Building Worlds for the Bookshelf

In the world of professional design, we often talk about “one day’s worth of productivity” as if it’s a finite resource to be spent and forgotten. But as a Narrative Architect, some projects refuse to be rushed. They don’t follow a standard schedule; they require a “labor of love” that spans years—or in the case of The Dreamships, nearly two decades.

The Origin: A Decade of Bedtime Stories

Long before Storytella had a digital home, it had a living room floor. The Dreamships began as a series of stories made up on the fly a decade ago to put my kids to sleep. It wasn’t about “marketing positioning” or “business goals” then . it was about building a sanctuary of “whimsical wonder” for the people who mattered most.

But as any “seasoned creator” knows, a good story has a way of haunting you. What started as a bedtime ritual evolved into a structural narrative that I knew needed to be shared with the world.

Finding the Visual Soul: Richard Nattoo

Building a world for the bookshelf requires more than just words; it requires a “visual execution” that matches the soul of the story. For The Dreamships, I needed someone who didn’t just draw, but someone who could “paint the nightlife” of the subconscious.

I chose Richard Nattoo as the lead illustrator for a very specific reason. Richard’s work is a masterclass in:

Surreal Conceptual Style: He builds “other realms” that feel both alien and intimately familiar.
Unique Approach to Color: His palette moves beyond the “standard festival” of bright children’s colors into something deeper and more evocative.
Narrative Choice: His art rewards those who “look closely,” hiding “easter eggs” of emotion in every brushstroke.

It felt like a perfect fit—a “smart and friendly” collision of my narrative structure and his atmospheric artistry.

A Seven-Year Journey

The road to the finished book has been anything but linear. The project started and stopped over six or seven years. There were moments where it felt like “no use crying over spilt milk” when life got in the way. But we kept coming back to the drafting table.

We’ve moved from those early, raw versions of the art to the polished, “full whimsical color” you see today. It’s a testament to the idea that “intentional design” takes time. We aren’t just giving children a “fish” (a simple book); we are teaching them to “fish” in the vast ocean of their own imaginations.

Spark a little wonder. [Preview The Dreamships]
[Links to the Written Stories gallery featuring the art of Richard Nattoo.]

What part of the process speaks to you?

The power of bedtime stories
[The “Written Stories” Origins Page]
The magic of surreal art
[This takes the user to a curated gallery of the “early versions” and final “whimsical color” art from The Dreamships]
Staying the long course
[This leads to a section of The Mighty Pen focused on the “labor of love” and the “seven-year journey.”]

Building worlds for kids
[A direct path to purchase or pre-order The Dreamships.]