This Christmas one of my best friends got me a pink book full of female empowerment, the book “Bad Girls Throughout History” was illustrated and written by Ann Shen. It features the story of one hundred women who have defied all odds to live a wonderful and impactful life. As someone who has read history crafted by men destined to ignore the tribulations and victories of women I feel it is important for us to celebrate the trailblazing women in the past. I was lucky enough to track down the talented creator of the book and see why she wrote it.
1. Tell us about yourself.
Hi! I’m Ann Shen, and I’m an illustrator, author, and designer based in Los Angeles, California.
2. As an illustrator, what prompted you to write a book and this book specifically?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and I graduated with a degree in writing before I went back to art school in my mid-twenties. So writing a book has always been one of my life goals, before I realized it would be a written AND illustrated book. I came up with the idea for “Bad Girls Throughout History” when I was about to graduate from art school and trying to figure out what I wanted my work to be. I was getting a lot of opinions from teachers that were contradictory to what my heart was saying – and I created this project in response, because I was looking for female role models who made their own paths and created their own destinies.
3. This book is extremely diverse, was it difficult to find information on women of color in history?
It was one of my greatest challenges! One of the criteria that I set out for Bad Girls was to feature female pioneers – the women who were the FIRST to do something, because as we all know, being the first to try or do something is incredibly difficult. To do something that’s never been done, you’ve gotta try things that have never been tried. You have to make a path where there isn’t one.
Soon I came to discover that a lot of these pioneers were white women. It suddenly made sense that of course a lot of these women were in positions of privilege to even be able to become pioneers in professional or social endeavors. Minorities in the U.S. or women of color all over the world were too busy fighting discrimination, fleeing dictators, and, you know, escaping slavery (these women are featured in here too, of course).
Another challenge with finding women of color in history is that if a story wasn’t recorded, then it’s lost forever.
Since in most cultures, females were not taught to read or write until the recent century, the stories being recorded were already being written with a bias since they were only written by men and about men. Add into the mix the cultures that still shun women being strong leaders and pioneers, along with the challenge of finding material that could easily be translated into English. The quest for diverse stories in my research was my Everest, and I did my best to honor as many different women and their stories as possible.
4. What advice would you give young creatives aspiring for success like yours?
Work hard every day and don’t compare yourself to others. There’s enough room for everyone out here, as long as you be true to yourself and what you’d like to put out in the world. Develop a strong work ethic as the foundation of your aspirations, and that will see you through every step of the way.
5. Where do you see yourself in five years?
I’d love to have published and be writing more books, creating art for a range of wonderful clients, and being a creative professional who inspires others. I see myself doing what I’m doing now, but even better.
6. Why should our readers purchase “Bad Girls Throughout History”?
With “Bad Girls Throughout History”, I wanted to write a book that represented diversity beyond the color of one’s skin. I wanted to also show a vast range of ages, socioeconomic statuses, cultural backgrounds, religions, and creeds. I wanted to show that you can come from anywhere at any time and do anything you set your heart on. You are never too old, too small, or too late to live the life you’re meant to lead – and this book is here to show you that you can and you will. Because here are 100 women who could and who did. Even when it felt like all the odds were stacked against them.
If you’ve ever had someone tell you “no”, “Bad Girls Throughout History” is for you.
If you’ve ever had someone tell you you can’t do something because you’re a girl, “Bad Girls Throughout HIstory” is for you.
If you’ve ever had to be the only person who believed in your own voice, “Bad Girls Throughout History” is for you.
7. What is next for you?
I’m working on my second book with Chronicle Books right now, coming out in Spring 2018! I’m also working on a bunch of projects with exciting clients that will be debuting soon. Just being a busy, happy illustrator!
Click here for the cheapest source of this book! It makes a wonderful read and will enlighten anyone who reads it.
