Here are some conference notes and impressions, from A to Z:

Aspire. Aspire to reach your goals and dreams in kid lit. In her closing speech, Newbery-winning author, Susan Patron, recalled what it was like to sit in the audience. She attended conferences as a “writer disguised as a librarian.” She had me thinking: What are my true aspirations? We’re served heaps of wisdom during the conference, but certain words and phrases stick with us, help us turn a corner. Susan gave a quote about “the clear-eyed truth”: Writing can be compared to “hanging by a thread sprung out of your own guts.” Wow. To which she added: “If you use your very guts to spit out the very finest book you can, call Sue Patron.” It’s a deal.

Books. Read a lot of Books. Read Books in the genre(s) you write. I steered clear of the SCBWI bookstore until the third day of the conference. When I got there, I was like a chocaholic at a chocolate factory! I ended up shlepping a fair number of books home but that’s okay. I have enough books to keep me happily reading through fall. (I need another book shelf though.)

Craft. Workshops focused on the craft of writing in all genres–humor, mass market, graphic novels and more. From Mac McCool, I learned about France’s long-standing tradition in “Comix Albums.” I also heard that Japanese manga is quickly turned-around because it is produced by whole studios of artists. Graphic novel works by individuals take longer. Maus by Art Speigelman took 10 years to produce. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi took 5 years.

Dig. As in “Dig in.” Best-selling author Margaret Peterson Haddix’s words. Margaret shared her journey as a writer, signifying the importance of focus.

Editors. Editors have similar concerns as writers, according to a panel of editors at the Pro-Track Luncheon. They worry about how their email sounds–whether they’ve offended an author, etc. Sure. Rolling up your sleeves and meeting deadlines is important. But prompt, friendly emails will earn you extra points.

Fresh. Fresh take on topics. Fresh illustration styles. What editors and agents want.

Gala, Golden Kite Awards & Giggles.

Paint-the-Town-Red Gala… What a Blast! SCBWI sure knows how to throw a party! Plenty of food and drink, great DJ, dancing, plus a costume contest! I dressed in red as an “Artist.” (I got carried away with the red make-up!). I ran into fun-loving fellow Blueboarders, Cindy and Christy…

I met my statuesque crit friend, Laura, from the Poet’s Garage.

For my “outfit,” I fashioned a fake bag with two reddish paintings of “LA town.” Each side featured an LA image–the “Hollywood letters” and the palm trees of Sunset Blvd. I included the SCBWI kite, of course.

Golden Kite Awards presentations and luncheon. Enjoyed the conversation and camaraderie. Heard some wonderful speeches by the winners. I loved Bay Area author/illustrator Yuyi Morales‘ animated finale. Here’s a photo snapped with her after she signed her Golden Kite Award-winning picture book, Little Night.

Now about the Giggles… Executive Director of SCBWI, Lin Oliver, is a sharp, funny and cool-headed MC. She co-writes the humorous Hank Zipzer series with Henry Winkler. So, we had no idea Lin had a “problem” with giggling, until she told us (and even better–demonstrated). Lin’s teachers would actually send her out of the classroom for giggling (!)

This happened during the last conference session: A woman interrupts Lin at the podium. The lady has something important to say, so she walks up to Lin, chitchats and returns to her seat. Lin says into the mic: “You want me to announce what?!” Turns out the woman lost a shoe ornament! Lin asks the lady stand. The lady’s face is beet red and I’m thinking: All this for a shoe ornament? Well, I’m not alone. Lin starts to…

Giggle. The crowd giggles. Even Steve Mooser, President of the SCBWI, is wiping his eyes and giggling. It was pure fun watching Lin Oliver’s giggling girl in action. So glad the giggling girl made it to the conference.

Lin Oliver signs a copy of her Hank Zipzer book :-).

Heroes. “Kids need heroes,” said prolific author, Bruce Coville, in his opening talk, “That’s how they create themselves.” Indeed, the writer creates heroes through story. How’s that for noble responsiblity?

Inspiration. This was freely distributed in large doses for four days straight.

