We stumbled upon a new favourite place in Seoul: Bakery A Goong! The treats were almost too cute to devour—but devour them we did (they were divine). The café has a gorgeous aesthetic, a perfect match for the neighbourhood, as it’s between Deoksu and Gyeongbok palaces.

Presented at a school in Suwon, working with primary kids to embrace writing, reading, theatre, and an overall sense of wonder. I helped the kids brainstorm the magical ingredients that would go into a potion’s cauldron. Lots of fun ideas!

We went for a walk in the late afternoon heat, on the grounds where we were staying in Yangpyeong, Korea, and discovered fingers of fiery light reaching through the trees. #authorsEye #artistsEye #betterthanAI #humaneye #nofilter

It was a fun but messy morning! After VISUALLY brainstorming the ingredients that might go into a magic-maker’s cauldron the day before, I led an activity to actually assemble some potion props. I amped up the activity by sealing the bottles with wax. Afterward, we dived into writing!

What’s Mystery Camp without a crime scene to investigate? We set up a grisly scene then had students fill out a report and surmise the chain of events that led to this moment. It was a fun way to get them to focus on observation and detail—important skills to practice in creative writing!

Love these decoder wheels my students made at our creative writing Mystery Camp in Korea. I created a basic template, that provided space for students to add extra symbols and details. These generate great prompts for spy and detective stories! #creativeeducation #cwc #mysterycamp

Are you a fan of Japanese Cozy Comfort books? I am—so it was a priority during our Japan trip to brave the Tokyo heat and explore Jimbochu Book Town, which is inspiration for Days at the Morisaki Book Shop (which is how I found out about this neighbourhood to begin with).

The shavings of wood piled up in musical curls as we made our own chopsticks at a workshop in Ginza. My son loves this photo and said that if he hadn’t seen me take it he would have thought it was AI. I said the same thing I always tell him. It IS an AI photo—that’s “Author’s Eye!” #authorsEye

We enjoyed a fun afternoon at the chopstick making workshop in Ginza yesterday. Not only was it satisfying to work with our hands, we ended up with unique souvenirs. #ginza #tokyo #chopstickmakingworkshop

More covers from the students in one of my creative writing classes. Although I allow my students to use photography, this group chose to draw by hand, either on their tablets or good old-fashioned paper. Gotta love their titles! #creativeeducation #cwc

The students in my weekend programs worked hard this past term, not only to write their own individual books, but to design them as well! Here is a batch of covers from one of my classes. I love the variety of the covers—and of the stories! #creativeeducation

This concrete block did not look particularly thrilled that my son and I decided to use him as the goal for our soccer practice yesterday. #authorsEye #artistsEye #betterthanAI #humaneye

Love this year’s #bcsrc theme: Under the Sea, art by @hloweart.bsky.social. Because we were away at the start of summer, we only got to the library today to pick up a reading record—only to discover the program has been so popular that they ran out. Thankfully, we got a photocopied version—phew!

This past fall, I taught a creative writing program at a middle school in Seoul. It was an extremely rewarding experience. I enjoyed developing the curriculum and helping my teen students find their voices. They learned to develop, write, and edit—and they even designed their own book covers.

Hanging out with the Last Airbender! My son didn’t get to film with Gordon Cormier, but he got to meet him while visiting the set to get his head shaved.

Everyone on the set of Avatar, The Last Airbender, was so amazing, treating the kids with kindness and mindfulness. I’m especially grateful to Tina Phamfor her generosity of spirit toward the young actors during this scene, especially my son, who was the youngest—and possibly the most nervous.

A student dedicated her book to me. Um . . . she’s not wrong. #creativeeducation

While on set last year for my son’s scene in Avatar, the Last Airbender, I wanted to take photos of ALL THE THINGS. I behaved and did not take any photos. However, I did some drawing of my son in costume (I gave him an arrow, just for fun), but also of the elaborate set, so I would remember it.

So proud of my son! He filmed a small scene (an entire day on set) for Avatar, The Last Airbender. Out today!

The quote of the week for the teens in my creative writing classes comes from David Hoyle: “Still being artistic, that’s revenge.” More on my blog: kendrakandlestar.wordpress.com/2026/06/25/w...

A lonely fire hydrant I found tucked out of the way—but if you ask me, one that has aged with grace and is now more interesting than ever. #authorsEye #artistsEye #betterthanAI #humaneye

A lonely fire hydrant I found tucked out of the way—but if you ask me, one that has aged with grace and is now more interesting than ever. #authorsEye #artistsEye #betterthanAI #humaneye

The latest version of my newsletter The Daydreaming Doodler is out. It includes a creative activity for the classroom (with downloadable handout), my latest reads, and some other news! Link in bio. #Authornews #creativeeducation #kidlit

The quote of the week for the teens in my creative writing classes comes from Éliane Radigue: “There is always, in every piece I do, something wrong.” More on my blog: kendrakandlestar.wordpress.com/2026/06/18/w...

I have some very creative students who love thinking outside the box—or, in this case, thinking outside the potion bottle! 🧪🌞🧙🏼

I took this photo because of the juxtaposition of shapes and colours, but now I see a footprint in the peeling paint. Either that or someone doing a little boogie. #authorsEye #artistsEye #betterthanAI #humaneye

The quote of the week for the teens in my creative writing classes comes from Lynda Barry: “Real aliveness of line is hard to come by.” More on my blog: kendrakandlestar.wordpress.com/2026/06/11/w...

In the recent issue of our class newspaper, there is breaking news about my facial hair. Also, in the comics section, don’t steal a robot’s pizza and fish-love is heartbreaking. #creativeeducation #creativewritingworkshop #classnewspaper #cwc #creativewriting

This student’s potion is dripping with potential . . . 🧪♥️🧙🏼 #creativeeducation #creativewritingworkshop #potion #cwc #magicpotion

Our latest newsletter is out featuring news from BC's kidlit creators! #readlocal #readBC #ireadcanadian

The latest news from BC's children's book creators!

Spring 2026

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