Fostering Community with Creativity

Social media can help connect us in this changing world, but, no matter our age or gender, overuse can quickly turn into an obsessive need for approval [1].

For Brisbane-based, three time published author, Jacqui Preugschat, building confidence in young girls has been important for her roles as a teacher, and mother of four. Jacqui believes that by focusing on confidence, young girls can be encouraged to stay creative and explore their inner talents, rather than focusing on their outward appearance.  

But building confidence in girls and women is a lifelong process, and Jacqui states, ‘It is so important to start early, which is why I started writing the Tessa’s Book of Elegance Series, full of talent building and creative projects for young girls.’

For Jacqui, it has been affirming and inspiring to watch girls gift each other the things they have created from the activities in her books. She says, ‘Their faces just light up when the girls share their creations. It’s wonderful to see the joy it brings them.’

Jacqui is excited to be releasing the third book in her Tessa’s Book of Elegance series, titled, ‘Design Your Own Elegant Bedroom Decor With Tessa’. This book focuses on learning about colour, exploring colour themes and making beautiful projects to keep or give away.

By fostering a community among young girls that is built on foundations of creativity, connection, and sharing their unique gifts, Jacqui believes that young girls will be inspired to see themselves as more than just their appearance, or the success of their social media. 

Not stopping at three books, Jacqui is currently working on her fourth book, which features a day in the life of the main character ‘Tessa’, where there will be opportunities to learn sketching, gardening, horse riding, rock climbing, caring for pets and much more. She is also writing and illustrating a collection of short stories to read to children at bedtime, where each book will relate to a central topic, including an encouraging letter at the end of each book.

To learn more about Jacqui, or to purchase any of her books, you can find her at https://www.tessas.com.au 

If you’d like to read more of Jacqui’s work, she regularly contributes to Kidspot https://www.kidspot.com.au/parenting/child/child-development/five-tips-to-help-you-foster-emotional-intelligence-in-your-kids/news-story/15ad8fb6c1e0f0432bcd597e1a2facc7

[1]Jessy, Parv K. How to raise a confident daughter in the age of social media. Medium. March 11, 2019. Accessed 23 April, 2021.https://medium.com/kidsnclicks/how-to-raise-a-confident-daughter-in-the-age-of-social-media-829e40281fdb