Sophie Blackall: Creating Community
Episode #318 | Art by Lee White
Husband and wife duo Philip and Erin Stead join Jake Parker and Lee White to share their journey into children’s book illustration, how they’ve stayed true to their voices, and how they make work that resonates with kids.
SHOW LINKS
Sophie Blackall: sophieblackall.com, @sophieblackall
Milkwood
Preorder Stella & Marigold: Past and Presents: Book 3
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
Learn what you love and find a way to call it work.
Long-term isolation is poor creative hygiene; find a community of people who encourage and inspire you.
Life is an experiment. It’s ok not to know what you want; keep playing, and you’ll find out.
Creative processes have lifespans. Learn when to let the old ones die, but take their lessons into your next season.
SUMMARY
SOPHIE BLACKALL is an illustrator of over 50 books for children, an author of 10, and co-founder of Milkwood, a creative retreat venue.
Sophie’s books include the New York Times best-selling Ivy and Bean series; the 2016 Caldecott Medal winner, Finding Winnie; and the 2019 Caldecott Medal winner, Hello Lighthouse, which she also wrote. Her latest book, Stella and Marigold: Past and Presents: Book 3, is available for preorder and will be released in September 2026.
Sophie’s idea for Milkwood Farm was born from community. Working in a shared space alongside other artists, she experienced the value of having people to bounce ideas off of and talk shop with. Knowing that most illustrators work solo and would benefit from human interaction in a creative space, Sophie’s vision for Milkwood began to unfold. Today, Sophie and her husband manage a renovated dairy farm in New York’s West Catskills, hosting workshops, residencies, and creative retreats. The dreamy setting includes beautiful old buildings amid acres of wildflowers, a library containing over 5,000 picture books, gardens, fruit trees, and wellness spaces. Milkwood opened shortly after the pandemic and has served as a panacea for creative isolation every summer since.
Originally from Australia, Sophie splits her time between the Catskills and Brooklyn, New York. She believes in experimenting until you discover what you love, and then finding a way to call that thing work.