One of my favorite childhood authors and greatest influences is Dr. Seuss-
Something he said is ringing true to me in my life these days and I wanted to share here with you. If you are a writer or any kind of creative individual, you may find this true as well.
Seuss said,
"You can get help from teachers, but you are going to have to learn a lot by yourself, sitting alone in a room."
On becoming a writer, NY Times (May 21, 1986)
Sounds boring and lonely, but one thing is for sure:
It is the only way to harness my creative energies, to revisit old ideas without being interrupted and most importantly, to avoid the noise of others who cannot see, feel or trust the instincts that come to a creative individual while in their quiet time.
I've had many people critique my ideas along the way and I think Dr. Seuss nails it right on the head! You learn the most from your experiences and finding what's right for you is an individual journey.
Happy Thursday!
xOx,
Ms. Panda
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Surf Your Dreams!
Continuing my Children's writing hustle ...
I was at the Chiropractor's office yesterday discussing life and my dreams with the massage therapist on duty, when she told me about a published Children's author she knew of in La Jolla, CA. She raved about the book; its illustrations, the story and more. SO...being the person I am, I considered the situation as "not a coincidence" and drove down to the beach to find this author.
When I first arrived to Ocean Girl surf shop, Terry Kraszewski, co-author of Surf Angel was on the phone. I immediately saw the book on display and thumbed through the story, admiring the wonderful illustrations and rhyming story, which felt similar to my writing style. About half way through my read, Terry ended her call and welcomed me. I introduced myself to her as an aspiring Children's author and asked her if it would be alright to ask a few questions. She, of course, said yes.
As I read in the copyright info in the book, Terry self-published her book, so I asked her if she was happy with her decision. She said yes, but however it was not her first choice. Terry had a deal with a publisher and after a year, they retracted the offer based on the economy. Luckily, Terry had the capital to self-publish, which she estimates was around $20,000 for her first printing. She did her own marketing, which is challenging, but managed to get into Barnes and Noble, and now Apple has made her book available in an interactive iPad app. Bonus points!!!
Terry also chose a brilliant illustrator, Bonnie Bright, who now works for Disney's Pixar. This is the first image that Bonnie finished for the book:
Terry knew immediately upon viewing this image that Bonnie Bright was the perfect illustrator for Surf Angel . When I asked if she paid Bonnie to do the illustrations, she answered, "Oh my, yes!" which helped me to understand the importance of finding a great illustrator and negotiating a fair compensation for the project. Terry suggested that I scout out art departments at local schools for talented and motivated illustrators. She even threw out the idea of a Craigslist.com posting. I do believe these ideas will be my next step, as she is not the first person to suggest such a thing.
Terry also shared author Jeffrey Garcia's success in finding illustrator, Jamie Meckel, who was an art student at the time he was working on Santa Claus and the Molokai Mules.
His book won the San Diego Book Awards Association's best Picture Book award in 2010, which gives me great hope!
As we wrapped up, Terry signed two copies of Surf Angel for me and flipped through its pages pointing out all of the hidden sentiments it contains. Many of the illustrations are based on her real life: her house, dog, daughter, and of course, a number of "surf angels" who have been lost along the way. Some of their names appear in the clouds, others' initials are inscribed on flip flops, and even children appearing throughout the book are actual people Terry wished to pay homage to. Her book is more to her than just a magical bedtime story. It contains pieces from her life, that she can always look back on with great joy.
I also discovered that much of her success came from knowing the right people. Terry is friends with the original Gidget, who read Terry's book and passed it along to her (now retired) Literary Agent husband, and that's how Terry got her first deal. This information made me consider approaching a few of my friends who do animation work in LA. You never know who will be the perfect match, but one thing is for sure - when it is right, you will feel it. And to find it, you must seek it first.
That's what I am looking forward to now! One lead from the Chiropractor's office brought me so much inspiration and drive. This is the kind of thing I want to continue in 2012 - staying on top of my dreams and jumping on opportunities that arise from hustling my writing!!!
