Mirjam Millenaar

Mirjam Millenaar (1979) is a self-taught illustrator living in Utrecht, NL, behind a white picket fence, together with her other half, 2 children and 2 corgi's.

When her children started to attend pre-school playgroup, both toddlers had a hard time adjusting and after receiving advice from the group's teacher, Mirjam started to draw daily routine cards for them to provide more structure and stability.

Card after card was joyfully crafted and, reminded of her love for illustrating that has been with her ever since her childhood, she is now mamma by day and illustrator by night, bursting with inspiration for many more projects to come.

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A personal note

When it was time for my toddlers to join a preschool playgroup, they had a hard time settling in. Their teacher suggested the use of daily routine cards at home to help them get acquainted with the structure of the day and prepare them in advance. I have been a creative person all my life, always drawing or crafting or creating, so I picked up my pencils and started to draw cards. It was during our eldest's time at preschool playgroup that we started to suspect he was gifted and with our youngest we saw the same patterns emerging. We now know they both are gifted (and incidentally, I learned a thing or two about myself). I re-found my love for illustrating and had all these ideas come to life. I made more cards, started using weekly planners and countdown calendars and saw firsthand how providing my gifted children a framework in advance of what to expect gave them a sense of safety and stability. With an idea for a children's book in my head, I taught myself which materials work best for me and which paper to use. I drew, redrew, and then did it all over again, until I was satisfied with what was coming to life on paper. My illustrations are carefully crafted with love and attention to detail, each stroke and colour chosen with care, with the hope of bringing joy and positivity to those who see them.

Mirjam Millenaar

A personal note

Children's Books

Visuals for Neurodivergent Children

Illustrations

mirjammillenaar@hotmail.com