Tuesday, February 16, 2016

The 2016 New York SCBWI Conference!

Hello everyone! I'm back from New York (landed late last night) and have to send out an initial warning: this is going to be a long post, as I try to write in my jet-lagged state. Please forgive any errors or omissions from this post as I know I will have left someone/something out very unintentionally.

As this was my first ever "big" SCBWI conference, and my 2nd time to New York (my last trip was in the very early 90's), I knew I was in for a complete treat and I wanted to soak up every detail and experience to the fullest so I decided to not focus on social media for the weekend. The only "commitment" (which admitedly I did not do very well) was tweet! I must say, I am so glad I tweeted a bit, and posted one Instagram post for if it were not for that, I would not have met some of the most wonderful people!

So here we go! I'm "bulleting" my thoughts to hopefully make things a little easier to find should you wish to check out any of the links I'll be adding (check 'em out if you have a chance) -
New York - what an incredible setting. The taxi drive into the city was beautiful as the city came upon me. The excitement after a long flight was building. I loved the Grand Hyatt hotel..the room was spacious and contemporary..and you can't beat the location, so wonderful to be connected to the historic Grand Central Terminal! Besides being artic-ly cold (in the single digits!), I thoroughly enjoyed the Big Apple.



• Community: I was blown away by everyone.. honest, generous, sincere, cool, witty, hilarious, awesome, encouraging, warm & welcoming, self-deprecating, crazy, and down-to-earth..these are just a few words to describe so many people I met or listened to this weekend.

Along with panel discussions and presentations by some of the industry's biggest stars, our focus that day was on career longevity and planning.
• The conference panel discussions, breakout workshops, and keynotes, kept me writing and writing in my notebook. Great information about the state of the industry, perspectives and advice.
• The Portfolio Showcase was 200+ strong. Some truly wonderful work!

• The wonderful presentations by Sophie Blackall,


were fantastic as they gave perspectives about their personal careers and paths to publishing as well as their thoughts about how to keep you working during the lulls in your career. Their commitment to their craft was incredible..research time and energy, and then execution of their efforts is what makes them the top-of-the-top in the industry. It was incredibly inspiring.
Lin Oliver was quite witty and smart and so enjoyable to listen to each day! Her "fireside chat" with the acclaimed author Rainbow Rowell was a highlight and made me want to read, read, read!

• Nancy Siscoe, Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, gave a great breakout regarding "Finding Your Unique Voice"
 
• Author April Halprin Wayland read her story, "More Than Enough", illustrated by Katie Kath during lunch...it was wonderful and a great little respite from the buzz of the conference..thanks April!
 
• It was a treat to listen in my 2nd breakout to Elizabeth (Liz) Bicknell of Candlewick Press speak about picturebook text. It was great to hear her speak about some of the greats for her house, Jon Klassen, Carson Ellis (I won her beautiful book, Home, in a raffle at the Illustrator Intensive...woot!), and the upcoming book, Toby, by the incredibly talented Hazel Mitchell. I can't wait!

 
The next day, thank you's were made to the incredible group of people who made the SCBWI Winter Conference possible...thank you everyone, it was SO well organized and executed, and the coffee and bagels were aplenty!

The renowned Jane Yolen gave the award for the two winners of her Mid-List Award:

 This year's Bologna competition winners were announced:

 Past Student Illustrator Conference Scholarship winners were highlit:
 and the 2016 winners were announced:
 
This year's Tomie dePaola Awards were announced:



 and finally, the Portfolio Showcase winners and honors were awarded:




We were treated to a keynote by Author, Rita Williams-Garcia, titled "Dos and Dont's in Children's Publishing from a Definite Don't"

and unfortunately I wasn't able to attend the rest of the conference or autograph session due to my travel schedule. Oh how I wish I could've gotten autographs for many of the books I purchased at the bookstore:

