Creativity webinar recording now available!

Is your mind swirling with creative juices for 2019? Want a little guidance and a few useful tips? The Creative Salon Webinar held Wednesday, February 20, 2019, was free for SCBWI WWA Passport Holders, who have also received a link to the recording. But now others can check out the recording and learn just as much for a low cost!

Care and Feeding of the Creative Spirit

Deb Lund, author, teacher, and creativity coach, talked about how to handle the rejection, self-doubt, or stuck feelings most of us face sooner or later. Deb also shared some of her hard-won tips and lessons on finding greater creative flow, enjoyment, and success.

To access the nearly two hours of goodness in the recorded webinar:

• For $15, SCBWI International members may register before March 3 to view the webinar recording. 
• For $25, non-members may register by March 3 to view the webinar recording. 

All paid registrants will receive an email containing a link to the recording on March 4 and will have more than a week to view the webinar.

Register for the recorded session now!

Passport holders, sign up now!

Need a little extra oomph to keep your 2019 creative momentum on fire? Register for a Creative Salon Webinar on Wednesday, February 20, 2019, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Pacific.  It’s FREE for SCBWI WWA Passport Holders—and you won't have to drive!

Care and Feeding of the Creative Spirit

Deb Lund, author, teacher, and creativity coach will discuss how to handle the rejection, self-doubt, or stuck feelings most of us will face, sooner or later. We'll come together as a supportive community, and Deb will also share some of her hard-won tips and lessons. Join us to talk about how to find greater creative flow, enjoyment, and success.

To attend the webinar, Passport holders will need to register in advance using the private link in the email that went out January 25th. If you know you're a Passport Holder (not simply an SCBWI member) and haven't received that invitation:

1. Check your spam folder and settings.
2. If it isn't there either, email Joni Sensel and she'll look up your Passport status and send you the link directly if need be.

If you're not a Passport holder,  you'll still be able to view the webinar recording, after the event, for a small fee. Stay tuned—or consider getting your own Passport now.

Come play with a muse!

Find a burst of early-summer inspiration at SCBWI Western Washington’s first informal Creative Salon. No registration is required (though an RSVP will be helpful); just show up ready to try a hands-on creative activity and share conversation about inspiration with your fellow kidlit creatives. 

When: Saturday, June 23, 10 a.m. – noon

Where: Tukwila branch, King County Library, 14380 Tukwila International Blvd (Room 1)

Cost: Free!

RSVP: Appreciated so I bring enough supplies: senselj@yahoo.com

Questions: Joni Sensel, senselj@yahoo.com

Sunday thoughts (in advance of our retreat)

"MAKING ART

is like a dog rolling on his back in the grass. 

It's about glory in the commonplace."  
--our own Richard Jesse Watson

Have you thought about your purpose in life? There may be times when the only answer is getting through the day without __ (fill in the blank)__. You may spend a few decades focused primarily on raising compassionate new humans. Not to mention you feel a certain calling to create books.

Most kidlit people want to make books for kids for great reasons, including making the tough business of growing up a bit easier, or to build empathy, for instance. These reasons tend to focus on other people — our society — which is awesome.

But I’m going to say something kind of blasphemous in our circle: I’m not convinced it’s “a final answer” without thinking and talking more deeply about it.

The elephant in the room
I’ve heard both Linda Sue Park and Amanda (A. M.) Jenkins say, in rooms teeming with writers and illustrators, words to this effect: “The elephant in the room is that the vast majority of you will never be published.”

SCBWI focuses on helping you be one of the lucky ones. But.

Regardless of whether we end up in the Widely Read Club, many of us would/will/do continue to create characters and stories. Some find other ways to direct that creative energy, from volunteering for story time to local theatre to baking with abandon. All good. Either way, I think it’s valuable to think about why. Why and why again?

Demons and angels
I raised questions here about considering how your creativity relates to your psyche and your personal demons. An even bigger question — How does your creativity relate to whatever you perceive as a divine power? (Or to the universe or dharma or the Fibonacci sequence or anything else you consider sacred?)

Does your god (or a fecund universe) want you to create? Why? How? What if you don’t accept the first answer that arises, whether from your social or religious (or SCBWI) training, but keep asking why? From this perspective, what counts as good, even sacred, work? What, if anything, doesn’t?

We can be timid about tackling such questions. In fact, in some cultures and traditions, creativity is circumscribed, with some kinds of art off limits. There’s also some pretty interesting research about the relationships between the practice of religion and creative expression, and how they interact. When you think about such questions and perspectives, do you get sad, or curious, or defensive — or motivated?

For many people, the answers are private. But I think others of us can help each other by respectfully sharing our views and intuitions. So I hope you’ll sign up for our ninth annual Weekend on the Water retreat, Inspiration & Motivation for Creatives, which we’ll hold Oct. 13-15, and think about coming to what will likely be the most unusual (and perhaps unattended!) session at that event: Spiritual Connections. We’re also doing some other wild new things this year, including creativity workshops and other ways to create more resonant work. Registration is open now. Go sign up! — and keep musing.