Jobs. Aside from performing the self-imposed job of writing, having a “daytime job” and interests beyond writing is a plus, according to editors and agents. Being well-rounded is good. Of course, having a job also helps pay the bills!

Knowledge. Top reason for attending the conference, right? You go for the knowledge, but stay for the motivation. This conference didn’t disappoint.

Love. Beyond the love of writing and love of books. In her Golden Kite acceptance speech, Sara Pennypacker quoted E.B. White: “Each book is a love letter to humanity,” with which she asked, “So, if it’s written in love, then why hold back?”

Marketing & Media. Industry pros shared thoughts and insights on media and market trends that might impact children’s publishing. There was mention of cross-platform publishing, purchase of “properties” as opposed to manuscripts, Kindle and e-books. Note to Self: Learn more about the new media proposals and deals. Keep informed.

Network. The conference offers a chance to meet industry pros and make connections. Meeting fellow writers and illustrators is always a joy. Be it new friends, old friends. Here are Christa, Laura, Stephanie and Cooper–having fun at the Gala.

I also ran into a few folks from the Blueboards, the children’s lit message board at www.VerlaKay.com : Cynthea Liu (with her cute baby girl), Jay (who signed his book!), Linda Joy Singleton, Stephblake24, AngelaF (congrats on winning the costume contest!) and the incomparable Verla Kay, herself!

Open. As in having an Open Mind. Judging from the panel discussions on career and market trends, the value of keeping an open mind while staying true to one’s aspirations cannot be over-emphasized. Learn. Watch trends. Respond to editorial feedback. Agent and editors alike say, “Keep open.”

Plan. Agent, Micheal Bournet of Dystel and Goderich Literary Management, uttered this word to a room full of right-brainers. Michael advises that we create a plan (using our left brain!) and follow that plan to success. His workshop, titled “Building a Career for the Long Haul,” offered a lot of practical gems.

Quirky. Quirky is hot. “Emerging” author & quirky illustrator, Adam Rex, gave an entertaining and informative presentation. Several agents and editors expressed interest in quirky themes or styles. But here’s a caveat: Quirky ought to be your style. (See Voice.) Be yourself. That’s the underlying message. The marketplace caters to a variety of perspectives. Find an agent, editor or house that matches your style.

Remembrance. The 2008 SCBWI Summer Conference is dedicated to the memory of author, Sue Alexander (1934-2008). Her influence, talent and dedication, as the first member helped grow SCBWI into the world-wide organization it is today.

Senses. Bruce Coville, in his opening speech, said: “Bring the reader inside the story through the senses.” He suggested that we note how many senses we’re engaging in our MS.

Today. Today’s stories for today’s kids. What tickles their interest? What worries or concerns them? Today’s market: Brush up on market trends but also look deeper. This message echoed throughout the speeches and talks.

Universal. As in Universal theme. My goal with a certain MS based on a personal story. My conference consultation was just what I wanted: an honest evaluation of my piece. My author consultant gave helpful feedback. I was so pleased to get affirmation of the Universal theme(s) in my story. Yay! Now, on to revision no. 99! (just kidding…I mean no. 98. )

Voice. Veteran editor, Krista Marino moderated a panel of emerging editors and said that every editor has their own Voice. Something to keep in mind. Lin Oliver had this question for the panelists: “Plot or Voice?” All agreed that Voice was the “correct” or “best” answer. Gretchen Hirsch said she wanted “page turners.” However, Nancy Consecu maintained that while she can help a writer improve Plot, she can’t “make” a writer have Voice.

Write. Write up to kids. In her closing speech, Susan Patron quoted E.B. White (he was quoted a lot): “Anyone who writes down to children is simply wasting his [or her] time. You have to write up, not down. Children are demanding…”

Xtras. (This spelling is a stretch but…) “Xtras” can’t be beat! The Century Plaza Hyatt was great and close to a mall with a first-rate food court, grocery store and great selection of restaurants. On Sunday, Brazilian eatery had samba dancing (for everyone) just outside its doors. My writing pal and I couldn’t resist. We danced a bit of samba, working up an appetite for Pan Asian food at the newly opened restaurant, Rock Sugar.

