Creatives across borders: Steven Bryant
Introduction
Steven Bryant is a multi-talented creative professional with a background in graphic design, illustration, and photography. His passion lies in creating illustrated children’s books, having self-published six since he began his series in 2017. Growing up, Steven was always engaged in drawing, writing, and reading, with a childhood dream of working in animation, inspired by Disney cartoons. Though life’s twists led him to graphic design, his love for writing and illustrating remained strong. Steven’s career began with graphic design work for various clients, but he eventually decided to pursue his passion for children’s books. Starting with simple sketches and concepts, he leveraged his design skills to write, illustrate, and self-publish his first book, Santana’s Bad Hair Day. This marked the beginning of his ongoing journey in children’s literature.
Background
Educated in graphic design and illustration, Steven’s creative roots were nurtured through art courses in school and college. A chance suggestion by a career advisor led him to a graphic design course instead of animation, but he embraced this path, which provided a solid foundation for his illustration work.
Under his brand, SBDesignworks, Steven has collaborated with several notable clients. He has worked extensively with Electronic Dojo, designing marketing materials and handling live stream production for the UK’s largest fighting game tournament. His portfolio also includes projects for Birmingham Rep Theatre and tech retailer Box.co.uk. Despite his varied design work, Steven’s true passion remains with his books and illustrations, a creative drive that he never loses sight of amidst his professional engagements.
Children’s books
Steven writes all of his children’s books, starting with “Santana’s Bad Hair Day,” which he crafted from a concept about a little girl named Santana with an imaginary friend, Milo. Santana’s story explores her desire to change her appearance, reflecting a common childhood wish to look different. Inspired by tales like Goldilocks, Santana tries different hairstyles before her mother reassures her that she is perfect as she is. Steven enjoyed the creative process, despite the challenges of writing a rhyming story, finding it reminiscent of his early love for writing.
His inspiration for “My Daddy Is” stemmed from a desire to fill a gap he noticed in children’s literature, especially books featuring relationships between children and their parents from the child’s perspective. After completing the Santana’s World book series, he wanted to create a book that illustrated the bond between a child and a parent in a relatable and childlike manner. Noticing a lack of such stories, particularly those representing black children, Steven decided to address this need, creating a book that many could identify with and enjoy.
Straddling multiple roles
Steven balances his roles as a designer and writer by dedicating his free time to his books, driven by his passion and belief in his goals. Despite the challenges, he remains committed to working hard for his personal projects, emphasizing the importance of self-belief and perseverance. Steven finds fulfilment in visiting schools and inspiring children, reflecting on how his efforts lead to a sense of accomplishment, regardless of external opinions. He values the reactions and connections he forms with children through his books, especially when they see themselves reflected in his characters. For Steven, the true reward lies in the positive influence he has on young readers.
Career Highlights
Steven’s career highlights as a children’s book writer include several significant achievements. Firstly, completing his first book, “Santana’s Bad Hair Day,” was a monumental moment for him. After months of illustrating and tweaking, receiving the physical copy felt like a personal triumph, a tangible result of his hard work.
Secondly, Steven was interviewed by BBC Midlands Today in 2019. This opportunity allowed him to discuss his books and the underrepresentation of black and ethnic minority characters in children’s literature. The interview, which also featured renowned poet Benjamin Zephaniah of blessed memory, was a notable milestone in Steven’s career.
Lastly, his early colouring books were featured in the Sunday Express supplement. This exposure came about after Steven attended a literature event in London, where a representative from the newspaper took an interest in his work. The subsequent feature in the magazine highlighted his colouring books, marking another significant recognition of his efforts. These experiences underscore Steven’s dedication and the impact of his work in children’s literature.
Literary Events and Impact
Steven shared his thoughts on the impact of attending literary-related events. He believes that most of the events he has participated in have been successful, not just in terms of sales, but also in visibility. Steven emphasized the importance of being present at these events to allow people to see and interact with him and his books. He noted that staying at home limits his reach, as people cannot engage with him or his brand if he isn’t there.
He makes it a point to attend any event that features stalls and is within a reasonable distance because he enjoys the interaction. For Steven, the value of these events lies more in the personal connections and interactions. He enjoys discussing his books with attendees, answering their questions, and offering advice.
These events also provide Steven with a better understanding of his target audience: children. By observing how kids react to his books and talking to them and their parents, he gains invaluable insights. This real-time feedback is crucial for him, as it helps him gauge whether his books resonate with his audience. Without this feedback, he would be left wondering if he is on the right track.
Steven values the experience and feedback from these events highly. He appreciates successful events where his books sell well but treasures moments like signing a book for a child and adding an inspirational quote. He believes that these personal touches can have a lasting impact. When the child grows older, they can look back at the signed book and the message, which Steven hopes will inspire them.
He strives to convey messages of infinite potential and self-belief in his books and through the quotes he writes. Steven is convinced that everyone has a purpose and the inner strength to overcome life’s challenges and achieve their goals. This philosophy is what he aims to communicate in his writing and interactions at events.
Examples of fairs
He reminisced about an early experience where he attended an event about the importance of representation and black dolls for children. He went to the event with postcards introducing his character, Santana, and announcing his upcoming colouring book and storybook. This led to another opportunity when a woman invited him to her event a few months later. Despite not having a storybook ready at that time, Steven created colouring books and attended the event, which then led to even more opportunities.
