Originally a scene from an idea for a children’s book I was exploring in 2020, I revisited this pencil sketch in 2023 and finished it with digital color. The young protagonist, struggling with anxiety, spends time with his family inventing stories in which he confronts challenges and meets new friends. In this scene, he’s befriended a family of cygnets and their doting swan parents – a perfect cozy backdrop for drifting off to sleep.