Samba on a Sunday! Photo by Laura Elliott.

YOUth. We were reminded to keep in touch our youthful audience, as well as, listen to our own “inner youth”!

Zest. Zesty! My mind was fed. Now, my heart is aflutter with renewed Zest for kid lit. Happy writing! Happy illustrating!

Here’s the Front:

And the Back:

I made these hearts for an online contest to win an ARC (advanced reading copy) of David Macinnis Gill’s upcoming YA book, SOUL ENCHILADA. (Crossing my fingers for the ARC and mystery gift!)

If you want to join the contest, you have until July 31st.

Here are David’s instructions for entering:

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1. Create your own candy heart at http://www.cryptogram.com/hearts/. Your heart can say anything you’d like. You are not limited to phrases from the ARC (since you haven’t read it).

2. Copy and paste this entire post–as well as the image of your candy heart–on your blog, Facebook, MySpace, website, etc.

3. Once you’ve completed #3, email me at davidmacinnisgill AT gmail.com with the link to your post. Voila! You’re entered in the giveaway.

4. The contest will be judged by three teen readers based on the criteria of originality, design, and message. The contest closes July 31st.

5. The prize is a personalized, signed ARC and a special gift, TDB by the judges. The winner will be contacted via email. Her/his name and winning entry candy heart will be posted on my lj blog, as well as my home site DavidMacinnisGill.com

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Fun contest… and clever promo!

Now Hear This… Kira Willey, my uber-talented musician client, sings her original song, COLORS, in a recent Dell commercial. COLORS hails from Kira’s award-winning debut album Dance for the Sun (Dec 2006) featuring 13 songs written, composed and sung by Kira and her musical family and friends. The album CD package was designed and illustrated by yours truly.

Dance for the Sun is sheer delight. Really. The tracks kept me juiced with inspiration as I worked on the art. Though it’s filled with original songs and yoga fun geared toward children and families, many of the songs have universal appeal. Not a surprise that COLORS was picked for the Dell ad.

Kira’s full recording and video of COLORS can be found here.

Two clown friends of mine, Natasha and Jamie, had a beautiful, touching and funny wedding at the Julia Morgan Theater in Berkeley last month. They delighted us with professional circus artisty, a lively cast of performers, stories and laughs.

Because they had a small, private wedding ceremony last year, Natasha and Jamie decided to celebrate their union in a big way this year. What better way than to round up their circus and musician buds and perform for family and friends? All silliness and showmanship aside, the ceremony was heart-warming–a true celebration of love.

The photo above depicts a dazzling aerial duet performed by friends of N&J to the song Loving You, sung in a sweet a cappella by Natasha.

Natasha and Jamie exchange clown noses with Pyglet at their side.

Rubber chicken in hand, Jeff Raz, officiated. Ta Da! A happy, red-nosed couple flanked by a joyful wedding party ;-)!

Says Christian Siriano, winner of Project Runway, Season 4.

Highly skilled, talented, creative, blah, blah, blah, Christian’s sass and strong design sense made him a standout constestant. He’s the youngest winner so far on the popular American reality TV show.

I’ve watched Project Runway since it began. Season 1 and 4 are my favorites. I love watching the designers execute their ideas from start to finish. It’s not so different from illustrating– processing and problem-solving, that is.

This is my first Illustration Friday illo in months. I had fun creating this piece but I stayed up late (again). I drew it by hand with a brush-pen and touched it up digitally. I toyed around with other colors but found that lavender and black worked quite well for Christian. Whatcha think?

June almost slipped by without mention. Yes, it’s been a crazy busy month, however… I. Must. Blog. Especially since San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival’s 30th Anniversary was so fabulous. Read all about it here…um, one month later!

Na Lei Hulu (the group I dance with) joined a stellar line-up of Bay Area dance companies on opening weekend. We performed a world premiere production co-created and choreographed by Kumu Patrick Makuakane called Maui Turning Back the Sky. Check out critical reviews of the festival here and here.

