I promise not to get all weepy and new-age-y on you — I am Tough Agent Lady! (Some of the time…) — but there’s this amazing photographer called Meg Perotti who works in the SF Bay Area and she posted a wonderful, inspiring image on her blog to ring in the New Year. (MK trivia time: I love photography. I have written for a photography trade magazine called Rangefinder. I’m better at appreciating it than doing it myself, but I am an absolute sucker for a stunning photograph, especially portraiture, which is how I fell in love with Meg Perotti’s blog in the first place!)
It’s a bit small here but if you click on it, you can blow it up, print it out, and look at it often, because that’s what I’m doing. I know that New Year’s Eve was, like, a week ago, and everyone is already over it and back to work and slogging through and waiting for the next vacation, but, dang it, there’s too much that’s good and creative and powerful about life to let it streak by unnoticed!
Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the bottom of this picture is the beeeeeeautiful city of San Francisco, which I will be visiting next week.
I got a nice month’s break from traveling in December and now it’s back to the skies. I’m flying to ALA in San Diego today for some fun, meetings, and face time with my Southern California colleagues Kelly, Jen, and Jamie. Then on Monday I’m up to San Francisco to see family and friends and to meet with my NorCal colleagues, Andrea, Laura, and Caryn.
For a belated Christmas present, I’m taking my mom to go hear Elizabeth Gilbert speak next Friday. (I think this Gilbert lady wrote a book? Something about eating? Just kidding. It’s pretty hilarious, actually: my mom just discovered EAT, PRAY, LOVE. I’m all like, “Remember that whole collective ommmmmm hovering over 2006? No? Oh well!”) Then it’s back to NYC for a whirlwind!
On January 17th, I’m doing my last Learning Annex class for now. It’ll be in the evening, somewhere in midtown Manhattan, and you can find a link to the event here. If you’ve already gone to one, this will be the same material: an overview of the children’s publishing marketplace. Come out, see me, and get your work critiqued! Next weekend is the Writer’s Digest Conference (see you at the Pitch Slam!), then Digital Book World (more on this next week), and the NY SCBWI. (I’m not speaking or giving a workshop, I’m doing the roundtable critiques on Friday, so I’ll be around all weekend, but I’m not doing any Saturday or Sunday sessions that people can show up for. You’ll just have to find me. Hint: I’ll be near the coffee…) That’s all within two weeks, folks!
Whew! It’s no wonder I’m finding so much calm, solace, and inspiration from Meg’s lovely thought for 2011! I hope you all enjoy it. See you next week with ALA updates.
Wow, looks like you’ve got a busy start to the new year! Thanks for the reminder in the form of that beautiful photo to take a little time for contemplation, celebration and appreciation. What can I say? I’m in a rhyming mood today.
Thank you for this Mary. I happen to like power agents with a little Zen. 🙂
I’ll be at SCBWI and the Writer’s Intensive before that. It’s my first conference. *nervous*
The quote is gorgeous. Saved.
I enjoy reading your blog. Thank you for pointing me to Meg Perotti’s blog. Such stunning photography! I though you might like to check out another photographer that is equally talented: Melanie Mauer, from my hometown
Lexington, Kentucky. Her website is: http://www.melaniemauer.com
Agent, writer, teacher, blogger… and therapist! You’re like the multi-tasking Magimix of the kidlit world. You can blend, stir, chop, and even… um, make dough!
But seriously, what a lot of great advice to try and keep in mind all year long. My favourite bits: eat cake often, sing often, kiss often, and also the very wise, ‘money can’t make happiness but it helps – make some.’ I wonder if I could somehow do all those things at the same time…
That is a beautiful photo and nice words, although, I won’t eat cake often. I’d get too big.
I do like cake, especially a homemade German chocolate! Oh, and carrot cake, oh, and chocolate with vanilla icing. Oh, and-sorry. I like cake.
I love the photo and the advice she gives, that’s awesome. What an itinerary you’ve got there! Hope you can find a few spare moments to smell the roses – and eat the cake, of course!
Loved that photographer’s site! Thanks for sharing.
I find your blog to be honest, heartfelt, and encouraging. I look to you for insight into the world of kid lit and I always leave feeling better informed. Thank you for all your recommendations and musings.
Thanks for sharing, Mary! What a beautiful picture. I love San Francisco. Plus, great motivation…now, back to my rewrite. 🙂