writing, drawing and trying to stay creative
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July 28, 2017
My last filling of creativity came from an impromptu visit to The 14th Factory in L.A. with my little brother. (Sure, he’s a head taller than me and has been for the past ten years, but “hermanito” will never change in my mind.) To my surprise, the art bug bit him not too long ago, and he’s been inspired to visit new art galleries and museums. I’m all for it, little bro! Even though we didn’t have much time, it was incredible to be surrounded by all the different forms of art- from walking through a dark tunnel and towards a spiraling, and somewhat disorienting web of human figures, to the hot, bright room of the interior of a mid-century bedroom, relaxing indoors on a field of grass and swings, and viewing paintings, drawings, videos and everything in between. The art was incredible and so diverse. It was really fun to catch up with my brother and be surrounded by all the intriguing, beautiful and sometimes dark and haunting artwork displayed at The 14th Factory. We left feeling content and inspired, having quenched our thirst for art after a couple of hours being drawn into it. I think this exhibit of The 14th Factory is closed now, we caught it on the last day, but here’s the website to keep up with future exhibits. http://the14thfactory.com/ It’s so important to expose ourselves to all different kinds of creativity, even if what we’re looking at has nothing to do with what we’re creating. There’s a certain kind of energy and indescribable emotion that exudes from being in the presence of someone else’s creative expression. Be open, get lost in it, and let the creativity cup fill to the brim. Have you been anywhere inspiring lately? How do you fill your creative cup?
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July 2017
The SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrator’s) LA Conference was held early July, and I had no idea what I was getting into, in the best way possible. When I started on the path into the kidlit world, there was a list of things I had to do to get the best start. One of the most important was joining SCBWI to immerse myself in the children’s book world. Luckily, I dipped my toe in this world when I attended the regional meet-up earlier this year because otherwise I would’ve been completely overwhelmed by the event that was the huge L.A. conference. The weekend was packed with inspirational keynote speakers, informative break-out talks by authors, agents and editors in the industry, and brunch with children’s writer and legend Judy Blume! The days were filled with so much inspiration, I hardly knew what to do with myself. I was constantly torn between attending one talk over the other at the same time, both sounding equally intriguing. But I think the best part of all was meeting all the wonderful people I had connected with online through my children’s book writing class. I spent my days learning from my instructor and "fairy godmother", Dr. Mira Reisberg, and eagerly sitting in on talks and sharing ideas with my book pals Emily, Jodi and Bryan. It was so surreal to meet my book friends in person after sharing my stories and ideas with them for months online. I found my tribe! The Silver Linings social on Saturday night was really something to experience, with writers and artists dancing, mingling enjoying the appetizers and snacks galore. The drinks flowed and the ice-cream sundaes called my name. I even spotted my kidlit hero, author and illustrator Jon Klassen (but did not give in to my fan impulses this time- next time Jon Klassen, next time). This was kidlit heaven! Of all the speakers who shared their wisdom and experiences with us (and all of them were so amazing), there were two in particular that really struck a chord with me. Opening keynote speaker Vanessa Brantley Newton and break-out session speaker Leuyen Pham. Newton spoke with an emotion that connected with the audience. Her story of perseverance and unrelenting will was so touching and inspiring to hear. And I hope her story about the goat falling into the well and the words of, “Shake it off and pack it under” will resonate with me when I’m struggling to push through on my creative journey. Pham is a magical unicorn all her own. She’s illustrated an incredible number of books, and hearing her process absolutely blew my mind. How does she illustrate more than one book at a time and maintain her sanity while raising her young children? This woman is an illustrating machine! Regardless, it was reassuring to hear her speak about her experiences of illustrating, searching for inspiration, and realizing that even though she’s extremely talented, she’s also very, very hard-working. I am a big fan, Leuyen! When I first told my husband I would be attending the SCBWI conference, he was so supportive, and in Renaldo fashion, could probably see how taken I would be, even more so than I did at the time. I’ve caught the kidlit bug and it’s not letting me go! I came home from each full day at the conference, lit up with energy and newly inspired, though exhausted. I hope I remember this feeling. It was incredible to live in a kidlit bubble for one fulfilling weekend. And even though this event has come and gone, I’ll return to the memories again and again to keep me going on this kidlit journey. There is always next year, and perhaps the Winter Conference in New York to look forward to! My creative cup is now full. |
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