While reviews offer insight into the audience experience, backstage is where you’ll find the pulse of the festival. Witness a vibrant community of dancers standing in the wings, clustering around a monitor and watching each other perform. Every fifteen minutes or so, they’ll rise to their feet, shaking hands in the air, in the sign language gesture of applause, as performers who’ve just completed their stint onstage, glide past. The buzz of opening weekend is a palpable mixture of excitement and nerves set to music. All flavors will be heard–voice, drums, strings, foot stomping, toe-tapping and more.

Minutes before final bow we posed with members of Abinaya Dance Company, Raices De Mi Tierra and Charya Burt Cambodian Dance Company (above photo). After the show, Ong Dance Company musicians and dancers, along with other groups, drummed up some impromptu fun (photo below).

Happy spring! I have LOTS to share. Here’s some stuff (and it’s only Tuesday!):

Nowadays, I’m painting away in my studio for a picture book project. It’s a whimsical, Hawaiiana picture book written by another author. The above image is a reference photo of a black spiny sea urchin shown in the picture book. This cool looking creature lives in tide pools and coral reefs around the Hawaiian islands. Another illos project I’m working on calls for humorous line-art for a niche market book written by a doctor in NYC. More about these projects when they’re done :-)!

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Spring cleaning. Whether or not you’re currently obsessing or soon-to-be obsessing with stuff from spring cleaning, watch this eye-opening film: The Story of Stuff. This animated film introduces a whole new paradigm shift on “stuff”–how we deal with it in our daily lives, locally and globally. Ever wonder where all the stuff we use comes from? Where it goes? Think you know? Watch the film. The story is told with humor–it’s essentially, edutainment, filled with surprising, if not, sobering factoids. I highly recommend it. Check out a few teasers here and here.

While the film depicts some brute, and perhaps shocking, realities of modern living, it offers a message of hope (thankfully) by the end of the film. The Story of Stuff site suggests how we can make a difference, listing action steps, resources and organizations.

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May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii
Garlands of flowers everywhere
All of the colors in the rainbow
Maidens with blossoms in their hair..
(Lyrics & Music © Leonard Hawk)

After May Day, then what? It’s Asian Pacific Heritage Month!

So, it’s only fitting that PBS will include a Pacific island, award-winning film this month, Na Kamalei, The Men of Hula, directed and produced by my hula sister, Lisette Marie Flannery, under her film production company, Lehua Films.

Several years ago, Lisette was in the middle of editing the film, flying back and forth between NY and Hawai’i, pushing to meet her deadline. Not only did Lisette make her deadline, but she went on to win the Audience Award, Best Documentary at the Hawai’i International Film Festival and the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, and the Emerging Director in Documentary Feature in the New York Asian American International Film Festival and more. {Yay, Lisette!}

The film documents Halau Na Kamalei’s hula journey, under the direction of Kumu Hula, Robert Cazimero, as they practice, prepare and compete in the premiere hula competition, The Merrie Monarch. FWIW, the halau I’m with, Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu is hula cousin to Na Kamalei. My kumu studied hula for many years under Kumu Robert, competing and performing with the group in a wide range of venues, including Merrie Monarch and Madison Square Gardens, NY.

Also check out PBS for info about Lisette, her film and show times in your area. In the Bay Area, the film is running today, Tuesday, May 6 and Saturday, May 10 on KQED, channel 9.

Stay tuned for more stuff as the week unfolds. Thanks for visiting!

This big doodad consists of a bunch of little doodads. It’s called a Victorian Strobe. I found it on a 2007 holiday gifts blog. Go there and read how useless this doodad really is or stay here, prop up your feet and peruse my happenings…

Group Show at MOCHA
Children’s Book Illustrators Once Upon A Time: Then and Now at Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA) will show from April 5 to May 31. View an original image from my book, THE SLEEPING GIANT, and a self-portrait I created when I was a teen.

MEET THE ARTISTS on Saturday, April 5, 2-4 PM. Come on down to Oaktown!

