A blue torn paper with white handwritten text that reads "Deaf/lure".
Whimsical illustration of two anthropomorphic animals, a cow and a deer, dressed in colorful clothing and making playful gestures.

Along came Ewe.

As I started to develop the ideas more, I realised that it would help to have two characters. I played around with having Rude chat to the audience or narrator, but the scenarios would play out without a character conflicted or challenged by the positive statement. Basically, you need a yin for your yang!

So for a long time it was Deer You or Deer U, and then I realised that you should actually be Rude’s friend, and Ewe was born.

A cartoon illustration of a reindeer and a sheep standing in a sunny outdoor setting. The reindeer is smiling, raising a hoof, and looking towards the sun, while the sheep looks on. There is a quote at the bottom that reads: 'Keep your face always towards the sunshine, and the shadows will fall behind you.' - Walt Whitman.
Hand-drawn cartoon of a reindeer and a reindeer head with antlers, both wearing glasses and balancing pencils, with speech bubbles saying 'Remember you're awesome.' The drawing includes handwritten notes wishing a happy Wednesday and expressing love for Dad.

A positive reminder.

When my daughters were in primary school, most mornings I would make them packed lunches, and in the lead up to Christmas one year, I left them little doodle notes.

They featured a little reindeer called ‘Rude’, and they were positive little messages for them to find before tucking into their sandwiches.

So you know what happened next. I couldn’t stop, even if I wanted to. Each morning, I would doodle up something. I even had comments from some of their teachers. Now, I’m not stupid enough to think my girls really cared for them, but every now and again, I’d find them repeating one. Passing on words of encouragement to their sibling.

My sister suggested I turn these into something. So I have.

A cartoon illustration of a reindeer and a moose holding signs. The reindeer’s sign says "I'M", and the moose’s sign says "POSSIBLE." The reindeer has light brown antlers, a big red tongue sticking out, and a blue body. The moose has large ears, black spots for eyes, and is wearing a teal shirt with a white, fluffy trim at the bottom. The image includes a quote that says, "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I'm possible!" by Audery Hepburn.
A cartoon reindeer decorating a Christmas tree with a star on top. The reindeer is standing on a purple rock and appears to be reaching up to place ornaments or decorations on the tree.