THON

Greetings friends! Here I am, in Happy Valley, PA. It's the third weekend of February, and thousands of Penn State students are taking a stand against pediatric cancer.

It's the annual Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, more lovingly known as simply: THON. THON is the world's largest student run philanthropy--a year long fundraising effort, that culminates in a 46 hour dance marathon. Last year, we raised $10.6 million for the kids. Money raised goes to the Four Diamonds Fund, which covers everything that insurance doesn't. It's a pretty remarkable organization, and they are truly making a difference in the efforts to CURE pediatric cancer.

I fell in love with THON in 2007. I was on GenePool's Rules and Regs committee, and was so awestruck by what was going on in the Bryce Jordan Center that even when I had a few hours off, I stayed to watch. For me, THON became more than a fundraising effort. It became than the 46 hours. It became a way of life. THON came to me months after my Grandpa's sudden passing. It pulled the rug from under my feet, and shattered my world. I was hurting, confused, and depressed. There was a veil over my eyes, and I couldn't see the beauty that surrounded me. When I walked into the BJC that weekend in February 2007, everything came into focus. When I witnessed the courage, wisdom, honesty and strength of those little superheroes...those amazing kids....I found my courage, my wisdom, my honesty and my strength. The kids inspired me to overcome what I was going through, and in that way...I guess you could say that THON saved me, too. I live my life by the four diamonds.


Courage. Honesty. Wisdom. Strength.

As I walked back to my dorm after THON that year, I made a promise to myself that whatever I decided to do with my life, it would involve giving back to my superheroes. It would involve coming to THON, and doing something For The Kids.

Seven years later, I am just as in love with THON as I was in 2007. It's now my third THON as an alum, and three years since I danced. This year, I've returned to Happy Valley as a best-selling children's author. It feels surreal to type, and say. But my debut Children's Book, "THE GRAY DAYS" has been as high as #7 on the Amazon Best Seller list for Children's Books. This afternoon, I'll be doing a reading of my book for the kids, at Webster's (4pm). A portion of proceeds from all books purchased at the event, and online this weekend will be donated to THON. I feel so blessed that I am able to fulfill my promise, and continue giving back to the Four Diamond Kids in my professional life. I hope that I can continue to do so, in the years to come.

For The Kids, forever and always.

Ariela

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Onward.

Hey friends! This has been an unbelievably exciting week. After the SCBWI conference, my book sales began to climb. Then, I got a phone call. "Onward State published an article about you!!"

A whole article?

"A WHOLE ARTICLE!!!!!!"

I had contacted them regarding my upcoming event, but I wasn't expecting a whole article! In case you haven't seen it, check it out!

I have an interview with The Daily Collegian tomorrow, and have two more school districts in the works for author appearances. It feels so surreal. A little girl recognized me on the street the other day from when I visited her classroom. A girl that lives down the block from me was asking me questions about how to publish a book while I was shoveling my driveway yesterday.

Now, I just have to start the giant pile of books sitting on my desk!

Happy Sunday! :)

 

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SCBWI pt. II

Greetings, friends, and Happy Thursday! (Thursday? Already?)

As most of you know, last weekend I had the absolute pleasure of attending the Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators Conference in NYC. What an incredible experience. The community of artists who create stories for children are among the nicest people I have ever met. It was inspiring, and humbling to be surrounded by these wonderful, creative minds.

I always walk away from conferences with a revived sense of creative purpose. I remember why I do what I do, and am filled with the motivation to do it. Writing can be a lonely profession. I spend far too much time in my own head. Often, there are characters up there, dancing through the foggy streets of my mind. Their faces are obscured by the mist, and I can barely make out who they are. But then, I find myself in a room filled with writers. Their characters float around in their minds, sometimes bumping into mine. They interact, and slowly, the mist clears. For two days, I am breathing creativity. I am inhaling inspiration, and suddenly all of my ideas become clear. I know who I am, and who my characters are. I can see their world-it is defined, and beautiful.

"Aren't we lucky?" Wise words from the great Julie Andrews, who spoke at the conference. (I won't lie. When I met her, I burst into tears.) But seriously! How right is she?! We storytellers are so blessed. We can weave words into something magical. We can paint truth, and beauty. We can create worlds, and give life to creatures, and people. They dance off our pages, and into the imaginations of our readers. They hold a place in the heart of humanity, because the heart of humanity beats for them. They tell our stories. They teach us to see things differently. They show us who we can be. They are a gift, from my soul to yours.

Aren't we lucky, that we can perform such unique magic?

I spent Monday and Tuesday doing an author appearance at a local elementary school. The kids were incredible. Each classroom was a new experience, and the kids all brought something new to the table. We talked about the value of stories, and of imagination. We explored the power of imagination, through a visualization activity. Watching, as the children discovered what their own imaginations were capable of, was incredible. They lit up when I told them to write down, or draw what they imagined. It's a shame that kids need permission to use their imaginations in school--their schedules are so regimented, that they don't have time for creative writing. They were so excited to be able to just write! So many of them wanted to share, and even more of them said they wanted to keep working on it. After I read my book to them, they had so many questions. They were so curious to learn about what it's like to be a writer. They wanted to know if it was hard to be a writer, and of course, if it made you lots and lots of money. They wanted to know how to come up with ideas.

My final visit was in a fourth grade class. It was the end of the day, and when the bell rang, they crowded around me. Some wanted autographs, some wanted hugs. They wanted to share their ideas, and ask my advice on writing. It was so sweet, and so humbling.

The whole time, I could hear myself thinking: "Aren't we lucky?"

Yes. Yes, we are.

 

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Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators Conference '13

My head is spinning from the sheer brilliance, wonderful creativity, and incredible people I encountered today. Much thanks to The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, for putting this fabulous conference together.

I just got home, and will be heading back into Manhattan tomorrow morning at dawn, for round two. Some quick highlights from today, and then on Monday I will write a more in depth reflection of the weekend.

-Meg Rosoff. Seriously? This woman is phenomenal. I can't wait to fall into her stories. Also, thank you for being everyone's coffee this morning. You were hilarious, and brilliant.

-I have an addiction to books.

-Shaun Tan. Shaun Tan. Shaun Tan. Have you met his work? No? Go fix that. I confess: I didn't know who he was until today. I can't BELIEVE I didn't know who he was until today. His artwork is stunning, fantastical, sometimes dark, and always beautiful. His storytelling skills are unmatched. I was truly moved by his presentation, and can't wait to devour his books.

I'm not the only one who thinks of books as food, apparently. I eat my books, and devour each word. NOM.

I love writers, and the writing community.

I'm tired.

So! On that note, I'm off to dream about books. Have a wonderful rest of the weekend, everyone! Talk to you all again, soon!

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