Lilla here. I want to share with you a little story I had fun writing and illustrating recently.
At a recent team meeting, the team asked if I’d like to include some of my own illustrated writing pieces this month, and I absolutely loved the idea! Plus I thought you could be inspired to write and illustrate your own pieces for yourself, for your own enjoyment or social media. Look out for another piece of writing from me in our blog and newsletter on March 26th!
The plastic inner straw of my cherished thermos doesn’t stay attached anymore, rendering it useless. You may feel that this doesn’t constitute a crisis, given the state of the world these days, but nevertheless I am forced to face the fact that I must choose another thermos from my collection. While they are all pretty, none have the qualities of my broken beloved thermos, which I purchased on a walking tour of Paris.
It keeps the coffee hot forever and has a leak-proof spout, allowing me to throw it sideways in my bag. And it’s covered in stickers collected from everywhere.
Plus I bring it to my weekly kindergarten volunteering session. And while you might think that that’s a minor detail, I will tell you that the one time I forgot my thermos, the children asked me where it was.
So I studied my collection of imperfect, albeit pretty, thermoses.
This one is gorgeous, but has a mischievous lid.
I bought this cheery one in a charming shop in seaside Rockport with my old friend Loretta as we reminisced about driving cross country together as hippie chicks in the 70s. While this sweet mug embodies warm memories, it’s just a bit too large.
I purchased this curvaceous one while teaching in Portugal. Charming, but no insulation and an awkward spout.
I felt lost. You can understand the magnitude of my tragedy.
However, a few days later, my crisis was averted.
My hero, ER doc husband Andreas, equal parts compassionate and resourceful, hands me a plastic tube.
“This will fit the thermos perfectly.”
“What is that?”
“It’s a protective tube for a lumbar puncture needle. It’s the same height and exactly 8 millimeters in diameter.”
“So you were actively looking for a tube for me?” I hug him.
“Uh-huh. There was one I could get shipped from France, but it would take three months to get here. Or I could order from a supply company, but it was only sold in massive quantities. And then I spotted this one while going through my backpack.”
And that, my friends, is why, 33 years later, I still love this guy.
I hope you enjoyed this piece! Send any comments to me at [email protected][email protected].
- Our student favorite, Illustrating Children’s Books, returns for the thirteenth time on Monday, April 27th. Find out more and sign up here.
- Where could your art career be in 12 months’ time with a little help from a former art agent with more than four decades of experience in the business? Lilla’s small-group mentorship intensive, Inner Circle, will run just once in 2026, from October 12th to November 20th, and there are just four spots left! Don’t miss out on this opportunity of a lifetime to get mentored by an industry expert – find out more and sign up here.
- Next newsletter: Find out what previous participants thought of Inner Circle, why they signed up,
Lots of love
