Behind The Mismatch Party

I recently finished a personal piece called The Mismatch Party, and I wanted to share a bit about what shaped it.

The prompt “Mismatch” came from SCBWI, and instead of going literal, I followed a memory. I thought about how kids are often placed in boxes, how “blue is for boys,” “pink is for girls,” and all the roles tied to that. So I flipped it. I know this concept has already been explored, its not new, but it felt true to me as I tried to do my sketches.

A girl dressed as a knight. A boy in baker’s clothes.

No one’s trying to prove anything. They’re just being kids, having fun, sharing sweets, and playing in the forest with a dragon who loves cake more than fire.

What I realized through this small project is that sometimes, storytelling doesn't need big drama. Sometimes, joy and softness are enough. And it’s okay if an idea changes halfway through—what matters is staying true to what feels honest.

If you’d like to see more of my process and where ideas like this begin, I’m slowly building a cozy space over on Patreon, for sharing sketches, thoughts, and moments in between. It’s not a big marketing thing. Just a quiet corner of the internet I hope it will feel like a creative café: part sketchbook, part journal, part community.

Thanks for reading.

And if you’re a fellow creative too, hey, let’s be friends.