Start here.

A welcome to those who found their way to The Open Spread.

Hi, I’m Ginnie.
I’m so glad you’re here.

I illustrate and write picture books.
I teach storytelling at a university.
I grow flowers — and sometimes, they grow me.

The Open Spread is the place I come to think about drawing, story rhythm, and the quiet patterns that shape creative life, the kind of things that grow slowly, need stillness, and don’t always make sense right away.

This is not a blog in the traditional sense.
It’s more like a sketchbook left open on the table,
or a field walked at dusk —
a space for noticing, for gathering,
for letting thoughts unfold on their own timeline.

What You'll Find Here

Here’s what tends to bloom in this space:

• Reflections on picture book structure, pacing, and emotional rhythm
• Thoughts on drawing — especially when the work feels rigid or off-course
• Love letters to vintage picture books I’ve collected over the years
• Seasonal essays from the field and the studio
• Posts that blur the line between visual and written language
• Quiet explorations of process, patience, and creative uncertainty

Some entries are essays.
Some are just a drawing and a single sentence.
Some sit somewhere in between.

There’s no urgency here. You don’t need to read in order.
Just start wherever feels like a soft place to land.

Beyond the Gutter — My Monthly Letter

Once a month, I send a letter called Beyond the Gutter — part sketch, part seasonal reflection, always written in spirit. It’s not a newsletter in the usual sense. It’s more like a note left on your table.

If you’d like to receive it, you can subscribe here.

For a Deeper Seat at the Table

If you’d like to sit at The Spread Table with me — where we pull apart spreads, talk about composition, share the more studio and farm essays — you can join as a member here.

I hope something you find here meets you in the middle of your own making —
gently, and without rush.

Thanks for walking a little further into the field.

Ginnie