I remember when I was a kid, hearing about a creature that looked like a rabbit, with antlers like a deer, and just assuming it was a real-life animal. I was learning about weird and wonderful animals from around the world pretty much every week, so why wouldn't the Jackalope be real?
The cool thing about being an artist is that I get to take that sense of wonder I had as a child and bring fantasy, folklore and a little magic into the mundane world. Making Martha Cottontail ignited my imagination and brought me a lot of joy.