I learned many years before to keep a notepad by my bed so I sat up quickly, not even opting for my Sunday morning coffee and breakfast ritual.
I wrote out the dream out in about 90 minutes and had it typed shortly after noon. I let it sit for a week and then read through it and made only minor alterations.
I spent another two weeks interviewing and screening portfolios of artists before I finally choose a brilliant artist from Malaysia. I am glad no one warned me about how painful it is to work with artists!
I might not have ever embarked on the challenging journey of working with the high strung artistic types. I choose the artist I wanted to work with because of the air brush quality of his work. He was good enough to be employed by Disney Studios.
But once I engaged one of the artist, rather than the seven day turn around that was promised, it was a month before I saw the first sketches. They were exactly what I had envisioned.
It was well worth the wait!
He promised I would be able to see the final version of the first ten illustrations within a week.