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Featured Author Bridgitte Rodguez (1)

Bridgitte Rodguez – 12 x 12 Featured Author August 2024

Writing (Picture) Books = Follow Your Curiosity

Bridgitte RodguezI listened to a podcast awhile back (don’t ask me which one—I don’t remember—though I’m trying to be better at keeping track), where the host mentioned a quote from author Elizabeth Gilbert, who suggested that we should follow our curiosity rather than our passion.

I was well into adulthood at this point—long past college and graduate school—and still stuck on figuring out what my passion was. Did I even have a passion? Was I supposed to have one to feel complete? Did I need one? If I didn’t have one now, would I ever?

I mean, I enjoyed lots of activities. I enjoyed learning and reading and experimenting. I had started plenty of things—thrown myself into various ideas of what could be my passion. But nothing ever stuck. I thought my passion had to be something I was not only good at, but liked doing forever! But this always eluded me. I didn’t like doing anything forever (really, who does?!).

And then I heard this phrase: Follow your curiosity.

And that was it. That’s exactly what I had spent my entire life doing. Following what I found interesting. From learning the clarinet in the fifth grade to moving onto the baritone in middle school. Pole vaulting on the track team, auto shop, and home and apparel arts in high school. In college, I conducted further exploration with imperial Russian history, dinosaurs, anthropology (which I finally settled on as my major at the last possible second), rowing, and sailing! I also learned how to stuff birds and small rodents for the natural history collections (I really want to use this experience for a story—just haven’t figured out how yet). Graduate school came, and I wrote papers all about the history of the garage and typeface in museum exhibits, among other things.

I went down the genealogy rabbit hole (thank you, ancestry.com) and endlessly crocheted baby blankets for all my friends’ kids (I think they’ve all finally stopped; I cannot crochet another blanket!). I renovated two kitchens by myself watching YouTube videos and with long FaceTime calls with my father (lots of blood, sweat, and tears). I became a sustainability expert and learned more about copy machines than anyone ever needs to know, as well as donor relations and educational programs, while working at a historic house museum.

By no means was I good at any of this, but I enjoyed the process. I enjoyed learning something new, which brings me to picture books. Picture books are bite-sized opportunities to learn something new, to follow your curiosity. They’re short. They have pictures. And there are endless possibilities. And the learning? Doesn’t have to be learning in the academic or nonfiction sense, though they are definitely right for that too. They can be experiential, conceptual, funny, serious, sad, heartfelt, and on and on and on.

A Walk Through the Redwoods by Bridgette Rodguez largeSo that’s what I do now. I follow my curiosity on whatever seems interesting or whatever I want to know more about. Sometimes it’s Google search after Google search. Sometimes it’s 50 books on the topic from the library. Sometimes you get a full draft, sometimes it’s a great sentence that ends there or sometimes it leads to something else, something wholly unexpected, which then either turns out great or is another dead end.

Becky Blades is an artist/writer who is all about starting. Her whole point is, in order to finish anything you first have to start. Take the pressure off completing something whole and just start it. Maybe you’ll finish it, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll start something new and go back to that other thing. But in the end, it doesn’t really matter. First, you just need to start.

I apply this premise to the 12 x 12 Challenge. Rather than completing twelve new manuscript drafts in a year—sometimes it’s hard to come up with a full story!—I focus on starting as many new manuscripts as I can (after all, you need to start, in order to ever finish!). Sometimes, it’s just a sentence, or the first part. Sometimes it’s an entire workable story! And sometimes, I’ll start several stories, go back and look at it all, and realize I can combine several of them on the same theme and have an entirely new story! At the very least it is new writing, and new writing that gets me thinking and almost always—eventually—leads to a draft of something that can then be revised. And that is the whole point, right? To get to the point of revision? That’s where stories are made.

Curiosity is infinite. There are infinite possibilities to follow your curiosity. Children can always discover something new. (Adults can too, I think. Sometimes they are just out of practice.) Maybe their discovery will lead to a lifelong passion, or maybe it will just be a short pursuit. And if you start something you thought you’d like, and it turns out you don’t, well, you can always start over and find something else to be curious about.

