Briana Corr Scott is an author and illustrator based in Kjipuktuk/Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Her projects are inspired by the waters, woods, and landscapes that surround her on the East Coast. She loves to make botanical illustrations, surface patterns, and paper dolls. Her poetic picture books are known for blending the details of nature with magic and folktales.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Briana Corr Scott about seeking inspiration from the natural world that surrounds her and finding comfort in creativity.
While you create all kinds of artwork—including cards, paper dolls, murals, portraits, and animations—your website says your favourite thing to make is picture books. What is it about picture books that continue to inspire you?
Each picture book I make is its own little world. Once I write a story and make the images, I use both as a jumping-off point for the other things I make. I might make a mural inspired by a scene in the picture book, or greeting cards using the flowers or animals found in the scenery. The characters of my picture books often begin as paper dolls. I make these paper puppets and then imagine the world they live in, and tell their story.
In my mind, everything I make works together as part of the world in the picture book, so in this way it is the base for everything that I do. My art is very playful, and I don't have a lot of restrictions on myself. If I want to learn a new technique or experience a new creative process, I will use the story and images from one of my books to do that. Making a picture book is making a place for me to play in, and is the most important thing that I do.
Your illustrations and stories are often inspired by the waters, woods, and landscapes that surround you on the East Coast. What has spending time in nature taught you about creativity?
Creatively, I have learned that truth is stranger than fiction. My brain cannot come up with something as good as nature can, which is why I work from life when I begin a new project. Nature shows me compositions, colours and shapes that my mind cannot create on its own.
You can try it yourself. If you closed your eyes right now and imagined a tree, then tried to sketch it—I guarantee it would be a very generic simple tree. If you went out for a walk in the woods, you would find the weirdest, tangled tree ever, one that your mind could never imagine, and for me that makes better art. From the art, I write the story, and now I have a real oddball character of a tree to describe—that is so much better for writing than trying first to imagine and then describe one alone in my studio. Nature and life are always where I start.
Your upcoming picture book, I Lost a Day, explores creative and mindful ways to approach mental health challenges. How does making art support your mental health?
I Lost a Day is all about how art, nature and creativity can soothe you in times of sadness. I think it is an important thing to speak about to children (and adults) of all ages. What I hope is that this book will be a tool for grownups to normalize these conversations.
It is also a gentle, soothing book full of hope. I wrote this book because I needed this book myself. I had a period of burnout and depression right after COVID. At that time, my father-in-law passed away, another close family member was diagnosed with cancer, I was helping my children through the stress of COVID and a post-COVID world, and my sister succumbed to her struggle with addictions. I had so much on my plate personally, and I became depressed. My therapist asked me, "What would you say to your kids if they were experiencing what you are going through?" The answer to this question is this book.
I have always turned to art and writing as a way of care in hard times. It can be an escape from the hard feelings; a moment of joy in a sea of sadness. Ultimately, if you keep up the writing or making, it can be a way to process what you are going through and can be a way to find meaning in it. I don't think art and writing alone will solve all the mental health problems in the world, but it is a huge part of it. I want people to think of it as one of the tools that will help. Therapy and medication also help. There is no one answer. I hope this book gets kids thinking about the tools that work for them before they need them.
You’ll be touring for the upcoming Canadian Children’s Book Week, reading from I Lost a Day, and talking about mental health with young readers. What are you looking forward to about touring for Book Week?
I adore visiting students with my picture books. I have visited extensively in Nova Scotia since 2019 with the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia. I always leave school with my cup filled and a smile on my face. It is such a gift to be with kids who love reading my books. They are my audience and I truly want to hear what they think about the stories I write.
Also, I have a BEd in Art Education as well as a BFA in painting, so for me, being in the schools with my art and writing is a wonderful way to tie in my roots as an arts educator. It truly is a full-circle moment for me. In addition, I am excited to be touring in Quebec, since I haven't been there since I was 13.
Briana Corr Scott will be touring as part of Canadian Children's Book Week 2025. Keep up to date with her latest projects by visiting her website or following her on Instagram.
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Written by Spencer Miller