When we invite you to vote on the outcome of a story shaped by kids, we don’t just foster creative expression—we foster creative thinking and show kids their ideas matter.
That’s not just inspiring. That’s transformational. That’s how you encourage creativity—and make it stick.
When I created Bug & Bear Press, it was never just about books. It was about agency. It was about letting kids experience what it feels like to shape something that lasts—a story, a belief, a world shaped by their voice. That’s why I built something new: a model I call Participatory Publishing. It’s messy. It’s wild. And it’s reshaping what creative collaboration can actually be.
And last week? It reminded me exactly why I’m doing this.
One Vote. Three Stories. Total Transformation.
Over 110 votes poured in from across the U.S.—and even beyond—for our Sketch-Off Challenge. The top concepts? A black cat named Saxon. A quirky suf-FROG-ist. And a wild idea about bugs and radical freedom.
By midnight, we had a three-way tie.
The stakes? One drawing. One vote. One story that would get turned into a published book.
And that’s when it hit me: I wasn’t just watching creativity unfold—I was watching the story change me, too.
Every vote reshaped the narrative. And that’s the whole point. Because when we foster creativity through participation, we go beyond “arts and crafts.” We invite kids into authorship. Into impact. Into the kind of expression that leaves a mark.
When Creative Expression Dies…
Here’s the danger we don’t talk about enough:
Creative expression dies when it leads nowhere.
When kids create and no one listens… when they draw, write, imagine, and it vanishes into the void—that’s when it fades. Not because the spark isn’t there, but because the world doesn’t hand them the mic.
So I built a mic. I built a stage.
And kids are showing up.
Participatory Publishing creates real-world stakes. Every vote shapes the book. Every winner gets recognized in the book. And I share 25% of launch royalties with each young co-creator to donate to a school, library, or club they care about.
Because when you encourage creativity with real consequences, kids stop seeing it as just play—and start seeing it as power.
What If We Were All Free?
This round’s winning sketch came from a 9-year-old girl, Charleigh L.—one of the young heroes at Joy in Lake Charles, LA.
She drew women in different careers alongside bugs—because, in her words, “bugs have to hide underground when they’re not free to go where they want.”
It’s funny. It’s beautiful. It’s devastatingly true.
And in that moment, her idea didn’t just win a contest. It changed the course of a book. Of my book. That’s what happens when we foster creative expression through action. Real voices. Real votes. Real impact.
You Are a Story Shaper
Every single day, you are co-authoring the story of this world.
Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, a librarian, or just a human trying to do better—you have the power to encourage creativity in every life you touch.
Give space for kids to express.
Give them a mechanism to matter.
Whenever possible, hand them the crayons.
And then, find ways to sustain it. Giving it roots. Let it grow. Let kids see that their wild, brilliant, messy ideas don’t disappear—they matter. They live on. In books. In classrooms. In hearts. That’s how we grow not just stories, but future storytellers.
Because this world?
We’re writing it together.
And those kids just might have the best ideas for what that story should look like!