So that’s my two cents—or rather Elizabeth Gilbert’s and Becky Blades’s. Follow your curiosity. See where it goes. It just might lead you to a stellar story. (Or anything really! This doesn’t work just for writing.) And in this process, I think I have found my passion. I hope you can find yours in whatever way you want to define it.

BRIDGITTE RODGUEZ currently lives in New York City, where she writes stories for kids of all ages (including adults!) — always with a bent on being curious about the world around us. When she’s not writing, she spends her time visiting friends and family and figuring out what to do next.

Her debut picture book, A WALK THROUGH THE REDWOODS, illustrated by Natalia Bruno, was released from Reycraft Books in September 2023. It’s all about following your curiosity through a redwood forest.

Bridgitte is offering one lucky winner a signed hard cover copy of A WALK THROUGH THE REDWOODS at our August 2024 check-in. Share your comments below. What makes you curious?

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152 Responses

  1. Thanks so much for your post Bridgitte. Curiosity is one reason so many little kiddos love Curious George. It’s great to remember this aspect of looking at life that we sometimes forget as adults. I loved visiting the Redwoods when our kids were little. Now it’s the grandkid’s turn. I’ll look for your book. Best wishes on future stories.

      1. Following your curiosity may not lead to writing right now, but may instead provide the compost for a story seed to germinate. And your curiosity will blossom as you write, which in turn, will grow curious readers!

  2. ooohh… “First, you just need to start.” You really hit the existential reasoning for 12×12, but also the part that is so darn hard! Congrats on your book!

  3. Thank you for this amazing post, Bridgitte! I love the idea of following one’s curiosity, and “first, you just need to start” to get to the point of revision really hit home with me. I need to be better at exploring the curiosity and just starting. I have a newfound motivation after reading your post. Thank you!

  4. Thank you for this post – it’s the perfect message at the perfect time for me. Life threw me a big curve and my writing has been suffering. Writing a new draft seems like an impossible mountain to climb at the moment, but . . . “starting” feels like something I can do. Removing the requirement (in my head) that every start has to have a finish and a great middle is a huge relief and makes “starting” not only doable but playful and fun. Being curious is something I’ve always been, but seem to lose from time to time. With a big “thank you,” I’m off to see what sparks my curiosity today instead of waiting for my muse to appear.

  5. What great advice to share! I love the idea of following our curiosity! Thank you and congrats on your debut. I look forward to reading it!

  6. Thanks for an inspiring post, Bridgitte, and the reminder that “starts” can lead in so many fun and surprising directions! I can’t wait to see what else your curiosity leads to! I love A Walk Through the Redwoods and adore the gorgeous illustrations every time I see it. I’m curious about many often-random things, but what sparks my curiosity the most is being out in nature- so your book is a great message to get outside!

  7. Thanks for the great post. Curiosity ass engagement makes so much sense. Here’s to new discoveries and new stories!

  8. Many decades ago, when I was young, I earned the Dabbler badge in Girl Scouts. It was probably the easiest badge to earn, yet it was eminently satisfying. That was me then, and it is still me now. I have followed my curiosity in the most circuitous ways imaginable and had an enormously entertaining and educational time doing so. Even, similar to you, doing the plumbing and electrical wiring on two of my “kit home” residences by reading the instruction booklets. I think “dabbler” falls somewhere on the lower end (the FUN end) of the Renaissance person spectrum…after all, to be an expert in any field, one first has to start.

    I look forward to reading your picture book and hope to see many more picture books that begin with curiousity in near future. Congratulations on your debut book!

  9. One of the things I love most about these author chats are the fun things we learn, even about/from people we feel like we already know relatively well! LOL! BRIDGITTE, I never knew that you knew small mammal taxidermy! Or that you majored in anthropology or knew so much about garages or museum typefaces! (I learned about the history of the garage SALE, believe it or not, as part of my econ studies!)

    And I agree completely about curiosity being an endless gift! I was just watching a PB panel where Sophie Blackall spoke about how each picture book was like a puzzle box, and how different each one was in terms of what it required from her, and how inspiration came about (whether in writing, illustration, or both). It rings so true that cultivating many interests helps you (eventually) create–and solve–a lot of different types of puzzles.

    Anyhow, if anyone else is still reading this: Bridgitte and Natalia’s book is GORGEOUS! I genuinely love and recommend it.

