Looking to build a picture book portfolio, but lack in consistency and inspiration?
Want a steady creative routine?
Join the #KitLitilloWeek Challenge!
Monthly prompts are designed to reflect picture book trends while still giving you room to showcase your own voice.
The result?
Portfolio pieces that feel uniquely yours and aligned with what publishers are looking for.
You can download the whole year’s prompts on one sheet here, or if you’d like to get monthly emails with prompts to your inbox and with a dose of encouragement, sign up below.
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Mirka Hokkanen - mom, illustrator, author, educator and community builder
I’m a mom to 3 kids (7-14 years), run a freelance art and illustration business with multiple streams of income and volunteer in multiple positions at two different organizations. So far I’ve traditionally published 9 books ranging from picture books to early reader graphic novels.
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I feel like I’m always behind, and administrative tasks like writing emails, meetings and other events overtake my time very quickly leaving little time for creativity.
I decided, for 2026, to consciously take time out at least once a week to finish an illustration, no matter how tiny, to reclaim creativity as part of my life.
I created this prompt list, monthly mail club and hashtag to keep myself accountable and to build a community of like-minded people who are busy, but want to take charge of their life and add a dose of creativity back.
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I plan on doing an illustration per week, and posting those on my social media, but you are welcome to adjust your goals to your schedule.
I’ve created a prompt list that you can download the whole year at once, or if you choose to stay on the mailing list, you will receive a monthly prompt list for each new month before the end of the last one.
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5 KidLit Relevant Categories of prompts
The challenge prompts work a bit differently than others, because I want you to think about what kind of creativity you need in your life.
Do you want to get better at characters, or backgrounds, or create more portfolio pieces?
Each month you will receive a smattering of prompts that are common themes/settings/characters in picture books. Pick and choose the prompts that spark an idea and then run from there.
Post your work for the community to see with #KidLitilloWeek and feel free to tag me @MirkaDraws and I’ll like and comment on your work too.
Search the hashtag on social media to cheer others on and for inspiration.
Before You Get Started
Before you jump into this challenge, think what you need to work on right now.
It could be:
Creating new pieces for a portfolio
Practicing indoor/outdoor environments
Coming up with interesting characters
Drawing more animals
… something else?
Then based on what you want to work on, create a plan for each month how you will achieve it.
If you want to work on multiple things in a year, you could divide the year up to segments. For example practice outdoor environments for 3 months, then practice interesting characters for 5 months and then work on new pieces for your portfolio for the rest of the year.
It doesn’t have to be just one thing, the key is to work on consistency, and making time to do at least some drawing each week.
The Why
Create pieces for your portfolio
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Build creative habits
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Connect with the KidLit community
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Creative growth
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Break out of creative slump
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Stay Inspired
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Track your progress
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Create pieces for your portfolio • Build creative habits • Connect with the KidLit community • Creative growth • Break out of creative slump • Stay Inspired • Track your progress •
You can download the whole year’s prompts on one sheet here, or if you’d like to get monthly emails with prompts to your inbox and with a dose of encouragement, sign up below.
Figure out what you want to work on for each month and how often you plan to draw. (characters, background elements, full illustrations, for example, and daily/weekly/monthly) and then note it down for yourself.
Mix and match prompts from each category for inspiration. If you wanted to work on more complicated illustrations for a portfolio for example, you could even decide to work on parts of an illustration each week: a character one week, a prop like a tree or rock on week 2, a background element on week 3 and then putting it all together on week 4.
The animal prompts can be used as inspiration for characters, not just drawing animals. Ex. What would a mousy mailman look like?
Post process photos and finished work on social media with #KidLitilloWeek. The main platforms I’ll be using are Bluesky, Instagram and Pinterest.
Search the hashtag for inspiration when you are feeling the struggle, and take a moment to cheer others on their journey.
How to Use the Monthly Prompt Sheets
Skillshare class now open! It’ll serve as #KidLitilloWeek club hub.
It’s a more private place to post and have conversations, if you want more of a close knit community to be in. But you can also participate on social media, and sign up here for your free prompt guide if you don’t want to join Skillshare.
Are you ready to start?
Sign up to receive the full year of prompts up front. Stay on the mailing list to receive monthly prompt lists, with a dose of encouragement. You can do this. Let’s build creative habits together in 2026.