Jo Lindley is a Cardiff-based children’s book illustrator and author, working on picture books and middle-grade fiction.

Jo discovered illustration as a tonic to the stress of her architecture job. Roll on several years and here she is, still fervently writing and illustrating books, living a happy ‘archistrator’ life

holding my pencils wrong since I could scrawl

I grew up in Berkshire, drawing and crafting at every opportunity. I’d burn through paper (figuratively speaking) and then wait impatiently for my parents to top up my supplies. It was tough for them to keep up with my habit! I would draw anything and everything – oh, the joy of childhood self-assurance – but recreating Disney characters was a running theme (particularly Pluto).

In 2001, at Cardiff University, I replaced art with architecture, and drawing became progressively more technical. After completing my studies, I moved to London and eventually set up my own practice specialising in sustainable architecture. One fateful afternoon, in an attempt to alleviate the stresses of the job, I rediscovered the joy of drawing characters. What started out as a mindfulness exercise, soon became an obsession.

I'm 2 years old in this photo and I still hold my pencils just like that. Once I got to school they tried to teach me the "proper grip", but I wasn't having any of it!

I went on to take evening and online classes (plus many, many hours of self-led practice) to learn the art of visual storytelling and to build a portfolio of work. In 2018, I joined The Plum Agency, and with their creative mentorship I developed my illustration and writing skills to free myself from my technical education. I've embraced a playful style of visual communication, with plenty of texture, vibrant colours, magical worlds, and expressive characters.

I continue to draw inspiration from animation, but I also have a bountiful collection of children’s books and graphic novels that I pore over. Nature documentaries, folklore/mythology, and my own ramblings play key roles in influencing my work, particularly the storytelling element of what I do.

I Also Play ball

When I’m not at my desk scrawling or scribing, you will almost certainly find me with one of my softball teams trying my best to hit the ball. Occasionally it hits me back.