Children's books have great potential to reveal new possibilities to readers, because the intended audience is at an age of genuine learning.

Should I be collaborating with artists of color solely because of their race and my politics? This question is weighted with my own worry that I have been invited to speak or collaborate solely because of my race, and not because of my abilities.

As a general rule, I tend to collaborate with artists whose work I admire.

When I was writing, I wanted every word to be not only deliberate, but musical. Precious.

My interest in language is steadfast, but I think each project and its accompanying intentions dictate how language must be used.

When I wouldn't leave home without my blue contacts or when I was bleaching my hair, I didn't have the language to articulate that I was trying to assimilate to whiteness. If anything, I was trying to "look normal."

I am more likely to get paid for my art if it's presented alongside a white artist, so the questions around value and agency arise: What choices should I make, or do I have to make, if I want to be compensated for my work? Why isn't my art valued on its own?