Thanks for being a part of my journey! :)
xOx,
Ms. Panda
I was at the Chiropractor's office yesterday discussing life and my dreams with the massage therapist on duty, when she told me about a published Children's author she knew of in La Jolla, CA. She raved about the book; its illustrations, the story and more. SO...being the person I am, I considered the situation as "not a coincidence" and drove down to the beach to find this author.
When I first arrived to Ocean Girl surf shop, Terry Kraszewski, co-author of Surf Angel was on the phone. I immediately saw the book on display and thumbed through the story, admiring the wonderful illustrations and rhyming story, which felt similar to my writing style. About half way through my read, Terry ended her call and welcomed me. I introduced myself to her as an aspiring Children's author and asked her if it would be alright to ask a few questions. She, of course, said yes.
As I read in the copyright info in the book, Terry self-published her book, so I asked her if she was happy with her decision. She said yes, but however it was not her first choice. Terry had a deal with a publisher and after a year, they retracted the offer based on the economy. Luckily, Terry had the capital to self-publish, which she estimates was around $20,000 for her first printing. She did her own marketing, which is challenging, but managed to get into Barnes and Noble, and now Apple has made her book available in an interactive iPad app. Bonus points!!!
Terry also chose a brilliant illustrator, Bonnie Bright, who now works for Disney's Pixar. This is the first image that Bonnie finished for the book:
Terry knew immediately upon viewing this image that Bonnie Bright was the perfect illustrator for Surf Angel . When I asked if she paid Bonnie to do the illustrations, she answered, "Oh my, yes!" which helped me to understand the importance of finding a great illustrator and negotiating a fair compensation for the project. Terry suggested that I scout out art departments at local schools for talented and motivated illustrators. She even threw out the idea of a Craigslist.com posting. I do believe these ideas will be my next step, as she is not the first person to suggest such a thing.
Terry also shared author Jeffrey Garcia's success in finding illustrator, Jamie Meckel, who was an art student at the time he was working on Santa Claus and the Molokai Mules.
His book won the San Diego Book Awards Association's best Picture Book award in 2010, which gives me great hope!
As we wrapped up, Terry signed two copies of Surf Angel for me and flipped through its pages pointing out all of the hidden sentiments it contains. Many of the illustrations are based on her real life: her house, dog, daughter, and of course, a number of "surf angels" who have been lost along the way. Some of their names appear in the clouds, others' initials are inscribed on flip flops, and even children appearing throughout the book are actual people Terry wished to pay homage to. Her book is more to her than just a magical bedtime story. It contains pieces from her life, that she can always look back on with great joy.
I also discovered that much of her success came from knowing the right people. Terry is friends with the original Gidget, who read Terry's book and passed it along to her (now retired) Literary Agent husband, and that's how Terry got her first deal. This information made me consider approaching a few of my friends who do animation work in LA. You never know who will be the perfect match, but one thing is for sure - when it is right, you will feel it. And to find it, you must seek it first.
That's what I am looking forward to now! One lead from the Chiropractor's office brought me so much inspiration and drive. This is the kind of thing I want to continue in 2012 - staying on top of my dreams and jumping on opportunities that arise from hustling my writing!!!
Thanks for being a part of my journey! :)
xOx,
Ms. Panda
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Damn, It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta!
Hustle.
It is income.
The way you get your chips.
The cards in your hand, and the one up your sleeve you haven't played yet.
I was talkin' about my different hustles tonight
- my jewelry and an organic liquor -
both word of mouth businesses, and that's when it hit me.
My true dream hustle is my writing and it's just like any other hustle out there,
you gotta have a great product and you gotta get talkin' about it.
So I started to tell my friend,
"I've never hustled my Children's stories before, but.."
"You're Gangsta!"
And to be told that you are a "G" in your Children's story hustle, well, that's about as cool as it gets.
Now don't get me wrong - it's not like the thug on the street gangster that I'm callin' cool.
