SCBWI

Creatively speaking, the first few years after I graduated art school were terrible. I was desperately trying to find my way in my field, and doing temp work for barely any pay in the meantime...just to survive. I felt so isolated from other artists - all my art school friends were miles and miles away. I was sorely lacking any feeling of community. Not to mention a solid critique. Your family looking over your painting and stating, "That's nice." is simply not going to cut it. I needed solid criticism and suggestions from another artist's eye. But the art pulse in NH felt to me as if it had flat lined. Dead. I couldn't find "the scene" or any scene, for that matter. I started to wonder if I was the only artist in the entire state. You might as well have dropped me off in the desert.

Even back then, I was an avid National Public Radio junkie. NHPR was on all the time. In the car, in the house. I honestly don't think I could live without the radio on. I'm still that way. (If anything, I've just gotten worse!) One night, on the very long drive home from another miserable day of temp work, I was listening to the (now retired) NHPR show "On The Front Porch" and heard an interview with the illustrator John Stadler:

Of course any interview with any illustrator was going to grab my attention and keep it. And here was a published children's book illustrator...IN MY STATE! During the interview he stated, "In New Hampshire and Vermont, there must be the highest per capita children's book population in the world. We have picnics three times a day, then we feel much better and we go back to work." In the interview, he went on to say that he couldn't leave his house without bumping into a fellow illustrator or children's book writer. WHAT???? I thought my head was going to explode. Where was this "close and supportive community"? Have they been hiding from me all this time? Finding them out felt like a search for a faerie village.

I got home, ran into the house, logged onto John Stadler's website where I found his e-mail address. And I e-mailed him. Oh yes I did. I don't remember exactly what I wrote but it was probably along the lines of, "I heard you on NHPR and you said there was a huge illustration community in the state...where oh WHERE??? HELP!!!" (I probably said it less crazy, but that was my point none the less.) To my surprise, he e-mailed me back promptly. He was really nice, and directed me to the Society of Children's book Writers and Illustrators.

Through their website, I found a local SCBWI children's book illustrators critique group near my house. I signed up to join the SCBWI, paid my dues, and was off. Our crit group meets up approximately once a month. It's been a part of my life ever since. Though certainly not as big or prevalent as in NYC or Boston - yes, Virginia, there is an arts community in NH.

We have some great people in our little group. Some published, some not (like me!). Though I can't talk about them all individually, I have previously mentioned Gina Perry. (She's the one whose gallery show I recently attended.)

Illustrator and children's book author, Lita Judge is also a member of our SCBWI branch. Lita's career has really taken off. She has published several books, been interviewed for tv and various other publications, and basically works 24/7. Though she's unable to attend meetings these days, she is always supportive and helpful with any questions that our group has about publishing or illustrating full time. At one of the last meetings I attended, our group went to see her read from her book One Thousand Tracings at Barnes and Nobles. Here are a couple of her book covers:


I haven't been attending the SCBWI meetings very regularly over the past year. Last year, the run up to my wedding was madness, so I missed quite a few meetings. This year, I started attending night classes and that was insanity. Going anywhere would mean homework got neglected for 2 seconds, and that was pretty much out of the question. School is finally over for the summer, so at last I get to attend tonight's SCBWI meeting. (Hooray!) I'll keep you posted on how it goes. (o: