My childhood was filled with Walt Disney and Dr. Seuss, so perhaps it was inevitable that creativity would eventually shape my life. The road there, however, was anything but direct.

Writing had always been a passion, but I was not sure where it belonged in my life. After graduating from the University of Vermont in 1996, I attended Roger Williams University School of Law, passed the bar in 2001, and began my legal career. My dream of becoming a writer quietly took a back seat.

That changed after the birth of my first daughter in 2010. Inspired by my wife and our three daughters, I decided it was time to pursue the dream I had set aside. I could live with not succeeding, but I could not live with never trying.

For the next six years, I immersed myself in the craft of writing for children. I attended workshops through the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, studied picture books, and developed every story idea that came to me. Each draft, whether successful or not, helped shape my voice.

In 2016, while watching my daughters dance, laugh, and sing in front of a full-length mirror, I found the idea that would change everything. That moment became The Reflection in Me.

Although I believed deeply in the manuscript, submissions to agents and publishers brought rejection or silence. Determined to find another way forward, I decided to turn the story into an animated film.

Through a remarkable series of events, I met acclaimed author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. Peter read the manuscript, offered thoughtful feedback, and later contributed his artwork to the animation produced by FableVision Studios. Released on YouTube in 2017, The Reflection in Me reached audiences around the world and has since been viewed more than 2.5 million times.

With Peter’s encouragement, I continued writing and moving closer to publication. In 2021, Scholastic acquired The Reflection in Me and another manuscript, When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left, with both books illustrated by Peter.

After more than a decade of persistence, my dream of becoming a published children’s book author became a reality.

The lesson I carry from that journey is simple: hold tightly to the goal, but remain open to the path. Dreams rarely unfold according to schedule. Think big, dream bigger, and never give up.