Colour Me Happy

Through personal experiences, Ray has become passionate about encouraging positive mental health habits. He wrote and illustrated a storybook that promotes communication of good mental health habits from an early age. His book centers on a young boy named Mo, who finds himself feeling left out when his father puts off spending time together. Over the course of an evening, Mo's world loses all its colour and is reduced to greyscale. With some advice from a friendly owl, Mo learns to be open and honest, first with himself, then with his close friend, and finally with his dad. Through more effective communication, Mo's world regains its vibrant tones.  

After writing the original text for the book, Ray used his existing art skills to bring the characters to life with watercolour, India ink, and charcoal detailing. He then digitized all illustrations and brought them together using Adobe InDesign. 

With the book finished, Ray began touring schools within the Louis Riel school division, sharing the story with children from kindergarten to fourth grade.