Storytelling on Instagram: Building Connections and Cultivating a Following Using Comics with Lala Watkins

Storytelling on Instagram: Building Connections and Cultivating a Following Using Comics

with Lala Watkins

With a big smile and the warmest energy, Lala introduced herself to the group.

"Hi My name is Lala, rhymes with Holla! I love laughing till my stomach hurts, ice cream and doing what makes my heart emote the heart-eyed emoji."

After taking us through her illustration journey from university to interning at Cartoon Network to her work as a graphic designer, Lala dove into her Instagram, her relationship with it and how she uses narrative and storytelling to connect.

She started with how she got her agent.

Lala has posted a comic about the moon. "What if the moon watched humans like we were in a reality television show?"

Mika Song, another author/illustrator, saw Lala's work online, asked if Lala if she wanted to submit the comic to "Sunday Haha," a newsletter for kids, and ask if she'd consider going into children's books?

Mika told her agent, Erica Rand Silverman, so many good things about her and Erica, who fell in love with Lala's art reached out. When Erica signed Lala, they talked about what she wanted to add to the publishing world and Lala responded,  I want celebrate playfulness and goodness with her work. 

How does she do that? Lala walked us through her thought process, and art process. 

1. Good Storytelling Will Get You Far

Writing from the Heart and strong storytelling can help you reach a large audience, even if you draw stick people!

"If your narrative has heart, people will connect." Draw it and post it. Don't overthink it. And it doesn't always have to be pictures. You could use text, as long as it is nice to look at.

2. Being Vulnerable and Authentic. 

You also cry? Me too, Let's be friends!

If you feel comfortable, share your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. It reminds people that we are all in this together.

3. You are a Relatable Character. 

What do you want to say to the world & the draw it. 

4. Create the Things You Like & People Will Come

This is how you start to build your followers/community 

Don't worry about hashtags, trends, etc. Make things that speak to you and people will see theat authenticity and want to genuinely follow your journey. 

3 Things To Remember While Creating & Posting

In a time with AI, Algorithms, & More

1. Make art and turn it into content later

2. Protect your work and art

3. Was it fun to make? remember to stay silly

"Do things that bring you joy"

Can't make it to the In-Person Winter Conference in New York City, join us online at the Virtual Winter Conference featuring inspirational talks, industry panels and deep-dive Creative Labs,taking place in February of 2026. Videos of all sessions are available to watch for approximately 30 days after the event.

Lala Watkins (Author, Illustrator) is an author-illustrator extraordinaire whose work is like a summer pool party, and everyone's invited! She makes playful illustrations and lovely stories that make her heart (and yours) emote the heart-eyed emoji. She graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design and Interactive Communications from Ringling College of Art & Design. She has worked as a product designer, product developer, illustrator, and graphic designer at Sanrio, Paper Culture, Cartoon Network and more. Let's be friends! Fun fact: She's in a long-term relationship with the sun so she lives in sunny Florida. Her favorite treat is ice cream and she is a charming hand lettering artist.

www.acaseoflala.com/

Sketchbook Joy with Lala Watkins

Sketchbook Joy

with Lala Watkins

Lala is a JOY and here at SCBWI for the first time, she came to help us find some Sketchbook JOY! "I'm a Florida girl — Cold is not for her!" But she is excited to see snow and to talk about how to have fun and be playful in your sketchbook!

"Hi My name is Lala, rhymes with Holla! I love laughing till my stomach hurts, ice cream and doing what makes my heart emote the heart-eyed emoji."

"My work is like a summer pool party and everyone is invited!"

Lala's style, voice and career has branched over many different types of art making: from falling in love with lettering in school to finding competitions to put herself out there, she has worked in figurines, stationary, home decor, etc. 

Starting in motion design in school, she transferred into graphic design after a year. "I just wasn't into it." She would make notes for her friends, with little treats and gifts and on their recommendations ("Lala, you should do graphic design") she decided to try it. She had thought it was for "serious things," but soon discovered her own path.

Interning at Cartoon Network sparked her joy to do things for children. That exploration nurtured the seed of imagination and fun. Going on to work for Hello Kitty, it all helped her develop her style and voice. 

Sketchbook Joy: 

Cultivating Confidence through Sketchbook play

Anxiety.  

Anxiety. Anxiety. Anxiety. A lot of her sketchbooking is to prove to her anxiety that she can do it! "I want to make my anxiety a liar." Remind yourself that it's not what you think. You have a job, and you have to build being okay with moving through the discomfort. "Have a cry" and dive in.

The Drawing PEP TALK:
Lala uses her lettering to write out what she is going through. It's her "comfort spot" and helps her loosen up. "Make it messy, and have freedom without judgement." Write notes to yourself in your sketchbook. Make it a safe space. 

Experimentation:
Mess with materials that you've never used. Gouache, markers, color pencils, paper etc. Sketch on Post-Its. They are small, quick, and not precious. She loves working on her experimentation through portraiture. Experiment and see what comes from it. It helped in the development of one of her books, where she used textures she discovered in play and scanned them in to use for her bookmaking.

With a Q&A, and a sharing of her materials and sketchbooks, we got to meet the other attendees and mingle.  What a joy! 

Can't make it to the In-Person Winter Conference in New York City, join us online at the Virtual

Winter Conference featuring inspirational talks, industry panels and deep-dive Creative Labs,

taking place in February of 2026. Videos of all sessions are available to watch for

approximately 30 days after the event.

Lala Watkins (Author, Illustrator) is an author-illustrator extraordinaire whose work is like a summer pool party, and everyone's invited! She makes playful illustrations and lovely stories that make her heart (and yours) emote the heart-eyed emoji. She graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design and Interactive Communications from Ringling College of Art & Design. She has worked as a product designer, product developer, illustrator, and graphic designer at Sanrio, Paper Culture, Cartoon Network and more. Let's be friends! Fun fact: She's in a long-term relationship with the sun so she lives in sunny Florida. Her favorite treat is ice cream and she is a charming hand lettering artist.

www.acaseoflala.com/