One sketch each day can turn something small into a story that holds memories forever.

Mike Lowery is an illustrator who has worked on more than 90 children’s books and has made some books for all ages. He keeps a sketchbook with him everywhere he goes, including when he travels.

“I found my voice in a sketchbook,” Lowery said. “Voice is something that’s a little bit broader, and – so it doesn’t matter if I’m using pencil or pen or drawing in Procreate on the iPad or something like that, I think that my voice comes through.”

Lowery spoke with graphic design and illustration students at the University of South Carolina last week to teach his process of loosening up and letting everything flow together. He then spoke at the Columbia Museum of Art so people of all ages who are aspiring artists can understand his type of art. 

Setting aside a few minutes so that drawing is not stressful can build into a unique storyline. Something can also be drawn in several different ways to help make something interesting, he said.

“This type of drawing is a thing where you kind of have to section off this amount of time and just allow yourself to do something that is play time,” Lowery said. “That is playful. And it’s not on purpose, … and that is a really, really tough thing.”

Lowery has fact-filled stories, travel stories and personal, sleepwalking stories.

USC art department professor Marius Valdes invited Lowery due to his vision – his critical thinking and ability to develop his stories in a unique way.

Lowery’s humor helps drive his point in whatever he does because it does not always have to be perfect, he said.

Lowery being successful through self publication, working with publishers and teaching classes is a way for everyone to see that anyone can be successful with their dreams, Valdes said.

“He’s a really interesting, well rounded contemporary artist that I think everyone who wants to be in this business can learn from,” Valdes said.