Three Ships #HerHustle Interview with Illustrator, Tamisha Anthony

By Melanie BristerOctober 29, 2021

Illustrator Tamisha Anthony joins us on the blog to share her creative journey with us! Tamisha is a children's book and freelance illustrator, who has worked for various clients such as Penguin Random House, Macmillan Publishers, and Chronicle Books. She is the illustrator behind our Your Time to Dream book, which you can find in our Dream Bundle. All proceeds from the book go directly to Make-A-Wish® Canada.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself, and what inspired you to become an illustrator?

I don’t know, but for as long as I can remember I have loved drawing and creating stories. I would try to write stories about my stuffed animals and pets before I could even truly spell. I am delighted by bringing the characters that bop around in my head alive - and sharing them with others to enjoy!

What interested you in working with Three Ships on the Your Time to Dream book?

I was immediately connected to Laura and Connie’s story, friendship, and philanthropy. Immediately after reading the email from Three Ships, I ran out of my office to tell my husband about this amazing opportunity for me to give back too. And how beautiful this company was and how they are working with Make-a-Wish. He knew and I knew, I just had to do it. No matter the time restraint or deadline I wanted to be part of this.

How did you come up with your design approach for the Your Time to Dream Book?

After receiving the written story from Three Ships and meeting with the team, the character Ella came to life! I asked about Ella’s hobbies, her interests, how she dresses and how she interacts with people. Once I had “met” this character Three Ships had molded, she felt like someone I had met before. Once I understand the character, I feel like the world around her developed.

What is your favorite part of the Your Time to Dream book?

My favorite illustration would be the living room/kitchen scenes! I really enjoyed developing the connection between Ella and her mom (and even her pets!). I also love inserting ships on each page throughout the book. I wanted some to be more hidden than others. So I enjoyed trying to camouflage a few. Like making Ella’s earrings into ships or adding them to her mom’s pajamas.

Did you always dream of being an illustrator? If not, what did you dream of doing growing up?

As a child, I think I wanted to be a teacher. I loved pretending to be a teacher and having school with my barbies, plush dolls and even sometimes my puppies if they weren’t too wiggly. This is spot on because I am an educator too! For some reason it didn’t seem possible to become an illustrator or I didn’t see the path growing up in a small time. I grew up in a small town. But venturing out to New York and seeing the multitude of careers people could have, I decided to reach for the stars. I’m glad I did.

Follow Tamisha online:
Instagram: @tamisha.anthony
Website: tamishaanthony.com

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