I spent a long time thinking about how to express the theme of the contest in an honest and heartfelt way, making many sketches before arriving at an idea I felt ready to share. This illustration tells a small story about a little girl who, on Christmas Eve, gets to see something every child dreams of. Through the mirror, I wanted to capture the moment when she slowly opens the door and peeks into the room, catching a glimpse of fairies as they make the Christmas atmosphere feel truly magical. The idea came to me after a long period of brainstorming, not while working, but later, when I was finally relaxed, as if the concept appeared on its own. The mirror becomes a window into a moment that will change little Elizabeth’s world, pulling her into a Christmas adventure and opening the door to new emotions. I interpreted the theme of time travel through the visual language of old Christmas postcards, aiming to recreate the feeling of a cozy, slightly fairytale-like vintage book illustration. This sense of the past is supported by the old-fashioned decorations and the girl’s nightgown. Creating fully finished illustrations is still challenging for me, so this piece became a real personal challenge. I put a lot of care and effort into the process and truly hope the idea and mood come across clearly. Many thanks to the XP-Pen team for organizing the contest and giving the opportunity to win a graphics tablet 🥺 Happy upcoming holidays!!! ✨💙