I had an incredible time at the conference filled with great moments that I know I will continue to remember more and more as the days and week go by. I took from this event two powerful things and that is that
#1) STORY is king..first and foremost. Paul Zelinsky's quote (you'll find it below) resonated with me, as did Dan Yaccarino's visit to the SF Illustrator day many years ago did as well, which is "why do you want to do this?" "Why is this book relevant?" Paul's quote is that it's not about you (the author/illustrator/publisher), it's about IT (the story). Yes.

and
#2, the people you "meet" online are indeed REAL! Meeting those who've I've admired and followed and enjoyed on social media for years in REAL LIFE was one of THE BEST things about the conference experience. To turn around and have a discussion, a "hello", a hug, or share a meal with someone you've known only through social media, well all I can say is WOW..it was incredibly rewarding and simply a beautiful thing. Beyond meeting those I've "known", getting to meet others in this industry, writers, illustrators, industry experts, and more, it was an awesome experience and I will forever remember this experience.

I'll leave you with the pre-conference prep work, printed postcards and business cards and pins, and some new pieces from the portfolio. I'm really happy that I was able to create 6 new pieces and share most of them in the book. If anything, I gathered very valuable feedback, some incredibly kind and generous feedback, and the knowledge that I was able to push myself to work towards a final body to represent myself at the event. I didn't give up and learned some wonderful techniques as I created the pieces..that is incredibly valuable on this journey. I'll also leave you with some inspiring quotes from the conference..yet another incredible body of information to reflect upon in the coming year as I continue working on my craft and stories. Hope they help you in your quest to make wonderful books!
Pre-conference prep: A whirlwind of a few weeks, and I have to thank my husband and daughters first and foremost for their patience with me as I was a bit of a mess before the conference trying to prep for the portfolio showcase that I almost didn't participate in. PSprint.com did a great job printing my new business cards and postcards as well.

This past month or so I have been finalizing color illustrations for a second book by Magination Press, and so with not much time left to prep for the conference, I decided to simply to create as many pieces as possible before the trip. This was probably not the best idea as how possibly could that be any good work, right? But, I knew that I wanted to push myself. I sometimes feel that given that hard deadline and the ability to say that the point of the process was for me to create, gave me this extra energy to think, sketch, execute in a manner that I only have done once before and that was before the most recent SCBWI event I attended, the Illustrator Day at the Fort Mason in Sept. 15.

I recently watched a wonderful online video by Lee White, titled Visual Storytelling Techniques from Will Terry's Society of Visual Storytelling's site. It was something I've been needing to help me craft new work with the techniques in mind, and I can't wait to learn and grow in this manner as I continue in illustration. After the tutorial, I thought, "Wow, what if I focus on "storytelling" in my new portfolio of work?" and so I started sketching concepts specifically for my first piece so that I could take it to the printers for new postcards and such. 

My work turned to "storytelling" and storytellers and so, with that, here is the final postcard:

front

back
 I thought that since I was printing purely for the conference takeaways, that I should just use up all of the space, front and back, for illustration..and so I hope that it tells a story..did I succeed?

I also had some business cards printed, and my daughters helped me put together a few buttons to hand out as well....


This little piggy is writing...and rewriting...

This is not quite the story-teller image, but more of a continuation of a real story I have been tinkering with...

Little Hopkins the fox is reading about his famous relative..another story I've been tinkering with.


So long from Grand Central Terminal!


Some notable quotes:

"Go out and hustle a bit..you are the driver of your career!" - William Joyce
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"Getting a good review in the NY Times doesn't make a big difference." - William Joyce
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"Winnie the Pooh, by E.H. Shepard - the illustrations drew me in and I loved that book." - Sophie Blackall
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"Keep busy." (referring to the time between working on books, and in this reference was to her blog illustrations for Missed Connections, which then led to the book itself) - Sophie Blackall 
"Be connected to the community such as visiting sites like: The Niblings, A Fuse #8 ProductionSeven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, 100 Scope Notes, All the Wonders, Nerdy Book Club, and Design of the Picture Book." - Sophie Blackall
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"Take risks, take leaps, people will begin to trust you, be nice to everybody." - Sophie Blackall
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"To improve your writing, find other writers (authors) whom you love, and read." - Sophie Blackall
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"Put your colors on your palette in the same place all of the time (meaning, don't switch places), as that way you don't have to find them (making it easier and more of an innate motion to paint)." - James Ransome
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"Flex your muscles by illustrating scenes with lots of buildings or crowds. Give more and put as much effort as possible into each and every piece of work you do." - James Ransome
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"I was the strange guy who sat in the kid's section of the bookstore and read children's books." - Mike Curato 