"A playful attempt to put a glamorous face on an aspect of urban life that almost everyone considers unfortunate. The nearest pop culture equivalent would be the portrayal of lawyers on TV."
It's the court room cool.
Sharper facts and faster thoughts.
The stronger argument.
You've got the edge.
You're in the zone.
Unstoppable!
That's the gangsta I'm talkin' about!
:)
AND IT FEELS GOOD!!!!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Mrs. MacDonald (Straight Off The Farm)
It was the first day of school and murmurs from gossiping children echoed throughout classroom twenty-four.
I was a second grader now and I'd finally made it to hall number two. Hall two was a big deal for me because Mr. Dominic Hart was a teacher in it. He had to be the funniest, most understanding man at Sigsbee Elementary School. In fact, to me, he was the only man that existed at Sigsbee. I loved him.
Terminating my thoughts on Mr. Hart, Billy Harvey's scratchy voice yelped,
"Oh, yeah, and I wonder if she has a farm, too!"
Although scratchy, his voice aroused my thoughts and I enquiringly added,
"What are you talking about, Billy?"
Now see, I was allowed to interrupt the steamy gossip ring, as well as Billy Harvey,
because he happened to be my first boyfriend and the first boy I'd ever kissed.
"Don't you know, Mandy? Mrs. MacDonald is our new teacher," Billy stated.
"So what? What's so bad about that?" I asked.
The whole class seemed to hold their breath as he concluded the conversation,
"You'll see, Mandy. Oh, you will see," he said with a hint of caution in his tone.
Two seconds later, the fattest, most stern-faced old lady wobbled into the classroom. With her cream colored, fifty pound patent leather purse in hand, she paraded into the center of the room. Plopping into her rocking chair, she seemed to have captured the attention of the whole class.
No words; No sounds. Just that one "PLOP!"
I feared for my life.
From the bucket chair in the front of the room, she began the introduction speech and after a while, I thought it would never end. Her high pitched, old lady voice matched the drawl of a Mississippi native's voice.
I couldn't help myself! I had to get out!
"Oh yeah," I thought to myself, "Ten minutes to recess."
I sat impatiently in my desk, staring at the deformity of the apple shaped clock on the wall.
When the minute hand started ticking backwards, I knew this would be the longest ten minutes of my recess worshiping childhood.
The bell sounded, "Riiinnnggg!" and Mrs. MacDonald's entire class jumped up in relief.
We must have all dragged out those ten minutes together!
"Sit down class!" Mrs. MacDonald shrieked. "You aren't going anywhere."
Through the helpless gasps of my classmates, I proclaimed, "WHY?"
"Recess is a time of ignorance, therefore, nap time is what we shall do instead," she answered.
I couldn't believe my ears! I pleaded, "But Mrs. MacDonald, we like recess!!!!"
"Irrelevant. You are too young to know what is good for you!
Now lay your heads down and it won't be as painful," she demanded.
Obeying orders, the class slumped in their desks and laid their heads down. This was not fair!
Recess was our time; the only time of the day to be free, other than P.E., of course.
We were left with only one other choice...revenge.
Thinking everyone was asleep, Mrs. MacDonald rose from her seat and wobbled out of the room. Little did she know, we were ready for the attack.
About that time Billy got up and declared, "This is war!"
The whole class agreed and in a few short minutes, we derived a plan.
Taking charge I asked, "Now who's going to get the tacks?"
Peewee, the smallest boy in the second grade, volunteered to do the dirty work. Grabbing a handful of thumb tacks from Mrs. MacDonald's top desk drawer, he scurried over to the rocking chair and placed each tack "on guard" for the perfect puncture position.
From the door Billy cried out, "She's coming!"
In a matter of seconds, the whole class returned to "nap" mode and Mrs. MacDonald entered the room.
She flipped on the lights and whispered in her crackly old voice,
"Class, nap time is over. I shall continue my introduction now."
As she headed toward the chair, snickers and giggles slipped from everyone's mouths.
