Daily Inspiration: Meet Caroline Kerfoot

Today we’d like to introduce you to Caroline Kerfoot. 

Caroline, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
While dreaming up the story ‘Hi, I’m Fox!’, it felt only natural to write it as a rhyming children’s tale. When I was 11 years old, my parents gave me a guitar which I taught myself how to play after school. Within a few months, I began to write songs and poems of my own. It’s a fun challenge linguistically -like fitting pieces into a puzzle- to remain succinct in storyline while keeping meter and time. 

Since my husband and I adopted our first rescue dog Foxy (we now have two!), we have spent countless hours in nature and on walks. One day, Foxy met a little turtle who hid in his shell, which sparked my imagination. I thought, ‘What if the turtle is afraid because her name is ‘Fox’ rather than for who she is, which is a sweet dog? What if the turtle pushes past his fear, trusts her and they become friends?’ and so the story was born. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Being a writer is never a smooth road – I think we’re all our own worst critics! Jokes aside, it has been smoother than I initially thought it would be. With my professional background as a designer, it wasn’t too difficult to tap into my network and find a local, high-quality printer to create the physical book. I am so pleased to support the local economy here in Michigan and that it is made entirely of sustainably forested paper! 

The greatest struggle I have is time. Self-publishing can be very time-consuming as I am responsible for all of the branding, illustrations, website and am currently working on an animated version of the first book while writing the second. Even still, I am trying to be patient with myself as Adventures of Fox will be a series of books for children that I plan on working on for many years to come! 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As James Joyce wisely wrote, ‘I wanted real adventure to happen to myself. But real adventures, I reflected, do not happen to people who remain at home: they must be sought abroad.’ 

I’ve had a long career within the creative industries, beginning as a junior graphic designer to now, where I am managing a creative team, branding, and planning photo/video shoots. It’s been incredibly fulfilling and has afforded me the opportunity to live and work in New York City, the UK (London), Portugal (Porto), Germany (Osnabrück), and Austria (Salzburg). Because of these adventures, experiences, and incredible friendships I’ve made along the way, my creative abilities have been able to flourish and grow. 

Drawing from these prior experiences -along with my return to living in Michigan- has been a huge inspiration behind the Adventures of Fox series. I’m very proud of publishing my first children’s picture book, drawing every illustration, designing each page layout, and writing the entire thing on my own. Additionally, the children’s literature community is amazing! Between children’s librarians, educators, and reading enthusiasts, I feel like I’ve met so many incredible people through a book which just so happens to focus on friendship and kindness! 

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is defined differently by just about everyone, no? Regarding my first book, just the act of making and publishing it is a success for me, personally. The fact that children and parents alike have been enjoying it so much is the icing on the cake. I look forward to seeing where the entire series will go in the future. 

Pricing:

• Hardcover book, signed with a personalized note to the recipient, including shipping is $23.95
• Paperback book, signed, including shipping is $12.95

Contact Info:

• Website: www.adventuresoffox.com
• Instagram: @realadventuresoffox
• Facebook: @realadventuresoffox
• Youtube: @realadventuresoffox