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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