~
"To journeys!" - Mike Curato 
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"Don't be afraid to break the rules" - Paula Wiseman
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"Persistance and adaptability."- Holly McGhee
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"Be that person who sits in the kid's section of the bookstore and read children's books." - Paula Wiseman
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"Harry Bliss wanted to move his work to children's books and went to the library every night and studied five picture books..he did this tirelessly." - Holly McGhee
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"It's not about you (the illustrator or author), it's not about them (publishers/editors/ADs), it's about it (the book/story)." - Paul O. Zelinsky
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"Let your hand be the work." - Holly McGhee
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"Don't think about the next book deal (focus on the book at hand)." - Paul O. Zelinsky
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On advice to those embarking on a career in illustration:
"Rule out the possibility of doing anything else." - Holly McGhee
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"Don't quit your day job before you've moved into the field with steady bookwork." - Paul O. Zelinsky
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"Get to know the history of children's picture books and illustrators." - Paul O. Zelinsky
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"Crippling self-doubt..it's common and reassuring that it's part of the process for everybody." - Peter Brown
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On age in the industry: "It doesn't matter at all. Beverly Cleary is going to be 100 on 4/9/16."- Laurent Linn and Paul Zelinsky
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"Every single one of you brings something to the table no one else does." - Cecilia Yung
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"It's the best time to be in children's books." - Jean Feiwel
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"Write for that audience. If you're writing for a 6-year old, know a 6-year old..talk with a 6-year old..get to know that audience and write what you believe in." - M. Loehr

Well, it's crazy late...I took a bit of a break to catch up with my girls and take them to see Kung Fu Panda 3..(I highly recommend it!) so until next time! Thank you SO much for surviving this long read. I hope you all are doing well and have enjoyed a bit of this post! 
I had an extremely rewarding time in New York. Thank you SCBWI and my family for putting up with me!  ~ Shirley

27 comments:

  1. Shirley, thank you so much for this thorough post about your conference experience!! I especially love all the quotes you've taken the time to include - so much inspiration! I am so glad you had such fun!! Get some rest now! :)

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    1. Aw, Dow! It's my pleasure..I tried my best to absorb it all at the conference and it is really something I like to do when I return which is to document it and share. I'm hopeful the information is interesting and inspiring to all of you, too! I definitely am still catching up on my rest..but I'm inspired to get crackin' on writing now. Thanks again for taking the time to read the post!! Hope all is well and you're pushing along nicely on that wonderful project of yours!

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    1. Sansu, it's my pleasure! I hope you've been well!

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  3. What an amazing post, Shirley! So much information and inspiration here. I love your list of quotes at the end, and loved seeing your pre-conference prep. I'm going to bookmark this page and and people to it! So great seeing you Saturday - - really fun. Thanks for meeting up even though it was so last minute!!

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    1. :) You are so cool, Melissa, thanks SO much. The quotes are the inspiration aren't they? I got so much out of the Illustrator Intensive when the presentations were going and I'm glad I jotted them down. Reading them now and throughout the year will definitely keep me on track. It was AWESOME to spend time with you and meeting with you to trek in the cold was absolutely cool. It couldn't have been better..thank you so much for your generosity!! Hugs to you!

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  5. Hi Shirley, thank you for sharing this amazing trip! As others have commented, there is so much to read and learn from all that you have shared. The post is so inspiring and rich. I also love the quotes that you shared. This is an exciting and worthy entry.