    Thank you for all you shared, Bridgitte!

  10. Thanks for sharing! I love the focus on curiosity. Having worked in career services during part of my life, I find the emphasis on passion can be overwhelming for so many people, like you experienced. Curiosity seems so much more doable.

  11. What a beautiful book cover! congrats!!! and i’m in awe of your DIY skills.
    Gilbert talks about following curiosity in one of my favourite books of all time, ‘Big Magic’ . xx

  12. YES! I have been wrestling with what it means to be a creative person or a professional or a writer or whatever, but I can totally get behind “I am a person who follows curiosity” – thanks for that, Bridgitte! I love the book and the sentiment behind it. Walk, wonder, ask questions…also redwoods!! Love it!

  13. What a great post, Bridgitte! Curiosity has led me to pursue many interests as well, though not as many as you. 🙂 So glad you found your passion in children’s books!

  14. I absolutely love this post. It’s what I’ve done with my writing–and worried about, too, with manuscripts for so many different topics, different audiences. This feels so validating. A HUGE thank you!

  15. BRIDGITTE RODGUEZ your journey is totally relatable. My nephew told me this summer, “You have been consistent as long as I have known you.” I was like, what do you mean? I am always doing something different/new. To which he replied, “That right!” My nephew sees seeking new things as consistency, not crazy or wayward, as most of the world sees it.

    Thank you for sharing; I feel a surge of curiosity pulling me towards something I have never done before. I can’t wait to see how all new things come together uniquely and beautifully. Inside that consistency, the thing that I love most is working with children; they spark and ignite joy and imagination!

    Congratulations on your debut book, A WALK THROUGH THE REDWOODS.

    What am I curious about? The brain is a very curious thing; I write about it in my ASL Picture Books blog. People’s stories are interesting, and I am always curious how they arrived at their current endevor. In writing my blog, I see a common thread among authors.

    Thank you! Yes, we do need diverse books.

  16. Bridgette, I applaud your path of curiosity. I taught school and was amazed at the curiosity of children. There are no embarrassing curiosity questions with children. Grown ups fall short in curiosity less we look or feel foolish. I say, “ Go with the curiosity” and let the world go it’s own way. Curiosity is what will give you stories to write for those who want to be in the know.

  17. Ii wrote a post today about how creativity begins with curiosity. Thank you for validating my thoughts with your adventures in curiosity. I also feel much better about all the stories I started. Will they make it to published? Maybe. Maybe not, but I’ve followed my curiosity and enjoyed every moment.

  18. This was inspiring! I feel like I was you as a child, I was always wanting to learn and do different things, some things stuck for me, but I’ve always had a desire to continue learning!
    I recently struggled to get my July story written, but it was mostly because I didn’t want to sit down and write. When you said “You just need to start,” it hit me in the best way possible. Once I started it, I wrote the whole thing. I loved what you said about it’s not necessarily about finishing, it’s about starting.
    I look forward to following my curiosity.
    Thank you!

  19. I find that curiosity and passion are most often intertwined. How can you have one without the other? As a person grows, passions may change, or multiple passions may develop, all fueled by curiosity. Thank you for sharing.

  20. Curiosity about an idea I am writing about leads me in many directions. I find it helpful to look up all
    I can find about a topic and then add more details to the story. Later I will cut the parts that don’t contribute to this story and keep them for a new story idea. Thanks for validating the search for information.

  21. Such great advice! I totally resonate with trying lots of new things and not being sure what your passion is–but curiosity totally hits! Thank you Bridgette for sharing your experience with us.

  22. Loved your take on curiosity vs passion. We get so forced into certain moulds – like having to have a passion. Thank you for this – it was playful, fun and freeing.

  23. I too have often heard one needs to discover and follow one’s passion, but that bit of advise has always left me with more questions than answers. Following one’s curiosity- now I can do that! Since I was a child, I have always wanted to see the Redwoods (haven’t yet) and I imagine so many children will take delight in your debut picture book. Congratulations Bridgitte.

