Here are my answers to your most frequently asked questions…
Behind the Creation
The story behind Little Curly — where she began, why I created her, and how drawing became part of my own journey through life. ♡
1. Who is Little Curly?
Little Curly is a little artist, a dreamer, and an observer of everyday life.
She notices the things we sometimes walk past — little feelings, funny moments, worries, questions, and the small things that can teach us something about life.
But she isn’t just a character I draw. Little Curly is a little part of me — just in illustration form.
Through her, I can draw the things I feel, the things I wonder about, and sometimes the things I don’t quite know how to say. ♡
2. Why did you create Little Curly?
Little Curly began with a dream to create something that was more than just a drawing.
I wanted my art to carry a little meaning — to encourage, empower, and share the things we learn as we find our way through life.
Over the years, Little Curly has taken different forms, from empowering artwork and affirmation cards to the little everyday stories I draw today.
But somewhere along the way, I realised Little Curly was doing something for me, too.
Drawing became my little place to put my feelings. When life felt difficult, I drew. When something made me happy, I drew. And when I couldn’t quite find the words, sometimes Little Curly could say them for me.
Drawing feels healing to me.
So although Little Curly has grown and changed over the years, the heart behind her hasn’t really changed. She is about expressing life through art — the things we feel, the things we learn, the things we face, and the little bits of hope we find along the way. ♡
3. Who draws and writes Little Curly?
Little Curly is created, drawn and written by me, Ella Parry.
I began creating Little Curly from my own thoughts, feelings and experiences, so there has always been a little piece of me inside her.
The drawings and stories may belong to Little Curly’s little illustrated world, but the feelings behind them come from real life — from things I notice, experience, remember, or simply wonder about.
That is why I often say Little Curly is me — just in illustration form. ♡
4. How has Little Curly changed over the years?
Little Curly has grown with me.
In the beginning, much of her work focused on empowering art and affirmation cards — little visual reminders about courage, kindness, hope and believing in ourselves.
As time went on, I found myself wanting to tell more of the story around those feelings rather than only writing the message itself.
Today, those same ideas live inside Little Curly’s everyday stories and comics. The way I express them has changed, but the reason behind the work is still the same: to explore life, feelings and the things we learn along the way through art. ♡
5. What does “empowering through art” mean to you?
For me, empowering through art doesn’t mean always having a big, positive message or pretending that life is easy.
It can be something very small — a drawing that makes someone feel understood, a reminder that helps us keep going, or a story that makes us look at an ordinary moment differently.
Sometimes art encourages the person looking at it. Sometimes it helps the person creating it.
For me, it has been both. ♡
6. Why is drawing so personal to you?
Drawing gives me a way to slow down and listen to what I am feeling.
There are times when words come easily, and other times when they don’t. Drawing gives those feelings somewhere to go.
It can turn a difficult thought into something gentle, preserve a happy little moment, or help me understand something I am still learning about myself and life.
That is one of the reasons creating Little Curly has remained so important to me. Drawing feels healing — and Little Curly has become a little place where I can keep those feelings, memories and lessons. ♡
Beyond the Sky
An illustrated comic series about my everyday life with Sonny and friends — the things we notice, the lessons we learn, and the little moments we remember. ♡
1. What is Beyond the Sky?
Beyond the Sky is an illustrated comic series about my everyday life with Sonny and friends.
Most of the comics begin with something very ordinary — a walk, waiting for five very long minutes, playing ball, sitting together, spending time with friends, or something funny that happens during our day.
I turn those little moments into comics through Little Curly and her little world, because I believe even an ordinary day can hold something worth noticing, learning from, or remembering. ♡
2. Are the comics based on real life?
Yes — many of them are. ♡
A lot of the comics begin with something that actually happens between Sonny and me. Sometimes I keep the moment almost exactly as it happened, and sometimes I let Little Curly’s imagination take it somewhere new.
