degree in Illustration, one sunny afternoon I was sitting in the studio trying to contemplate what my Bachelor’s Fine Project would be. Then, a light bulb clicked over my head! I am an aspiring children’s literature artist…so I should draft a story and make it into a book! Genius, right? Wrong.
During that time, I wrote it as an A-to-Z book for early age kids. I didn’t like way it sounded, so I scrapped the story. But I kept the alliterations! And, I never stopped illustrating, either! During college, I kept illustrating the entire illustrations, that I felt would serve later if I could figure it out. In May 2018, I obtained my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Memphis College of Art, and I moved back home into the heart of my hometown, Saint Louis, Missouri. I still pondered what my book should be about. I kept asking myself the same questions over and over. Finally, I put it on the backburner.
Since 2018, I have been a freelance artist illustrating children’s books for clients, and finally, after realizing I felt emptiness because, from the outside, social media portrayed me doing so well. Social media doesn’t portray every part of the stories. I was hiding my creativity for a while…I wasn’t following my dream. Time kept passing into days, months, and years. Finally, in the summer of 2023 I went through a period of metamorphosis, and things weren’t falling into place. After that, I felt defeated, sad, and depressed. One day, a voice in my head said, Kaelen, it’s time to write one more time. I thought I was insane, but I started to trust myself again.
I went over to my desk, opened my Macintosh, and began writing various titles. I still couldn’t get the title I wanted, but…the stories began to flow right through me. I couldn’t stop myself. I managed to achieve my first childhood dream of writing a children’s book, and I thought to myself. My initial idea was to self-publish it. Long story short, I had a recommendation from Lisa from Prolific Pulse Press, who reached out to me, mentioning she has been following my art for a while. Lisa also requested to see my manuscript…I felt like this, now is my chance. After I sent it, there was so much anxiety arising in my head. How? What and why? Who would ever want to take this story and accept it? After so many doors closed on me, so many declines, I couldn’t help but breathe heavily.
I took a deep breath…I opened my email one day, and Lisa approved MY STORY!
On December 6th, 2023, I signed my contract with Prolific Pulse Press! I still to this day cannot believe she chose me. It’s still an honor and a privilege to be a part of this journey. Now, almost two years later…I managed to complete an eighty-four illustrative, written, and designed book by me. I had perseverance and determination after I rose from the hardest parts of my life. Like the Phoenix, I will always rise from tragedy. Now, the very first illustration is what you see below. See the attached picture of the Alligator, Alexander with Timothy the Turtle, and the little frog, Frankie. As you notice, it is a fun and engaging illustration that shares many messages about trying to be understanding of one another. (Scroll down further after this blog post). What I can tell you is I did the remainder of all the illustrations in a year and a half! I spent four months designing it all with the most vivid vision ever. Lisa was beyond impressed with the arduous work. But again, that is what it takes to be a talented artist.
All right, I think I have talked about enough for the night. If you are interested in pre-ordering my book, it’s available on Amazon, Walmart, Books-A-Million, Bookshop, and Barnes & Noble. Wings and Whispers Tales of Friendship is set to debut on March 17th, 2025.
Also, give a round of applause to my best friend, Cydney Boyce for taking these fabulous pictures for my book. Love you Cyd!
Thank you for reading this journey and reading my artistic journey. Life is never easy, and it will continue to have challenges, but never give up, and be kind.
