As visual storytellers, we must create characters full of life so that readers can fall in love with them, remember them, and root for them. After a series of short presentations showcasing various examples of great character-building, everyone will actively participate in multiple hands-on exercises to create characters with clear personalities. Participants are welcome to bring the characters they created in advance and develop further, or create something entirely new. Our goal is to deeply understand the characters we create and to build a full life for them. By doing so, readers can imagine these characters living their lives even when they close the books. Active participation of sharing the exercise you do and giving feedback for others is highly recommended.
Aram Kim, Art Director, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
Aram Kim is an art director and designer for the picture book team at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, where she has worked with both debut and established illustrators on a wide range of titles, including the Caldecott Medal Winner We Are Water Protectors, and the Caldecott Honor Book A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart. She’s also the author and illustrator of acclaimed picture books, including No Kimchi for Me! and its sequel Let’s Go to Taekwondo! (Holiday House), both named Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year, and in 2022 she received the Mills Tannenbaum Award for Children’s Literacy. Please visit AramKim.com to find out more.