    1. Susan, I have been so fortunate to have had Muir Woods within foot steps of my home as I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and our family’s homestead property ran through the Merced Grove of Redwood trees before it was sold…I hope you have the opportunity to visit either Muir Woods or the other amazing groves of redwood trees (especially the ones in Yosemite) If you do happen to visit San Francisco, Muir Woods is a just a short drive across the Golden Gate Bridge. Good luck on the stories you are working on and I hope your childhood dream comes true.

  24. I love this idea of just getting started! This reduces the pressure and makes me feel like it doesn’t always have to be a full manuscript that goes through many rounds of revisions, but could just be a playful start. Thanks!

  25. Thanks so much for your post, Bridgette, now I don’t feel so guilty about starting so many projects and always disappearing down the rabbit hole of research.

    And thank you for creating a book about the redwoods. Walking through the redwoods is my “Happy Place” and once I year I join a bunch of crazy runners and run through Muir Woods during the annual Dipsea Race, the oldest trail footrace in the world. (our family has been running it for over 100 years) I don’t care about winning or improving my running times I just luxuriate in the call of the redwoods and enjoy the run breathing in the sacred air around these majestic gentle giants.

    Thankfully books like yours introduce children to these treasured gifts and help spread the appreciation that helps to encourage their preservation.

    My Hero John Muir said about the redwoods, “God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, and avalanches; but he cannot save them from fools, — only Uncle Sam can do that.”…. and I would add, with a little help from Bridgette Rodguez.

    Thanks again, Bridgette, wishing you great success with this and all your future books. Keep up the awesome work.

  26. I especially like that part about “just start” even if you just write a sentence or a paragraph. Also, the part about looking back and maybe combining ideas together to make a workable story. I get stuck thinking I have to come up with a polished story every month. This gives me permission in my mind to just get an idea down- JUST START. Thank you for this encouragement!

  27. I saw your book in the Reycraft booth at ALA in San Diego. The woman in the booth remarked how it was hard to “fit in” with the other books on display. Then she looked at the title and understood why it was the ginormous size. She placed it front and center in the booth — where, IMHO, it belongs. Thanks for writing an “outstanding” book, both physically and literally. And thank you for your sage advice. Stay curious!

  28. Bridgette, love your book. So glad you’ve followed your curiosity and found so many fascinating different ways to put it to use. I look forward to hearing where it leads you next!

  29. Thank you, Bridgitte, for sharing your many passions in life and for settling on picture books. I also love being curious and can’t wait to read the next set of 10-20 PB’s that I request from the library almost every one to two weeks.
    I have been surprised and pleased and motivated by all those I have read. I share almost all the books with my grandsons and I love opening their eyes to what the world has to offer.
    I look forward to reading your book and I wish you many more successes.

  30. Bridgitte, thank you for this! This statement really resonated with me, “Curiosity is infinite. There are infinite possibilities to follow your curiosity. Children can always discover something new. (Adults can too, I think. Sometimes they are just out of practice.)”

    As an early childhood teacher, I always stress that learning and curiosity are lifelong! They continue way beyond the classroom, but sometimes adults need a reminder to keep learning!

  31. Thank you for your post. I’ve always been curious too and like you, it’s brought me down many paths. I enjoyed reading where your curiosity has led you. It’s an inspiring story! Congratulations on publishing your book. I look forward to reading it.

  32. Curiosity is a wonderful thing to follow, thanks for highlighting this! And the book looks wonderful. I’ve recently moved from California to NY State, so definitely feeling nostalgic for those redwoods.

    1. Thanks for reading! There is something called the Dawn Redwood— a close cousin of the Coast Redwood, that is grown in many places around the world—- including NYC, so maybe there are some in your part of NY!

  33. Curiosity is such a good antidote to certainty, the sure fire way to boredom, rigidity and less creativity! Thanks for the post!

  34. Yes!! Love this advice, Bridget. I am a very curious writer, and it’s what keeps my creative flame flickering.

  35. Bridgitte, thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. I agree that espousing a PASSION feels like such an all-consuming commitment, and pursuing curiosity seems so much more attainable and enjoyable! Thank you!

  36. Thought I had commented on this post but it is definitely worth a reread, especially as we move into fall – I need refreshed energy. Terrific.

  37. I like your idea of just getting something down, not even a full draft, and seeing where it leads in the future. Combining early thoughts from multiple manuscripts into one is something I’ve never considered but sounds like a great idea, as well!