There was a period when Steven attended events every weekend in different cities, including London, Leeds, Manchester, and Birmingham. He felt it was essential to get his work out there rather than keeping it at home. These events not only promoted his books and business but also allowed him to interact with people, adding a personal touch to his brand.
Steven’s participation in these events has also led to school visits. He recounted how his first school visit came about after meeting someone at an event in a London library. She liked his work, took his details, and invited him to speak to students. This opportunity, like many others including a BBC interview, arose from his networking at events. Hence, he stressed the value of attending physical events for networking and meeting new people, which often leads to unexpected opportunities.
Most recently, Steven attended the London Book Fair 2024 to gain more knowledge about the industry among others. He found the seminars particularly valuable for his self-publishing journey, learning about the pros and cons, dos and don’ts. Attending the largest event in his industry was a significant step for him, aimed at furthering his understanding and growth as an author.
Influences
Reflecting on his influences growing up, Steven’s interests were shaped by a variety of media. He watched a lot of Disney cartoons and anime, and he was an avid reader of comic books like Spider-Man and Batman. These influences extended to video games, as he grew up in the 90s playing on consoles like the Mega Drive and SNES, enjoying games such as Sonic and Mario. Even today, Steven continues to watch cartoons and draw inspiration from them. His love for anime, cartoons, comics, and superhero stories profoundly impacts his work.
Steven specifically mentioned the influence of certain illustrators, such as Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball. These cultural touchstones, along with sci-fi and fantasy genres, have been central to his creative development. He noted that while he read some fantasy books featuring dragons, his main influences remained rooted in visual media like anime and comics.
Within the industry, Steven highlighted several key figures who have influenced him. One notable influence is Dapo Adeola, whose success as a black male illustrator has been particularly inspiring. Steven appreciates how Dapo’s achievements provide representation and a positive example for others in the industry. He mentioned that seeing Dapo’s success is motivating, especially considering the lack of visible black illustrators when Steven was growing up.
In addition to Dapo, Steven admires other illustrators and comic artists, including James Stokoe, known for his detailed artwork, and manga artists like Akira Toriyama and Tite Kubo, the creator of Bleach. Japanese culture, particularly anime and gaming, has also been a significant influence on Steven. He fondly recalled the impact of Capcom artists, who worked on games like Street Fighter, on his desire to create. These influences from the 90s played a crucial role in shaping his artistic aspirations and continue to inspire his work today.
Perception from audiences of different background
Despite his characters being black, Steven aims for his stories to be universally relatable and not confined to one demographic. His first book, featuring a black girl named Santana, emphasizes messages of self-acceptance and believing in oneself, which resonate with children of all races.
Steven’s books have been well-received in diverse settings, including predominantly Muslim schools. He recounts experiences where white and Asian children also connect with his stories. One notable example is a book called “Power Up Penny,” inspired by video games and pixel art, which captivated a young boy who was thrilled to meet Steven and even received a custom art piece from him.
Steven strives to avoid being pigeonholed as an author who only writes about black characters with specific cultural themes. While he acknowledges the importance of representation, he aims to create books that are enjoyable and relatable to all children. His goal is to blend his personal influences with engaging stories that any child can appreciate, ensuring his books carry universal messages and remain inclusive. The positive feedback he receives across different cultural backgrounds reinforces his belief that the essence of his stories transcends race.
Business and Service offering
He offers a variety of services alongside his primary focus of selling books. When he has free time, he utilizes his design background to assist with book layouts and illustrations, having done this work in the past. Although currently focused on building his brand, Steven is open to these projects when his schedule allows.
In addition to his work on books, Steven provides freelance design services, creating flyers, logos, business cards, and brochures. He emphasizes that his offerings are diverse and flexible, accommodating requests based on availability. For specific needs, Steven encourages people to contact him to discuss potential projects and scheduling.
Work-life balance and wife’s role
Steven enjoys activities like reading crime novels, watching quiz shows and movies with his wife, playing and watching football (as an Arsenal fan), and exercising to take breaks from screen time due to his work and book-related tasks.
His wife, also a writer, plays a significant role in his creative process. She provides ideas, feedback, and support, acting as the first critic and sounding board for his work. Her understanding and encouragement are crucial, especially when Steven is deeply focused on his projects, as she helps him maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life.
Current and Future Projects
Steven is currently immersed in the creation of another book, with the writing completed and the illustrations in progress. He aims to finish it by summertime 2024 and commence marketing by the end of the year, keeping the details under wraps for now. Looking ahead, he plans to attend events such as the BOB Expo in Liverpool and the Black British Book Festival later in the year. He also considers future participation in events like the London Book Fair and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, focusing on expanding his presence and networking within the industry.
Contacting Steven
With regards to his children’s books, you can find all the information about them on his website, www.littlemilobooks.com and the social handle is @littlemilobooks on all major platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok and YouTube.
For all things related to his Graphic Design work, you can find that at SbDesignWorks.
Tips
For those aspiring to follow in Steven’s footsteps, he advises acting on your ideas without dwelling on potential obstacles. Belief in oneself is crucial; if you wake up with the urge to write a book or pursue a creative endeavour, do the necessary research and just start.
Steven emphasizes the importance of self-belief, urging others not to let doubt deter them. He suggests drawing every day to hone artistic skills and taking advantage of available resources, such as online tutorials and courses. Steven encourages aspiring creators to utilize all available platforms and tools to fuel their passion and simply take the leap to pursue their dreams.