The only thing on my mind was "Revenge at last!"
She stood in front of the chair and "PLOP!"
The class held their breath. No words; No sounds. Just that one "PLOP!"
I feared for my life.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
2012: Day One.
Last night, I fell asleep to Dick Clark's 40th Anniversary blaring on the TV.
Like me, lots of people stayed in last night...maybe it was rapture that had every one superstitiously cautious last night, or maybe we are just too tired after the tumultuous year that is now behind us?
Either way, rapture or rest, 2012 begins like an old friend reentering our lives. The Mayans have predicted the importance of this year for 26,000 years and it is now among us.
So the question is: What now?
Is there going to be a mass alignment of the planets that will throw off Earth's magnetism and offset all off our electronics to the point where computers, cell phones and cars will cease to function and the ways of the old west will be reincarnated? Will fuel, ammo and water become the new currency of a civil war and a state of unrest?
OR...
Will we see an enlightenment of consciousness, in which people transform their selfish, ego-driven mindsets into spiritual, love inspired acts of kindness to not only others, but within our own selves, too?
"Imagine for one moment how wonderful this world could be, if all people acted with their heart intelligence instead of their cerebral minds -- we would see love and harmony -- heaven on earth instead of selfishness and cruelty," a comment I read in response to this article, Follow Your Heart It Is Smarter Than You Think that I found here.
In the aforementioned article, we discover that we are ALL connected, not just to each other, but also to the universe and the power of the vibrations we emit is much more important than we know.
So, surround yourself with people who make you smile, laugh and FEEL good, and if you need help finding that harmony inside yourself, try meditation, yoga, and long walks. Make friends on Facebook with people like Brian S. Germain, who write status updates like this one, "The ability to find one dead light bulb on a Christmas tree is not as important for human happiness as the ability to ignore it." Think about that for a moment. Worry is negative meditation and many of us comb through our lives and our loved one's behaviours actually looking for these imperfections. If we just overlooked these things and focused more on our compassion towards others and ourselves, the world - even if just our own little portion of it - will be a happier place to be.
Who knows? How could we be sure of what to expect in 2012? One thing is for sure. Expect SOMEthing to happen and be ready for whatEVER it is - good or bad.
We create our destinies, and if/when things happen that we are not expecting, or prepared for - it is up to us to maintain our strength and ability to adapt in this ever changing world we live in.
Cheers to a NEW YEAR and one that we ALL will share! It's the year of the Dragon - and I'm ready to embrace it - good or bad.
Like me, lots of people stayed in last night...maybe it was rapture that had every one superstitiously cautious last night, or maybe we are just too tired after the tumultuous year that is now behind us?
Either way, rapture or rest, 2012 begins like an old friend reentering our lives. The Mayans have predicted the importance of this year for 26,000 years and it is now among us.
So the question is: What now?
Is there going to be a mass alignment of the planets that will throw off Earth's magnetism and offset all off our electronics to the point where computers, cell phones and cars will cease to function and the ways of the old west will be reincarnated? Will fuel, ammo and water become the new currency of a civil war and a state of unrest?
OR...
Will we see an enlightenment of consciousness, in which people transform their selfish, ego-driven mindsets into spiritual, love inspired acts of kindness to not only others, but within our own selves, too?
"Imagine for one moment how wonderful this world could be, if all people acted with their heart intelligence instead of their cerebral minds -- we would see love and harmony -- heaven on earth instead of selfishness and cruelty," a comment I read in response to this article, Follow Your Heart It Is Smarter Than You Think that I found here.
In the aforementioned article, we discover that we are ALL connected, not just to each other, but also to the universe and the power of the vibrations we emit is much more important than we know.
