Working on What We Do in the Hollows has been such a transformative and eye-opening experience for me as a feminist artist. It’s totally different from anything I’ve done before. I’ve illustrated books and articles in the past, but this project was a whole new world—giving me the chance to dive into cryptids and folklore while also exploring deeper themes of identity, body, and emotion, all through a feminist lens.
Themes That Matter to Me
My art usually revolves around topics like womanhood, gender, motherhood, and the body—these themes really matter to me because they shape how we all move through the world. When I took on this cryptid-themed project, I couldn’t help but see connections between these folklore monsters and how we often feel in our own skin. There’s something so relatable about feeling like a “monster” in your body, whether it’s because of societal pressures, insecurities, or just personal experiences. The cryptids became a way to explore those feelings of discomfort, isolation, and being misunderstood.
Connecting Art and Poetry
When Renée Nicholson shared her poetry with me, I was immediately struck by how she made these cryptids feel so human and relatable. As a feminist artist, I was really excited about the chance to flip the traditional monster narrative on its head. Instead of portraying cryptids as something beyond human experience, in What We Do in the Hollows, they’re dating, getting married, working—living in spaces we all recognize. It’s such a cool way to make us rethink our own relationships to identity, gender, and society.
My Artistic Process
As I worked on the illustrations, I focused on the objects and environments Renée described in her poetry. I wanted to ground the art in everyday life but still keep some of that magical, otherworldly feel that comes with cryptids. I love working with contemporary and pop culture references, so I brought some of those into my designs, too. Sometimes, I’d research images of the cryptids, and other times I’d explore different artistic interpretations of them, always thinking about how they fit into Renée’s world. From there, I’d decide if I wanted to paint or just draw each piece, letting the creative process stay organic and spontaneous—kind of like the tradition of pen to paper.
Drawing Inspiration from Kiki Smith
This project actually reminded me a lot of feminist artist Kiki Smith’s work. She often explores the human body and mythical creatures to convey vulnerability, transformation, and empowerment. Like her, I found myself drawn to the “monstrous” as a way to reflect on what it means to be human. By embracing these cryptids as real characters, my illustrations for What We Do in the Hollows highlight how our bodies, identities, and lives can feel strange, difficult to manage, or misunderstood.
A Rewarding Collaboration
Seeing my illustrations alongside Renée’s poems was such a rewarding moment. The designer added their own touch, shifting things around to bring the vision to life, and I even added a few extra smaller illustrations to round out the storytelling. It was one of those collaborations where everything just clicked.
More Than Just Cryptids
At its core, this book is about more than just cryptids—it’s about that universal feeling of being a “monster” in places where we don’t always feel like we belong, and the journey to find our place in a world that doesn’t always seem to get it. What We Do in the Hollows invites readers to see the humanity in the “monstrous” and appreciate the beauty in transformation.
Check It Out!
For a preview of the book, check out the lovely feature on STILL Magazine. To get your full copy visit Amazon, or, if you’re in the West Virginia area, join us for our launch event Friday, Oct. 4, at Morgantown Art Bar, 6-9pm with limited first edition copies and broadsides.