Unlock Your Inner Storyteller at the Bristol Art Museum

If you’ve ever thought, “I have an idea for a children’s book,” and then tucked it away between showings, open houses, and email follow-ups, this winter might be your moment to finally bring it to life. For our Creative Edge section this week, we’re spotlighting a local workshop that blends imagination, visual storytelling, and just enough structure to actually get that idea out of your head and onto the page.​

What’s Happening

The Bristol Art Museum is hosting an Illustrated Storybooks class with artist Emily Johnson, a four-week, hands-on workshop designed to take you from vague idea to a tangible children’s book concept. Whether you’ve dabbled in drawing, love writing, or are simply curious about picture books, the class is built to meet you where you are and guide you through the full creative process.​

• Venue: Bristol Art Museum, 10 Wardwell Street, Bristol, RI 02809​

• Event: Illustrated Storybooks with Emily Johnson​

• Dates: Saturdays – January 31, February 7, 14, and 21, 2026​

• Time: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM​

• Fees: $140 (Members), $180 (Non-Members)​

• Format: Four-week, action-packed class focused on developing an illustrated children’s story from idea to book dummy​

• Activities: Memory mining and brainstorming for story ideas, writing a rough draft, illustrating pages, and creating a book dummy with three finished illustrated pages​

• Mediums: Can be done digitally or with traditional media​

• What to bring: Traditional art supplies such as paper, pencils, and coloring mediums (for those working traditionally)​

Held at 10 Wardwell Street in Bristol, the museum setting offers a calm, creative backdrop that feels miles away from daily to-do lists and transaction deadlines. Students working traditionally will bring their own supplies, while digital creators can use tablets or laptops to build their stories in the medium they’re most comfortable with.​

Inside the Creative Process

Over four Saturdays, participants will move through a complete creative arc: from memory mining to finished, illustrated pages. The class begins with brainstorming and uncovering stories from your own life, observations, or imagination that will resonate with children.​

Once an idea takes shape, you’ll draft a rough story and learn how to break it into pages in a way that keeps young readers engaged. From there, you’ll explore how text and illustration work together—what belongs in words, what’s better shown in pictures, and how to pace the visual journey from page to page. By the end, you’ll have a book dummy with three fully finished, illustrated spreads, giving you a concrete artifact of your creative work and a foundation to keep building on.​

Why This Belongs in The Creative Edge

At Edge Realty, we talk a lot about storytelling: presenting homes, neighborhoods, and lifestyles in a way that helps people see themselves in a space. This workshop is a different medium, but the same muscle. Thinking like a children’s book creator forces you to simplify, clarify, and emotionally connect—skills that translate directly into how you communicate with clients, craft listing descriptions, or even shape your personal brand.

There’s also value in stepping away from the market for a few hours and doing something purely creative. A structured, project-based class like this gives you permission to focus, experiment, and finish something that isn’t tied to leads, clicks, or conversions—but will still quietly strengthen how you communicate and think visually.​

Inspiration for Our Agents and Clients

If you decide to join, consider drawing from local Rhode Island life—coastal adventures, snow days by the bay, historic streets in Bristol, or a family’s first night in their new home. Those themes carry emotional weight and meaning, and they subtly echo the real stories you see every day in real estate.

Your book dummy could become more than just a personal passion project. Imagine:

• A unique piece on your coffee table during open houses that sparks conversation.

• A future self-published booklet or zine you gift to clients with young children.

• A way to connect with your own kids or grandkids through a story you’ve fully created from scratch.

How to Learn More and Sign Up

Full details and registration are available through Discover Newport’s listing for the Bristol Art Museum’s Illustrated Storybooks class. With four dedicated Saturday sessions, a clear structure, and guidance from an experienced instructor, this workshop offers a rare opportunity to turn that “someday” book idea into something real you can hold in your hands.​

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to finally start your children’s book, consider this your nudge from The Creative Edge.