Creativity Interviews

Artist / Illustrator Penny Redshaw

Creator of Motivating Giraffe

By Chris Dunmire | 2/3/16

Giraffes are such fascinating creatures to me. Not only do they carry themselves with poise and grace in the African savanna, but their leopard-patterned fur complements every striped zebra and tusked elephant in an adventurous safari.

With their unusual presence, giraffes also fill me with amusement. If a giraffe were a piece of furniture, it would be a tall yellow and red coffee house stool with a six-foot back rest — and beautiful eyelashes, too!

A giraffe walking on by won't go unnoticed. They can also be quite motivating. How, you ask? Let me introduce you to Penny Redshaw, the illustrious creator of Motivating Giraffe to answer that. This brilliantly drawn character has a sidekick pig and springs forth with inspiring thoughts, clever words, and just-right pick-me-up-isms for every occasion.

Chris Dunmire: Penny, how did this unique creature, Motivating Giraffe, arrive in your life?

Penny Redshaw: Motivating Giraffe was born in April 2014. At the time I was dealing with a few different stresses in my life and doing my best to beat my depression. I’ve never been an arty person but I think I needed a new project, or something just new to spend my time with. So one Tuesday, I drew a giraffe on roller skates telling myself, “You can do this!” My friends on Facebook liked it, and from there it spread to a lot of different social media platforms.

Chris: Do you have training in art and illustration?

Penny: I drew as a child and up until I was in grade 10 in school, but I quit art altogether after that. I honestly didn’t pick up a pencil again until 2014 when I started the Motivating Giraffe project.

Chris: Describe your creative process. What inspires the words and pictures that goes into making a new Motivating Giraffe?

Penny: A lot of the inspiration comes from things and people in my own life. I’m a bit of a listener and when someone says something clever I try to note them down for later.

Some of the illustrations are a bit darker, and these are the ones usually related to my own depression and that I’m drawing for my own benefit. I try to stick to three key ideas...take care of the people in your life, take care of yourself, appreciate the world around you. Most of the illustrations can be placed into these categories I think!

Chris: Do you hand print all the text?

Penny: All of the printing is mine. Just a lot of practice to make it neat and readable!

Chris: Tell me how the book project came about.

Penny: After the illustrations started to get a bit of traction on Reddit towards the end of 2014, more than a handful of followers messaged me and suggested that the pictures would do well in a coffee-table book format. I could never fund something like this, so I started a Kickstarter which eventually raised about $6,500(AU) — more than I could ever have imagined. Through this, I was able to get 1200 books printed through PrintNinja. At this stage, I have about one hundred left, and have put together and am now selling a 2015 collection of new images.

Chris: The cover is amazing. Have you considered a career in illustration? Writing children's books?

Penny: I never, ever considered anything such as illustration or writing as a career. I’ve just finished my degree in Social Science/Global Issues, and have suddenly found myself with a whole new window that has been opened for me. Right now, I am continuing the Motivating Giraffe project and I am very much hoping that new illustration and mental-health related projects appear in the future.

Chris: The colors in the artwork are so vibrant and rich. What tools and materials do you use to create Motivating Giraffe?

Penny: I do most of my work by hand on paper, using copic markers and coloured pencils (occasionally watercolour). I scan these pieces up and then create the final image using Photoshop, just to edit brightness/contrast and the vibrancy of colours.

Chris: So many people long to find their creative niche. What three tips would you give others starting on a similar path?

Penny: For anyone looking to do anything like this, the first thing I’d say is the importance of just keep going even though it may seem difficult and that you may not be getting the results or traffic that you’re looking for. The key is just to keep creating content, as often as you can.

Number two would be to not let criticism get you down. If it’s constructive criticism you’re getting, even though it may hurt to hear it, sometimes it is still a good idea to take this into consideration. If it’s not constructive, and if you’re putting your work onto the internet then be prepared to get criticism that is not useful. It’s easier said than done, but don’t let it get to you. You will never please everyone, and you shouldn’t aim to.

Third: Find something you’re passionate about, and let your work and art grow from there. I know this is said at every ‘inspirational’ and ‘motivational’ talk you will go to, but if something sparks your interest, if a concept makes you want to hear more about it, if anything at all stops you in your tracks, then stop, and think about why this particular thing is grabbing you. Passion in art or any creative undertaking is fundamentally important. It is one of the few things that has kept me going.

Chris: What else do you want to do with Motivating Giraffe?

Penny: I aim to keep creating these images and perhaps putting more books/collections together, and possibly getting traditionally published if I can find a publisher that is interested in taking the project on. I can’t say too much about this next point, but there is a new possible project in the making that may see Motivating Giraffe come to life in the form of 2D animated clips. Let’s just say, Motivating Giraffe isn’t done yet!

Penny Redshaw is an artist living in Australia and the creator of Motivating Giraffe. Her book Motivating Giraffe: Life Lessons and Inspiration is available through www.motivatinggiraffe.com.