Off to B'ham!

     I leave for the SCBWI Southern Breeze Fall Conference in Birmingham, Alabama tomorrow. Now you may ask, why would anybody voluntarily go to Birmingham, Alabama? (I have lots of family from there - I'm allowed to say that.) Well, to learn new things, meet great people, get some valuable feedback, and most of all - to be inspired.
     I was an attendee at this conference two years ago, now I'll be giving the "Nuts and Bolts" talk and doing several portfolio reviews.
     This will be the third time I've given this talk now, so I'm pretty comfortable with it. I basically hand over five years of research in one inconspicuous handout. It's overwhelming, and I imagine most people won't recognize it for the treasure it is. In it are links and information that I dug for during my years of research into how this business works, how to get published, and most importantly, how to be the best writer/illustrator you can be. I would have loved this information when I was starting out.
     I love giving this talk. It's part of that whole "pay it forward" mentality, although I'm paying it backwards. I've had so many kind people help me along the way and share good information. If I can keep that flow of positivity going, that makes me very happy.
     I'm traveling with fellow illustrator Liz Conrad and I'm sure we're going to have a great time. She's very cool.
     I'll report back at the end of the weekend (and what I imagine will be a much needed nap).