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Happy new year from all of us at SCBWI! I hope everyone had a good slide into the new year and that 2023 is off to a great start for you. Here’s a question—do you make new year’s resolutions? Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t, but I always have complicated feelings around them.
This year, instead of just setting my goals and getting to work, I’m thinking about sustainability and inspiration. What nurtures us and keeps us going? What allows us to make choices and set objectives from a place of abundance and positivity? Creative work is a marathon and no matter where we are in our creative careers, we all need to keep our cups full so we can keep creating our very best work.
Whenever my cup starts to feel empty, I dig into my memories of inspiring creators I’ve learned from through SCBWI. Some of these memories are from real-life conversations, some are from notes I’ve scribbled down while attending virtual events, but they all contain the spark of inspiration I need to fill my cup.
Today I’m thinking about the last time I saw Tomie dePaola. I was visiting him in his art studio/barn in New Hampshire, and we were getting ready to say goodbye. I had spent the day in quiet awe, roaming around the art studio, looking at the way he arranged his paints, brushes, and markers. I noticed all the special little shelves and corners where he had placed religious, spiritual, and folk art figurines, and a special chair where he liked to meditate. Inside his home, he had pointed out a woven basket on the floor of his bedroom that was brimming with colorful scarves, each knotted up the same perfect way.
As I got on my coat, Tomie told me something he learned from his former teacher and mentor, Ben Shahn. He told me that being an artist isn’t just about the “art” you create on paper or canvas. To be an artist, you must live your whole life as an artist. Try to find beauty and inspiration in everything you do. When you cook, when you get dressed, when you arrange your nightstand. If you make and discover beauty all around you, you will always have the inspiration to create.
In our SCBWI community of around 23,000 children’s book creators around the world, we have a common thread—we are all creators. Artists! Some of us with words, or pictures, or both. This year, I wish for you a 2023 filled with everyday beauty and inspiration, a full cup, and the community to share it with.
Sarah Baker, Executive Director
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