10/12/2025
Ever had a moment where someone else’s story reminds you exactly why your own needs to be told? That was my Saturday night at the
I spent the evening wrapped in drawing, music and storytelling with . Last summer, when I was wrestling with the momentum of my illustrated book about becoming a better version of yourself, compared it to The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. I’d forgotten I even owned the book, but it suddenly became a compass for where my story could go.
So when new tickets dropped for Charlie’s sold-out event, I took it as a sign and booked immediately.
I’d planned to ask how he moves his drawings forward when he’s stuck, but I overthought the wording and missed the chance. I kicked myself for days.
Then, mid-evening, he spoke about the way we talk to ourselves. He shared a moment with someone who said, “I can’t draw,” and replied, “You can draw, you just can’t draw like everyone else.”
It hit home.
In my third year at university I chose Graphic Design over Illustration because I didn’t feel I could draw like the others, even though my tutors said I could go either way. After that, I stopped drawing. Even in employment, we hired illustrators rather than letting me explore my own voice. It wasn’t until nudged me towards the mural that I reclaimed illustration as part of what I do today.
Comparison can silence us so quickly, yet the thing we criticise in ourselves might be exactly what someone else finds magical.
Charlie’s words reminded me to keep going, keep drawing and keep telling my story my way. And that’s exactly what I’m doing with this book.
The night was extraordinary – live drawing on a huge screen, stories woven with piano and strings – but the moment that made us all laugh was when he asked for our favourite cakes. I didn’t quite have the courage to shout “Courgette Cake”, especially after his views on Carrot Cake. But the little boy who yelled “Fish Cake” absolutely stole the show.
If you’ve ever felt stuck, tell me: what’s the one thing you do to get you back into flow?