From the City of Oakland’s Calendar: Popular annual exhibit features the current work of children’s book illustrators alongside works created by the artists when they were children. See stories illuminated by some of today’s most innovative and exciting illustrators – and see what they were creating way back when!

Wicked Lovely Art Contest
Wicked Lovely author, Melissa Marr, held an art contest. I submitted my illustration of characters, Sasha and Donia on the first deadline, Winter Solstice. Now the contest’s been extended to Summer Solstice. A selection of current art can be viewed at Melissa’s site. Lots of teen talent there! Scroll down to peek at adult artwork, including mine. [see the artwork]

I’ve Been Listed…
…by author, Kim Norman. on her new Authors by State site. Now, if you or your nearest school want an author/illustrator to visit with the students for the day (wink, wink), you can search from a list of CA authors. Thanks, Kim! [my school visits]

Soup’s On!
Last month, I was fortunate to be interviewed by children’s book author Jama Rattigan on her blog, Alphabet Soup. Hope you’ll check it out. Jama asked great questions and posted a ton of pics. She even squeezed in my mom’s recipe for lumpia with my step-by-step photos. [go to interview]

Who are these guys?
They call themselves “Vampire Weekend” and they’re my current flavor of music. Don’t let their preppy looks fool you. These guys are fun! Their music keeps me dancing while I work. It’s an alternative-punk meets world-music vibe. Oh, did I say FUN? Ya gotta see the video. Once I figure out how to include YouTube clips on my site, I’ll add on. In the meantime, listen and watch them here.

What kind of music inspires your best work?

Hi there! I’m back :-). Although I’ve been AWOL from this blog, I can’t let March slide into oblivion without sharing a few snippets from the month:

• Traveled with Na Lei Hulu to Honolulu where we performed “Daughters of Haumea” at the Hawai’i Theatre (see the stage below), March 7 & 8. A theatrical hula production, choreographed and directed by Kumu Patrick Makuakane, Daughters is based on the award-winnng book of the same name, by Lucia Jensen and Natalie Mahina Jensen. Check out the pre-show press here and here. The shows were very well-attended and received. Haven’t seen any critical reviews but I’ve heard good feedback through the grapevine.

• Stayed in Honolulu a little longer, did some research (at UH Manoa Hamilton Library) and visited folks. I was able to hang out with my friend, author/illustrator, Scott Goto down at Waiola Shave Ice in Mo’ili’ili (my old neighborhood!) and I got to see his F&Gs for his upcoming book “The Perfect Sword.” Breathtaking stuff! Can’t wait until its release!

• Hopped over Long Beach, CA to perform “Daughters of Haumea” for another show run. We performed at the Carpenter Arts Center, March 14 & 15. The performances and atttendance went very well! We were reviewed by the OC Register which can be found here.

• I extended my LA experience with a visit to Pasadena to see friends, did a tad bit of research at several libraries, and headed over to the Getty Center Museum for a day. Wow, what a place!

I saw this…

this…

and this…

…and so much more.

The first image hints at the striking modern architecture of the Getty Center complex. Built on a plateau in the Santa Monica mountains, one feels uplifted and out of the realm of everyday life. It is an art-filled place, for all to enjoy (admission is free). IMHO, this place is way more magical than Disneyland!

The second photo depicts one of the many permanent pieces exhibited at the museum. I was able to view a collection of rare illuminated manuscripts, as well as, as the work of the Impressionists (the third image, a Van Gogh painting titled Irises), and a host of other works (including modern art, photography, and media installations).

• I visited the Getty Sketching Gallery in a little room on the second floor of the East Pavilion. Museum attendees are welcome to sketch from several artifacts and miniature sculptures. I was handed a large sheet of paper, drawing board and pencils and I set out to draw a sculpture of a Roman disc thrower. I added a chef’s hat, pizza and other fun details (see the image at the top of this post).

Sitting quietly and drawing was the perfect way for me to unwind–especially after two weekends of shows. Two thumbs up for the Getty Center from this gal!