Hitting the Yellow Brick Road

Today has all the makings of a magical day! This morning I’ll be heading out to Northwest Washington’s annual SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) Conference.

While I noted yesterday that psychologists often have the most fun in the research department, children’s book publishers win the conference contest hands down. Nowhere else will you see adults discussing zombies, fairies, talking animals, and vampires without fear of being hauled off in straitjackets.

Children’s book conferences totally rock! Sure, the weekend is full of classes and workshops to attend, but come on – they cover a fascinating “bunny eat bunny” world, so they’re always full of fun.

Trust me, I would know.

I attended PLENTY of psychology conferences back in the day. While the folks were always wonderful, some of the sad (but important) topics we discussed made a few of us want to be hauled off in straitjackets.

So, as a little tribute to all of my old psych pals, I’ve come up with a conference lineup that can help get the sigh out of psychology by adding some SCBWI sizzle:

9:00 – 10:00    Big Bad Wolf: Malevolent or Misunderstood?

10:00 – 11:00  Red Riding Hood’s Remorse: Cross-Dressers Need

                           Compassion, Not the Ax

11:00 – 12:00  Case Study: Alice in Wonderland’s Rehab Success

12:00 – 1:00     Lunch at the Witch’s Brew

1:00 – 2:00       Mirror, Mirror: Tackling Client Narcissism

2:00 – 3:00       Enabling No More: Tips From the Little Red Hen

3:00 – 4:00       Gingerbread Man: The Ugly Downside of Compulsive

                             Exercise

4:00 – 5:00       Guest Speaker: Hermione Granger Discusses Magical

                            Thinking – No Need to Medicate!

PROMPT: Sign up for a class or workshop. It’s a great way to fill the creative well – especially if you try something new and completely outside of your usual box. What about a conference for stunt doubles, a class for chocolatiers, or a workshop for toymakers? If a class or conference is not within your budget, then get yourself to the library and grab something on an atypical topic. Stretch yourself, learn something “novel”, then put it into your art – trust me, it will be magical!