The drawings may become comics, but the feelings behind them are very real.
3. Is Sonny a real dog?
Yes! Sonny is very real. ♡
He is my little companion, my shadow, and quite often the reason a new comic begins.
The illustrated Sonny has his own little personality, but many of his habits come straight from the real Sonny — especially his routines, his love of playing “ball, ball”, and his very strong opinions about when it is time for a walk!
4. Why did you start drawing these little everyday comics?
Because I began noticing that the moments I wanted to remember weren’t always the big ones.
They were often tiny things — something Sonny did that made me laugh, a quiet moment together, a thought during a walk, or something ordinary that suddenly made me see life a little differently.
Drawing them became my way of keeping those moments.
And perhaps when someone reads the comics, they might recognise a little piece of their own life too. ♡
5. What does “What do you see beyond the sky?” mean?
For me, it is a little question about how we see the world.
We can all look at the same sky and imagine something different beyond it.
Little Curly is always wondering, noticing and asking questions. “What do you see beyond the sky?” is an invitation to look a little further — beyond what is immediately in front of us — and notice the feelings, possibilities and little bits of wonder that might be there.
There isn’t one right answer. That’s the lovely part. ☁️♡
6. Who are the comics for?
They may look like children’s illustrations, but Beyond the Sky isn’t only for children.
The comics are for children, grown-ups, dog people, dreamers, worriers, quiet thinkers — and anyone who still notices the little things.
Sometimes the simplest comics remind us of things we already knew but had forgotten.
7. Will Beyond the Sky become a book series?
Yes. ♡
Beyond the Sky is an illustrated comic series, and I hope to bring the comics together as a series of books.
The first three I have in my heart are:
Book One — What Do You See Beyond the Sky?
Little Curly and Sonny’s everyday life — the little things they notice, the lessons they learn, and the moments they remember.
Book Two — We All Live Beneath One Sky
The world grows a little bigger as more friends become part of Little Curly and Sonny’s everyday life.
Book Three — What If Anything Were Possible?
A little step beyond the everyday — into imagination, possibility, and all the places a curious mind can go. ☁️
For now, I’m creating it one comic at a time. ♡
© Copyright & Using My Artwork
A little guide to sharing and using Little Curly® artwork and comics — so the work can be enjoyed while still respecting the artist behind it. ♡
1. Can I share Little Curly® artwork or comics on social media?
Yes, you are welcome to share Little Curly artwork and comics on social media as long as the artwork is kept intact and Little Curly is clearly credited.
Please don’t remove my name, logo, copyright notice, signature, or other identifying marks from the artwork.
Whenever possible, please tag #littlecurly or link back to Little Curly @iam_littlecurly so people can find the original work. ♡
2. Can I use Little Curly® artwork on my website, blog, or social media?
Please ask me first if you would like to use Little Curly artwork outside of simply sharing one of my original posts.
Permission depends on how and where the artwork will be used. Please don’t copy, upload, publish, or use Little Curly illustrations or comics as your own content without permission.
If you are unsure, you are always welcome to drop me a note and ask. ♡
3. Can I print or use Little Curly® artwork for personal use?
Only artwork or downloads that I have specifically made available for personal use may be printed or downloaded.
Please don’t download artwork from the website or social media and reproduce, print, copy, or make products from it unless I have clearly said that you may.
Any free downloads I offer are for personal use only unless stated otherwise. ♡
4. Can Little Curly® artwork be used commercially or altered?
No, not without my written permission.
Little Curly®, the characters, illustrations, comics, writing, and other original artwork are protected creative works. They may not be copied, altered, adapted, reproduced, sold, used on products, used for advertising, or otherwise used commercially without permission.
Please also don’t remove signatures or branding, recolour or edit the artwork, add new text to it, or use the characters to create derivative artwork without permission.
If you are interested in licensing, publishing, collaboration, or another commercial use, please contact me first. ♡