Tiny Tootsie people on retreat!

Imagine biting into a Tootsie Roll… the taste, sensation, satisfaction... (or revulsion, I guess, if you don’t like Tootises). If you had to act out those sensations to someone who could see or hear you but couldn't taste or feel anything themselves, how would you do it?

Okay, now imagine shaping a little person out of clay. You are its creator. What will happen to your clay person? Do you turn it into a trophy or a playmate or a voodoo doll? Why?

What do these weird questions have to do with your writing or illustrating — or specifically with your work-in-progress — and how you can make it better?

Lots! Trust me. Though you might need a pointer or two to see just how much and how to put that insight to work. If these ideas sound both fun and challenging— and they will be! — consider registering for our ninth annual Weekend on the Water retreat, which we’ll hold Oct. 13-15. We’re doing some wild new things this year, with many sessions on creative jumpstarts and ways to dig in for more resonant work. Including, yes, the activities I’m teasing you with here. Registration is open now. Go sign up! — and get ready to mine rich veins of creativity while having a great time with friends.

Inspiration and Motivation for Creatives

Registration is now open! 

How do we foster and sustain creativity? Sometimes it takes a step away from the everyday. This year’s Weekend on the Water retreat is all about finding inspiration—whether you’re a writer or an illustrator, a seasoned pro or a pre-published beginner. The whole event—from setting to programming to the nourishment and extra activities—has been designed to help us delve deep into the sources of our work.

This intimate, creativity-focused retreat—appropriate for both writers and illustrators—will give you a step back from the daily grind to examine the emotional and psychological drivers of your work and how to capitalize on them. Highlights include:

• Explore your creativity and jump-start your inner muse with our powerful Insight Book session, other creativity workshops, and specific NaNoWriMo support.

• Connect with other writers and illustrators to address your most pressing concerns in spontaneous, peer-led sessions

• Bring a picture book manuscript and work on laying it out in a dummy in IslandWood’s art studio. 

• If you like, you can sign up to read your work to the group or exchange manuscript pages with a small group of peers. 

• If none of that activity appeals, and all you need is time to create, bring your laptop or sketch pad, find a cozy spot, walk in the woods, or take advantage of our yoga studio. 


Setting: Inspirational IslandWood

IslandWood’s mission is to foster children’s education and environmental stewardship. With 250 acres of natural forest, meadows, ponds and pathways, it offers the perfect setting for inspiration. The facilities offer comfort and opportunities for rejuvenation. Everything at IslandWood is sustainably built with beautiful, natural materials.

IslandWood is just a 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle. But while in the cozy buildings and quiet woods, you’ll feel like you’re a million miles away. The retreat comes complete with special IslandWood programs, including:
    •    Hiking trail maps

    •    Fireside programs with s’mores

    •    Instructor-led yoga ($25 fee additional)


Accommodations
Some of the best experiences come from small moments, like quiet conversations with friends, both known and new. We offer both single rooms and shared rooms (with one, or at most two, roommates). All rooms have private baths, plus access to cozy common areas ideal for chatting, relaxing, reading, critiquing, or creating.

(We aren't using the top bunks -- unless you want one!)

IslandWood is designed to provide access to all. If you require special accommodation, please let us know and we'll work to ensure your comfort. IslandWood specializes in accommodating dietary restrictions, too.

The retreat fees, which start at $525 for the whole weekend, include all programming, two nights’ accommodations, six delicious meals, and s’mores by the fire, and we can help arrange transportation from the ferry dock, too.
 

Registration now open!

Get more details and register now for this great opportunity taking place starting on Friday, October 13 through Sunday, October 15, 2017. Registration will close when the retreat capacity is reached or September 27, 2017, whichever comes first.

Arty inspiration

Need a creative kick in the drawers? Try one of these:

• This daily weblog by Dinotopia creator James Gurney (left), which is for illustrators, plein-air painters, sketchers, comic artists, animators, art students, and writers. You'll find practical studio tips, insights into the making of the Dinotopia books, and first-hand reports from art schools and museums.

 

• This Seven Impossible Things post featuring debut author/illustrator Lori Nichols and a new perspective on leaves (just in time to make you long for spring).

 

• A great post on book layout, with free templates, from Tara Lazar.

— Contributed by Street Team member Suzanne Kaufman, who says she's going to focus on tips and new artists for the next month

Fearless Writing in Portland, April 18-19th

If you've ever found yourself stopped cold by unexpected change, doubt in your own abilities, uncertain outcome, or unfamiliar economic, technological, or social conditions... if you're tired of this, Fearless Writing offers a way to stop being stopped.