  38. Follow your curiosity!I love this! I love to try new things and fall down rabbit holes with my learning. I like the idea of not having to finish something. It relieves the pressure. I would also add, be playful. It helps me not take my writing too seriously.

  39. I love this sentiment of keeping your curiosity alive and well-fed 🙂 Just starting one thing can open up so many doors you weren’t even aware existed. Thank you for sharing!

  40. Great info/idea about following your curiosity. Thanks for sharing this info for writing and life in general!

  41. Thank you for this inspiring post, Bridgitte! I often worry that I don’t have a clear passion. It hits me hardest when I’m trying to find a new idea for a story or poem and I end up thinking, “Maybe I’m not passionate enough about anything to have something worth saying.” But centering curiosity over passion is an excellent reminder that our attention as writers can shift. We can bring our enthusiasm to new subjects and share that joy of discovery with our readers. Thanks again!

  42. I’ve often quelled my own desire for curiosity, feeling I should stick to one focus. It felt nice to hear someone validating curiosity. Thank you!

  43. Thank you so much Bridgitte for such a great post. I have not started doing so many things as you, but I always followed my curiosity and still do it every day. Way before, bless you Google, appeared in our lives, I use to go to the Public Library and look for Picture Books about what I was curious about or what I was planning to teach my students.
    Looking forward to read your book and to the many to follow.
    May you always follow the trail of your curiosity, it will lead you to unexpected and fabulous places.

  44. Wow! Thank you so much for your post, Bridgitte! As a chronic procrastinator, starting a new project or picture book always feels intimidating. But like you pointed out, starting is all you need to get the ball rolling. Thanks for the wonderful reminder!

    P.S. I cannot wait to read “A Walk Through the Redwoods”. I visited a couple years ago and fell in love!

  45. Great post, Bridgitte! Thank you for giving us a peek at your writing life. I totally agree with you about “Follow your curiosity” and would add, “write for yourself”… don’t write to follow the current trend. Trends come and go in the blink of an eye… but your curiosity will always be there to add that special “magic” to your writing.

    My problem is that I am curious about sooo many things and love doing research… so much so that in college I used to do research for the other students on my lunch break…and I’d become so involved in whatever subject I was researching that the next thing I knew the street lights would be coming on. And yes, I am still the same way.

    “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious” ~ Albert Einstein

  46. This post is so inspiring! I need to tell myself the “just start” and let it take me where it wants to go, even if it’s not a complete draft.
    Thanks for this wonderful blog post!

  47. Thanks for the encouragement, Bridgette. I’m in the early stages of becoming an author, and every day, I find myself with so many questions about how this whole process works. But today, I will take a moment to celebrate that at least I have started!

  48. What a wonderful and inspiring post! Just what I needed. Thank you for sharing that Elizabeth Gilbert quote and your story.

  49. I LOVE your post! Follow your curiosity! I want to write down the ways I’ve done that over my life. I bet there are some fun pb gem ideas in there! I loved reading your book. Congratulations!!

    1. Hi Angie! Thanks so much! And that is a great idea to write down all the ways you’ve followed your curiosity! I didn’t think about it like that! I’m going to have to do that myself. Happy writing!

  50. Thanks for sharing your philosophy. I love that curiosity is a good alternative for passion and that it is infinite! There is a lot of pressure that accompanies the word “passion.” I keep a file of things I’m curious about that might make a good picture book.

  51. Follow your curiosity strikes me as better advice than follow your passion. Passion is difficult to sustain and can lock you in place whereas curiosity promotes growth and can lead you many places.

  52. I most appreciated your reminder to “just start.” Starting, pushing through the inertia, is often the hardest step. And, I read somewhere (don’t ask ME to remember where) that once you start on something, your brain continues to think about it while you’re doing other stuff. So, that’s a bonus!

  53. Getting Started can definitely the hard part at times.
    Following one’s passions sounds pretty serious.
    Following one’s curiosity sounds more fun and do-able.
    Thanks for the nudge in fun direction

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All applications will be accepted via email only between November 1, 2023 – November 30, 2023 at kelli@juliehedlund.com.

Subject line of the email:

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Please include the following in the body of the email:

  1. An autobiographical statement and career summary in 250 words or fewer.
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