Year: 2016

NESCBWI 2016: Springtime in Springfield!

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I just returned from the crazy, fun, and inspirational 2016 NESCBWI conference in Springfield, Mass. After missing it for a few years, it was fantastic to get back, reconnect with tons of friends, learn new some new stuff, meets tons of new people, and generally celebrate the kids book kingdom. It’s intense to be around that much creativity- and totally worth it. Here is a little phone-camera retrospective:

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I was SO PSYCHED to get my new postcards and business cards literally delivered as I was heading out the door. JUST in time!

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Who better than Jane Yolen to get the program rolling? She gave us some straight talk on the things we need to stay on top of in this industry.

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Fortune cookies were distributed, and I have to say, I got the best one. A sign? This one is spot on.

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Cute Class at RISD

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Recently, I taught a class at my alma mater, the Rhode Island School of Design. It was a class in their Continuing Education department on character design, focusing on THE CUTE ONES. Suffice it to say, this was right up my alley!

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I was a little nervous teaching this class. Not because of the subject matter, but because the students were adults, some of them quite accomplished artists already. That was kind of a new thing for me.

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But I needn’t have worried. Once we got into the swing of it, it was a blast. Everyone seems to have gotten something good out of it, and it was really fun to work interactively with a diverse group.

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This went so well, actually, that I am going to teach a six-week course on product concept and design this summer! Here’s hoping I’ll get another great group for that session- keep and eye out for it! I’ll post about it when I know the details.

IMG_3403 Thanks to my Cute Class students for making this such a great experience!