Years ago, I was lucky enough to attend a very short overview of Crescent Dragonwagon's Fearless Writing course for free at the King County Regional Library in Bellevue. It was life changing, and ever since I've been waiting not-so-very-patiently for her to come back to the Pacific Northwest so I could get the full experience.

I just found out she'll be in Portland on April 18-19th! Unfortunately for me, I have other commitments and will have to pass (drat!), but that's lucky for you, because there are a very limited number of spaces available. Click here for all the details!

8 ways to kill an idea

I thought this was funny, and a good reminder that creativity is a fragile thing. Gird your loins, people! Gird your loins!

See the rest.

How great novelists do it

There are lots of amusing bits in this article about the work habits of famous novelists, but here's my favorite, from Margaret Atwood:

Put your left hand on the table. Put your right hand in the air. If you stay that way long enough, you'll get a plot," Margaret Atwood says when asked where her ideas come from. When questioned about whether she's ever used that approach, she adds, "No, I don't have to.

Read the rest.

Update: I forgot I wanted to call out Edwidge Danticat's method. I think it's cool:

Before she begins a novel, Edwidge Danticat creates a collage on a bulletin board in her office, tacking up photos she's taken on trips to her native Haiti and images she clips from magazines ranging from Essence to National Geographic. Ms. Danticat, who works out of her home in Miami, says she adapted the technique from story boarding, which filmmakers use to map out scenes. "I like the tactile process. There's something old-fashioned about it, but what we do is kind of old-fashioned," she says.

Sometimes, the collage grows large enough to fill four bulletin boards. As the plot becomes clearer, she culls pictures and shrinks the visual map to a single board.

Right now, Ms. Danticat has two boards full of images depicting a seaside town in Haiti, the setting for a new novel that takes place in a village based on the one where her mother grew up.

She writes first drafts in flimsy blue exam notebooks that she orders from an online office supply store. She often uses 100 exam books for a draft. "The company I order from must think I'm a high school," she said. She types the draft on the computer and begins revising and cutting.

Finally, she makes a tape recording of herself reading the entire novel aloud—a trick she learned from Walter Mosley—and revises passages that cause her to stumble.

Julia Cameron on The Artist's Way, creativity and faith

(To our e-mail subscribers, this is an embedded video and you'll need to click through to watch it.)

An interesting way of looking at the U.S.

Laurie Thompson sent along a fascinating Wired map of the seven deadly sins. It's not directly related to children's writing (except maybe the envy and sloth parts occasionally). But it got me thinking. Something this interesting could easily have stories behind it--in almost any genre.

- Imagine a dystopic future where people are sent to different regions of the country to live based on their vices. (Hey, isn't that how the English took over Australia?)

- Or let's pretend it's a map of some fascinating disease that's slowly killing off everyone over 18.

- Or what if it wasn't a national map, but instead a map of school homerooms and cliques? Cliques aligned by sinful proclivities could be fun.

- Or for middle-grade kids, what if it was a government map used to identify geniuses of all sorts for their program to populate Mars?

My point, and I do have one somewhere, is that things that make us say, "Wow, cool," can be worked into manuscripts that will make other people say, "Wow, cool."

Update: Here's that link to the map.

Freelancing: turning ideas into productivity

If you're a freelancer, you know that the lack of structure can be one of the hardest parts of the job. Ritu over at Freelancefolder.com has some concrete suggestions for turning an idea into an actual product:

• Generate ideas
• Eliminate ideas
• Set goals
• Make a to-do list
• Manage your time
• Develop a "productivity strategy"
• Take appropriate actions

To find out more about each step, read the whole post.

Interestingly, the same steps also apply to the act of creating children's literature. In my experience, the big difference is the amount of time it takes to get paid (8 years and counting).

Kirby Larson interviews Karen Cushman

Do NOT miss Kirby's interview with the award-winning novelist Karen Cushman.

Here's a heartening quote:

Sometimes I can feel the rightness of various bits and pieces, snippets of dialogue or characters, and I have this warm feeling of well being. But I find it hard to see and judge the whole. That's where a great editor comes in.

Read the rest here.

An interesting view on creativity

Martha Mihalick, an adorable associated editor at Greenwillow Books, had an interesting blog post. Here's an excerpt:

In one of my (long ago) college critical theory classes, we talked about the idea of all authors having an antenna that is always on, always picking up signals from the wider world. This has always stuck with me. Authors have finely tuned observational powers, which always astonish me, and sometimes they are able to observe more than what they can see/hear/smell/taste/touch. Sometimes their observations stretch into that cloud. That’s how some elements and themes can end up in a work even when the author may not consciously intend it. And how there are certain themes that a number of different authors end up writing about at the same time. The most noticed recent example is probably the Kristin Cashore and Suzanne Collins books. Graceling and The Hunger Games both had characters with similar names (Katsa and Katniss), who had to confront killing other characters in the course of their stories. And now, the companion/sequel to each has the word “fire” in it. It’s odd coincidences like these that make me believe in the cloud.

Read the rest.