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  6. Awww Shirley what an amazing write up from your incredible visit. I loved that your room mate was Bethanie! I met her on line from blogging, how super you met her for real. Your little business cards are just soooo beautiful, I still adore your art work...to me it sings my childhood back to me. I loved seeing your selfie at the station...we visited New York in 2003...it is such a cool city. Great to read your post tonight. Take care xx

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    1. OH mygosh, Jane! Bethanie is a gem! I'm so glad that you know her online..someday I hope you get to meet her as she's as lovely as she is online, if not moreso, and so funny too! Thank you again for all of your wonderful support through the years, though I am amiss so much of the time without visiting your blog, know that I am SO happy when you visit and am so grateful that we're connected online..love your wonderful work too! You take care and I hope you get to enjoy NY sometimes soon. That's a rare pic I'll share, but I'm glad you got to spy me! :) HA! You're so kind!

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  7. Awww Shirley what an amazing write up from your incredible visit. I loved that your room mate was Bethanie! I met her on line from blogging, how super you met her for real. Your little business cards are just soooo beautiful, I still adore your art work...to me it sings my childhood back to me. I loved seeing your selfie at the station...we visited New York in 2003...it is such a cool city. Great to read your post tonight. Take care xx

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  8. Fantastic post, with lots of gems throughout.

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    1. OH Emma, thank you SO much..it was such a pleasure to relive the conference by posting this...and such a wonderful event to finally get to speak with you in person, I've been such a fan for years!

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  9. It was great hanging out a bit with you, Shirley. And what a great post - love the quotes.

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    1. Roxie, do you know that you put the cherry on top of a wonderful long weekend? I thank you and Bo so very much for your gracious and warm hospitality..I couldn't have been more happy to meet and speak with you both in person. It was awesome! And great!! I'm glad you enjoyed some of these inspiring tidbits from such talents in the field. I should have quoted you, as well!! Take good care!

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  10. Great post! Thank you so much for sharing. I hope to get to NY next winter!

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    1. Eileen! You are so welcome and I do hope you get to the conference next year, you're in for such a giant treat!!

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  11. Thank you for sharing your experience! I've bookmarked this post so I can come back again and re-read it many times. It was wonderfully generous of you to put together such a full post; I almost feel like I was there too!

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    1. Awww, that is so kind, Laurie, and no problem at all. I often reflect after this kind of event and need to write and document..it definitely helps to reinforce some of the information I was soaking in and I'm glad you found it useful to bookmark! It was super fun sharing and I hope you get to make it to one of the conferences in the future!

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  12. OK Shirley, I'm going to have to read this in sections and jsut finished the first few paragraphs. I love your description of the people--self deprecating is so lovely tooo see these days too along with people being truly caring. It all soudns soo incredible as you say. Truly. I will need more time to read the rest of this so will likely be back here with more comments as able. :) So glad you had such a thrilling time though. Sounds perfect. I would love that.

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    1. Michael, many thanks for your visit! I know I can be so verbose sometimes..thanks for slogging it out and definitely come back here and again if you have time. I had a super time in NY! You and Alexandra should attend one of these quite soon..you'll find immediate comraderie with those in the industry and I'll know you'll make some wonderful connections with yours and Alexandra's wonderful work!

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  13. BTW, I absolutely adore your illustrations you included for us to see here too. I'm sure peeps were very impressed!

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    1. You are SO SO very kind..thanks so much Michael! I think people enjoyed those buttons! So glad my kiddos helped me with them. :)

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  14. This is lovely, Shirley. Thoughtful and interesting. I was so glad to meet you in person there! What a fun conference!

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    1. Ruth! SO wonderful to meet and speak with you for a bit..wish there was more time! I wish you all the best this year..I love your work and I know you've got some great projects coming up! Will need to connect again at another conference..yes, it sure was fun!

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  15. So much packed in to this, Shirley, I am inspired all over again! Good stuff.

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  16. Awesome, awesome, awesome write up of an incredible trip! Wowwww, so inspiring! And lucky you. William Joyce is one of my idols. Your calling cards are absolutely gorgeous! They would certainly capture my eye and imagination. Thank you so much for reporting on the event. It's the next best thing to being there.

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