INSPIRATIONS FROM THE BOOKSHELF Nora Racz
Every illustrator and writer has grown up with inspirations from a variety of sources.
This week illustrator Rekha Salin wanted to find out what gives illustrator
Nora Racz the most inspiration.
Tell us a bit
about yourself
Hi! I’m Nora, a children’s illustrator based in
Gloucestershire, UK where the beautiful, calm countryside keeps me inspired
every day.
I picked up a pencil and started drawing at a very early age and never stopped!
Even when I was sitting at school or later when I had non-illustration jobs at
various workplaces I was constantly doodling wherever I found a suitable spot.
Other than drawing I also enjoy reading, (mostly children’s and YA fiction
books), picking up new crafts like crocheting, knitting, cross stitching, macramé, (and then forgetting about them!), nature walks, travelling, bird watching, watching
the neighbours’ cats, going to cafés, treasure hunting at charity shops,
keeping my plants alive, watching movies and series, listening to the same
music I did 15 years ago, getting lost in Wikipedia, spending quality time with
friends and playing video games.
Which genre do
you illustrate for?
Any kind really, from
fairy tales to nonfiction, as long as my style is suitable for the subject.
Nora's brilliant collection of books
What inspires
you to pick up or buy a book from the library/bookstore or buy online?
That’s a tough question! I’ve got more books than I could
ever read!
One of my favourite things to do is going book hunting in our local charity
bookshop where I can spend ages picking up books, reading the descriptions on
their backs, marvelling at the covers, all the
beautifully illustrated pages in the case of picture books and pondering whether I should add another book
to my already creaking bookshelves.
As for what inspires me to pick up a book from the shelf... it could be an
interesting title, the colour and details on the spine, the type of font used
for the title, the author, the illustrator or whether I’ve heard or read a
recommendation somewhere etc.
Are you inspired
by books from multiple genres written/illustrated by the same
author/illustrator?
Of course! It’s
always so inspiring and great to see all the different creative sides of an
author or an illustrator.
Do you bring
your inspirations into your work?
It’s a wonderful
thing that we are constantly inspired by a myriad of things we come across
every day in our lives even if only subconsciously. So I would say yes – it
would be hard not to!
What inspires me most artistically are all the wonderful illustrators’ works I
follow on Instagram or artwork I find on Pinterest, see in books, at
exhibitions or in animation. Sometimes it’s real life – seeing some animals
acting funny, a lovely older couple at a café, children playing in the park,
people bickering on the street, a weird plant, gorgeous scenery etc.
How do you keep
your work fresh, original and unique and avoid looking like your inspiration?
I think focusing
hard on trying to avoid looking like an inspiration or the opposite, to look
like an inspiration, would exhaust anyone mentally and creatively rather
quickly. It could make you feel like losing your voice and then you need to
spend a lot of time trying to find that voice again.
Creating something involves pouring, (a bit of), yourself into your work and
focusing on whether your art looks too much or not enough like your inspiration
obstructs that flow.
So I try to avoid
focusing on either and instead dip down to find how drawing and creating felt
as a little kid. It’s very liberating and allows me to enjoy drawing the way I
do without dwelling too much on whether my illustrations look too much or not
enough like an inspiration.
Does your bookshelf
have all the books that you love or inspired you?
Not all of them – some
books I loved were borrowed from libraries or friends, some are back at my
parent’s and grandparents' houses, but some I do actually have here.
There are some old books that I’ve forgotten about but have definitely inspired
me early on. Like the ones I discovered this summer as I was rummaging through
a drawer full old bits and bobs back at my grandparent’s house. They were a tad
bit mouldy and some were falling apart but they were still there! It was so much fun to open the pages and remember “this is where I saw this picture!”.
Which are the
main few books that have inspired your work and yet not on your bookshelf?
Most picture books
I loved growing up but cannot recall by title anymore or books I’ve read at
bookstores/libraries throughout the years!
I also read a lot of comics online but they’re only taking up residence on my
digital bookshelf, (aka tons of open tabs).
Are there any
books that have inspired you in a way that you really wish you worked on a text
like that or you wish you thought of the unique way of storytelling?
There are far too many to just name one or two!
*Header image: Ell Rose and Tita Berredo
*
Nora is a self-taught illustrator living in the sunny UK. She enjoys drawing for children and grown-ups who love sweet, fun, whimsical pictures.
In her free time Nora enjoys the outdoors, petting puppies, bird watching, crocheting, reading and watching series online.
*

Rekha Salin has three books published as an illustrator. Two picture books, one in 2020 and the other in 2022 and also a recipe book, (for adults), in 2022 published by ABV Publishing.
She is currently working with Gnome Road Publishing and this will be available in 2024.
*
Tita Berredo is the Illustrator Coordinator of SCBWI British Isles and the Art Director of Words & Pictures.
Contact her at: illuscoordinator@britishscbwi.org
*
Ell Rose is the Illustration Features Editor of Words & Pictures.
Find their work at www.fourfooteleven.com.
Contact them at illustrators@britishscbwi.org
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