"I never critique the drawings in my black notebook. I give myself the right to fail, to mess up, to create ugly drawings. I'm kind to myself. In my notebook, I do what I want."

Elise Gravel's fans (she is probably best known for the Disgusting Critters series) will love paging through what appears to be a black sketchbook full of her creatures and grade-school humor--and the message about drawing nonsense and creating imaginative characters is welcome.