I set myself a brief to draw some of my childhood memories, then I shared some on Instagram, and people started joining in with their memory drawings too.

So I started a hashtag #childhoodillustrated.

If we are lucky, for most of us, childhood is full of joy. But also, lurking in there somewhere, are some dark, weird or disturbing memories. I love using memory mining as a never ending source material for new illustration ideas. I wrote all about that here.

An illustration of a little girl collecting eggs, a memory from Helen Stephens’s 1980’s childhood
A spooky dark pencil procreate illustration of an owl, like a ghost.

Collecting eggs at the neighbour’s farm.

The first time I remember seeing an owl.

An illustration of a 1980’s Christmas by Helen Stephens, nostalgic

I loved little oranges at Christmas: tangerines and clementines were delicious.

Illustration of a spooky, ghostly wolf floating by Helen Stephens

As a child I had a recurring dream of floating wolves. It was dark and disturbing.

illustration of children watching old fashioned TV, E.T. By Helen Stephens

Watching a hooky copy of E.T. on loads of 20 minute VHS cassettes in the 1980’s.

Red heart wallpaper, 1980’s bedroom illustration, kittens.

Mum and Dad took me to B&Q DIY store and told me to choose any wallpaper I liked. I chose ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ I loved kittens too, can you tell?

Illustration by Helen Stephens of 1980’s childhood hay bails

Hay bailing season with cousins and dogs.

Spooky illustration of scary stories at bedtime. Laurel and Hardy

I used to tell my sister that Laurel and Hardy were under our bed. I used to scare her, and myself. I loved telling ghost stories too.

illustration of scared child in playground new school

My first day at the new school was difficult.

Illustration of lonely child drawn in pencil in the playground

I had no one to play with so I walked the white lines.

Illustration of children on dark bonfire night holding sparklers

Sparklers with no health and safety rules at a 1980’s bonfire night.

A disturbing, spooky illustration of a childhood memory of levitating by Helen Stephens

As a child I could fly. I could hover above the bed and fly down the stairs. Spooky but 100% true.

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