Ever Onwards

Hey there blog readers,

It's been about two weeks since the conference, and I am just starting to feel settled back into normal life. Two days of jury duty didn't exactly help, but, regardless, it does alway takes a bit of time for me to readjust and remember where I left off. Since then, I've resumed work on my picture book project and have started fleshing out a few new ideas (that came out of the conference) for books.

As I've said in past posts, the conferences themselves can be both inspiring and overwhelming. When I finally board the train back to Brooklyn, I leave the conference center with my head spinning. It takes some time to filter all of the advice, the comments, and the new ideas and integrate them into my work. However, the SCBWI conferences consistently leave me wanting to keep working and striving towards making even better books and illustrations.

I showed this new piece in my portfolio, and I thought I'd share it. Thought it's a nugget of an idea for a longer story, it feels appropriate and relevant to what I'm talking about. Because now—post-conference—I'm taking the comments from the professionals with whom I spoke and from my peers, and I'm forging ahead, trying to do the thing I love best in the world. Ever onwards, ever upwards.