“Allow yourself to listen to the still, small voice that is bidding you to do.” (Alice Faye Duncan, LA19SCBWI)
Introduction: FOCUS
One of the main goals that Adam and I set for our #PBChat mentorship was to get more me into my manuscripts. In order for that to happen, I need to flush out all the negative self-talk and other things getting in the way of hearing my “still, small voice.”
The mentorship officially started this month. I had paid for the LA19SCBWI Conference before I knew about #PBChat. At first, I was worried that attending the conference would distract me from focusing on my mentorship. Rather, this conference leaves me refreshed, energized, and better equipped to tackle it. In this blog, I will share how the LA19SCBWI helped me get out of myself (the introversion, the doubts, the fear, etc.) and into my #PBChat mentorship.
YOGA and a “Coincidence”
I enjoyed the yoga on Saturday morning. Being a beginner, I found Lori’s instruction to be both easy to follow and appropriately challenging. While I physically stretched myself, I similarly expanded my mind and prepared myself for being open to all that the LA19SCBWI Conference had to offer.
At the conclusion of the class, Lori scattered about 100 cards – pictures on the front; words on the back – on the carpet and invited us to select an image that spoke to us. I picked the “eye,” which was actually the Sea Serpent. My card said: “The Sea Serpent represents …expression…. creativity… helps us move…into a healthy current…. We express ourselves creatively …without fear or shame…. We loosen the grip of self-judgement…. We let the cool waters of forgiveness in to heal our wounds.” Was it an interesting coincidence that I was reading about creativity at a writing conference? I’m not sure I believe in coincidences!
Mandatory Morning Pages
I made it a point to continue doing my morning pages, an exercise from Julia Cameron’s THE ARTIST’S WAY, throughout the conference. I spent about ten minutes (or three pages) writing in my journal freestyle first thing every morning. I wrote whatever I wanted – journal stuff, conference information, gossip, meaningless words, budget stuff – everything! This helped me empty my brain so that I could fill it up with what the day had to offer: lessons, insight, and meeting new people.
Did all this “extra” writing do anything? Yes! Lots! I have attended scores of conferences over the past decade. At all of them, I noticed common themes with my behavior, all revolving around introversion. I was always on the periphery of the conference. But this conference was different. I talked to anybody. I felt only a little jet lagged. I was just a little “whelmed;” not overwhelmed. At the “Woodstock, 50 Years Later” party, I danced right up in front of the stage. I credit all of these things to the morning pages exercise, although I don’t understand the “why” yet. I wonder how these changes will ripple through the rest of my life!
Learning
To say I learned a lot at this conference would be an understatement. I have so many bullet points, practices, and mindsets to bring with me into my mentorship as a result of those four intensive days of conferencing. On Friday, I learned more about rhyme and rhythm in picture books, with #PBChat mentor, Lori Degman. I LOVED Linda Sue Park’s writing room on Saturday afternoon. Writing anything, I believe, helps a writer get better at writing what she wants to write. My take-home from Sunday, after listening to Carol Hinz’s lecture, was that I need to rewrite the back matter for three of my stories. On Monday, I learned that a couple of agents whom I had previously thought desirable, while they are still very talented and knowledgeable, might not be the right fit for me.
Deepening Relationships… and Food
One of the best things to happen during this conference was the down-time spent with my critique buddies. In particular, I am grateful for the time they spent helping me to revise one of my upcoming potential magazine publications. But I also enjoyed things such as re-trying sushi for the first time in nearly a decade. I liked it!
I met Stacey Mozer at the NESCBWI luncheon and ate nearly an entire gluten free pizza on my own! Speaking of food, it was feast or famine throughout the weekend. They fed us once on Friday, once on Saturday, once on Sunday, and not at all on Monday. Although we went out to eat three times, seven of our meals came from a Thursday evening Target run. The best meal was the taco bar at the “Woodstock, 50 Years Later” party on Saturday night.
Bonus!
During lunch on Saturday, I attended an illustrators’ informal workshop, munching on veggies and hummus and sketching the live models in 5- and 10-minute drawing sprints. When I went up to the woman model, Ariel, at the end (to show her my favorite pose and talk about modeling and sketching), a camera crew swooped down upon us. I might be included in a documentary film!
Conclusion
All in all, I am very glad I attended the LA19SCBWI Conference. It directly supported my mentorship; in fact, it seems like a huge “coincidence” that the conference took place at the beginning of my mentorship. I feel primed for writing, thinking, and revising throughout the months ahead.
“If you are comfortable with your uncertainty, then you are on the path of learning.” (Yuyi Morales, LA19SCBWI)
Did you go to LA19SCBWI? What were your big take-home messages from the conference? What other writing workshops would you recommend attending?
