How a Family's Creative Collaboration created "Forever Home" with Cathy Stenquist & Erica Leigh

Have you ever had a great idea for an invention, a business or creation? Maybe you know that you and your friend or a family member have just what it takes to make it happen, but you're not sure what the next step might be? In one of A2YO’s most heartwarming interviews, our charming mother/daughter duo share what's possible when they use their unique skills and talents to team up together and turn a dream into a reality.

Cathy Stenquist and Erica Leigh are the creators of the new picture book Forever Home.  Cathy is an award winning writer and recently published her debut picture book Forever Home, a lovely tale of two orphaned kittens, rescued by a shelter and their journey to find their forever family. Cathy was delighted to work closely with her daughter, Erica Leigh, who illustrated Forever Home.

Erica Leigh is a full time artist and musician living in Massachusetts. Her current focus is on children's book illustration and vocal recording work. However, her homegrown business dabbles in a wide variety of other projects like mural painting, graphic design, custom portraiture, commercial songwriting, and performance. She has a degree in songwriting and voice from Berklee College in Boston, but considers herself primarily self taught in art.

Tune in and you will find out how to follow Erica and Cathy and learn more about their creations. We dare you not to fall in love with this dynamic and darling duo.

Highlights include:

“It was such a big project, I think neither of us knew quite how big it was going to be when we started. And that's kind of the beauty of creative projects. Because if you knew how hard it was going to be, you might never start. But we did. And then - once you're in it, you don't want to quit.”

“Honestly, I would not be where I am without that kind of continued support. So I would say look around you, because you may be surprised who is there waiting and wants to support you and believes in you.”

“I wasn't afraid of failure. And I think that's one thing I've learned is that failure sometimes people think is a four letter word and a bad word.”

“Instead of asking "what if" about all the potential failure that might happen, and catastrophizing, the scenario that might lay ahead of you ask, what if in a positive way, for example, what if I take that chance?”

“Sometimes your evolution as a creative person can feel like destruction, like the way that a seed has to kind of break open or the way that a caterpillar has to cocoon up and then come out as a butterfly. Sometimes it can be painful, it can feel like you have no idea what's going to happen when life comes your way. And things get challenging…. You might be that seed, that caterpillar. Be willing to embrace that new identity, that new self that you never imagined….”
Find out more about our guests:

Cathy Stenquist website:  https://www.cathystenquist.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CathyStenquist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathystenquist/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathy.stenquist/

Erica Leigh Website:  https://www.ericaleigh.com/
                                                https://www.ericaleighart.com/
Instagram: 
@ericaleighmusic
@ericaleighart