Willy's History

The story behind SWEET TREAT.  

2001 -- Then (GROOVIN GRUB)

Willy did not actually grow out of an idea for a children's show or book.  In fact when I first created Willy that thought had not even entered my mind.

  
I created Willy to practice my skills and patter as a puppeteer.  I just love creating so I decided to make a character and then Willy was born.

A short time later I was blessed to have the opportunity to work with and learn from some incredible people at the CBC studios in Toronto.    One day I was sitting at home and practicing with Willy, and then I thought about how fun and fantastic it would be if Willy had a show.  So I wrote a script (laid out a whole series actually).

In 2001 that incredible group of creative and passionate people and I shot EPISODE G: Groovin Grub (the theme was healthy eating) as the pilot to pitch to various producers.

Then in 2002 , due to life circumstances, I had to push pause on the dreams of creating for children and sharing Willy with the rest of the world.

2017-- Now (SWEET TREAT)
Fifteen years later the desire to write and create returned to me slowly, bit by bit.  The key moment that broke open my gateway back into the desire to create was a car ride.  I was in a car, on a grey and rainy day.  As I watched the scenery go by I noticed some cows.  I am not a farm girl, in fact I am very much a city girl.  In that moment my brain started to think a thousand thoughts all at once:

*I would like to meet a cow*

*Willy should meet a cow*

*Cows are amazing*

*this should be a book*

*this could be a "Willy" adventure*

There is that microsecond was the seed planted that would evolve into what is now SWEET TREAT.