Painting with Words and Telling with Pictures

By Tuula Pere

January 19^th, 2020

Illustration by Andrea Alemanno (Lullaby of the Valley, Tuula Pere, Wickwick, 2018)

Painting with Words and Telling with Pictures

In Finland, we often say that one picture tells more than a thousand words. As a friend of words, I would like to put this differently: With just a few words, it’s possible to tune up the reader's enormous imagery bank and memory archive. My conclusion would be that delivering a message can be approached effectively by both the words and the pictures as tools – both in business and pleasure.

The proportions and roles of words and images seem to be different if we look at them with the eyes of a lawyer, business executive, scholar, or children’s author. I have tried them all – and still, keep practicing.

Writing is mostly a lonely job – or is it?

Often, writing a good text can be a lengthy process, including background checks and gathering material. Transferring our thoughts into a script or an article can be somewhat scary. The same can apply to all kinds of writing - facts or fiction. Although the latter can occasionally offer a rare experience of wild free fall with open wings, too!

The clearer our mind is, the easier it is to see where we are heading. Knowing the subject by heart gives us some confidence. However, if our mind is very heated up with the substance – no matter how familiar it is to us – we may get carried away and be blinded by our enthusiasm.

I love more or less any writing tasks and have done my fair share in many, quite the opposite categories.

As a lawyer in the heavy industry, I wrote very accurate and serious contracts and other legal texts. Also, the wordings of corporate communications or marketing had a particular style and purpose. The papers presented at the board meetings were very different compared to the articles in the magazines for personnel or clients.

Over the years, I learned a lot about what is proper and expected in various situations. I could probably write a book about that! As a creative and curious person, I had a special challenge. I wanted to find a way to combine the demands of this serious professional writing, academic research, and even writing fiction. Not possible, you may think – and you are right!

In my case, this desire meant leaving corporate life and work in big industries behind and concentrating on my doctoral studies and writing fiction. Now, being both a Ph.D. in Law and a children’s author seems to be the ideal combination for me. Curious enough, I feel that the perspectives of legal thinking and philosophy go well together with writing for children who are the most demanding and precious audience there can be!

And the images then – business or pleasure?

Adding images, photographs, or illustrations to the written text will intensify the communication with the readers’ minds, and increase our chances of conveying the content and its message.

Combining the images and the text – even working with the visual tools only - is becoming more popular as the individuals are becoming overloaded with information and the demand to filter it. Knowledge and information are often served with images, even replaced by visual images.

Also, in serious business, the skill of using both words and audiovisual elements is valuable for internal and external use. All parties involved - being lawyers, engineers, marketing people, designers, clients, or consumers - need both clear and meaningful text or informative visual tools. The ever-evolving technology and information systems force the language to adapt, too. And more and more people must learn to understand this new way of communication, with or without images and diagrams.

The validity and quality of written and visual messages – who is adequate to address children?

The role of the persons behind the texts, visual images, or other means of information can vary a lot. There are situations when their personality is completely hidden, or, i.e., the writer’s neutral position or professionality is supposed to guarantee the high quality or truthfulness of the substance. Acceptable in theory, but the ultimate motives of the writer or visual artist - or those behind them - have a huge impact on the outcome.

But how about in writing fiction, let’s say children’s books? Who is the specialist to be trusted there? Somebody with a degree in languages, psychology, education, social sciences, even legal affairs, or a combination of those? If the amount of visual elements increases, should we trust the visual artist, painter, animator, or photographer? These lists are endless. What is the effect of having children of your own or adopted, having siblings, friends, grandchildren, personal achievements, or disappointments? Again, no single answer to be found here. I suppose all the writers and other artists have their special skills and roles in addressing children.

As a children’s author, I feel a great responsibility. I try to use all my best knowledge and experience from every field of life to make valuable books. My work is complemented by the skills of the illustrators with whom I work. I put a great effort into finding the right persons to illustrate my stories. These persons understand the feelings, atmosphere, and actions deeply. Talented illustrators can make a valuable impact on delivering the original message to young readers. With their help, it’s possible to get even closer to the readers and to make their brain and heart resonate. To make them think and understand.

Among the most demanding subjects in my stories for children, is war. At the moment, Finland is a peaceful country, but it hasn’t always been so. A lot of collective memories derive from our history and even from the personal experiences of people still living. I have combined these elements with the challenges of today's world and try to reach the children of the world in the same way as I would like my own three children to be addressed – by explaining, encouraging, and showing the ways to reach harmony in life.

I want to do the same thing as the brave grandmothers in my book “Lullaby of the Valley.” With my words and the illustrations by Andrea Alemanno from Italy, the important messages are carried even to the most demanding circumstances and situations – and the story has already found astonishing ways to make an impact.