FIT IN o A POP-UP BOOK OF POSSIBILITIES ROBERT SABUDA = Ce Pet) eS aS RS ee rere te nes FECTS eae Caey Patmos ne eee oes eee rt ear tete Sera Tee eae et Ta evoking potential (an acorn, an egg, Pe Sees RO eae sae OOD Renee olor spread (a towering tree, a flock of birds, a rocket soaring upward). An Res a eee ee sw oS Pere eC Stee cars Fe eC VCS Sree ers passages and look forward to new eae (oll se foe e gd EarQ&A WITH Robert Sabuda Believe is not only a beautiful book physically; it also contains a multitude of beautiful and inspiring sentiments. What inspired you to share this hopeful message? There have been countless times when I wasn’t sure I could overcome life's challenges. [hope that aeh Believe will remind readers that they're not alone / and to continue forging ahead through life Throughout the book, the theme of possibility is evoked when an image, like an acorn or a paper airplane, is followed by a 3-D pop-up of what that thing could be, like a towering tree or a rocket soaring upward. How did you develop the text and visual Pairings to communicate this message? When faced with a challenge, I sometimes feel kind of small—but hopefully not for long! I understand and recognize that life can be alittle scary when you feel small. Being able to visualize yourself into something bigger, something better, really appeals to me. The ideas just seemed to flow out of me when I remembered what it was like to feel small and then how great it felt to move on and become big again Sometimes your pop-ups are created in full color, but you are also well known for your simple and striking white pop-ups as well. How do you decide which medium you will use for each book, and why do you think the white works particularly well for Believe? Believe it or not, there's really no rhyme or reason to how I work! Usually it’s just a feeling, For a book like Believe, I think it’s important for readers to be able to use their imagination for some of the imagery since we all have unique, individual life experiences. Simple, white pop-ups provide the reader with a blank slate to reflect on their own lifeYou recently shared that you are approaching your thirtieth anniversary of bookmaking. How do you feel about reaching that career milestone? When you reflect on all of the beautiful books you have made, what continues to drive you to keep creating? Thirty years! How is that even possible? The funny thing is that I'm often asked by fans where my ideas come from. I can see in their faces that this concept of idea-meking is somewhat foreign to them. If only it were easy to just turn it off! My creative mind is like a well that never runs dry (knock on wood). There is a constant flow that I can barely keep up with; it just doesn’t stop. I don’t think there are enough years in my life for all the projects I'd like to do! What do you love the most about being an artist, author, and paper engineer? Love the fact that I'm a bookmaker and that the creative fruits of my labor can be shared by millions!