So, surround yourself with people who make you smile, laugh and FEEL good, and if you need help finding that harmony inside yourself, try meditation, yoga, and long walks. Make friends on Facebook with people like Brian S. Germain, who write status updates like this one, "The ability to find one dead light bulb on a Christmas tree is not as important for human happiness as the ability to ignore it." Think about that for a moment. Worry is negative meditation and many of us comb through our lives and our loved one's behaviours actually looking for these imperfections. If we just overlooked these things and focused more on our compassion towards others and ourselves, the world - even if just our own little portion of it - will be a happier place to be.
Who knows? How could we be sure of what to expect in 2012? One thing is for sure. Expect SOMEthing to happen and be ready for whatEVER it is - good or bad.
We create our destinies, and if/when things happen that we are not expecting, or prepared for - it is up to us to maintain our strength and ability to adapt in this ever changing world we live in.
Cheers to a NEW YEAR and one that we ALL will share! It's the year of the Dragon - and I'm ready to embrace it - good or bad.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
The Love of a Panda: Part One
Once upon a time a panda lived freely in the bamboo forest of china.
She spent many days chomping away on rich, green bamboo and really enjoyed her life.
He examined the panda closely and then cocked his head and went, "umph!"
The panda was confused and scared - until she heard a whisper coming from a cage behind her.
"It's ok," said the voice. "he just saved you!"
"Huh?" said panda. "who said that?" she turned around in her cage to see rows and rows of pandas in cages
Then, one day an evil poacher came into the panda's world and trapped her in a cage!
He dragged her out of her happy home and sold her to a creepy wizard at the misfits market in underground
China.
The panda was very frightened for she did not know what the scary looking wizard was going to do with her.
She was also very hungry and her tummy grumbled for the yummy bamboo back at home.
The wizard took the panda to his castle and set her cage right in the middle of his experimental laboratory.
He examined the panda closely and then cocked his head and went, "umph!"
The panda was confused and scared - until she heard a whisper coming from a cage behind her.
"It's ok," said the voice. "he just saved you!"
"Huh?" said panda. "who said that?" she turned around in her cage to see rows and rows of pandas in cages
and other special animals, too.
"Where are we?" asked panda.
"I don't know, but you're safe now." the voice answered.
"Safe? I wanna go home!!!"
"It's not the same in the forest anymore panda. The poachers are killing us left and right for our furs!
You're lucky the wizard found you before you got sold to one of the bad guys!"
"Oh dear," cried the panda. "Nothing is as I thought."
"No, my sweet, it is not."
So the panda sobbed in her cage for she knew that she would never be able to return to her beloved forest.
Her heart ached for the fresh green bamboo and the foggy mist that would roll onto her face and wake her every morning.
As she remembered these things, she heard the lock on her cage lift up.
She lifted her neck to see who it was.
It was the wizard and he was carrying a plate of purple bamboo, a special recipe he had created in his lab.
He placed the plate on the floor of her cage and if it weren't for her incredible hunger,
the panda would have left it there all night for she was scared that it may harm her.
However, her tummy tossed and turned from her starvation and the purple bamboo actually smelled amazingly
delicious, so she took one small bite and instantly felt the power of the bamboo rush through her veins and straight into her heart.
She soon had gobbled up every last bite and when she was finished, she felt her heart begin to beat strongly in her chest.
Her tears were long dried up and she felt different - new somehow - as if the wizard's creation had given her
special loving powers in her heart.
She did not know how he did it, but the panda immediately felt trust and love for her captor.
Once wild and free, yet now captive, the panda felt the best she had ever felt and wanted to hug every animal
around her.
This feeling must be shared, she thought.
She concentrated really hard on the love in her heart and sent out vibrations to her new neighbors.
One by one, they began to stir and soon the whole laboratory was buzzing with energy and love.
It worked!
To Be Continued...
"No, my sweet, it is not."
So the panda sobbed in her cage for she knew that she would never be able to return to her beloved forest.
Her heart ached for the fresh green bamboo and the foggy mist that would roll onto her face and wake her every morning.
As she remembered these things, she heard the lock on her cage lift up.
She lifted her neck to see who it was.
It was the wizard and he was carrying a plate of purple bamboo, a special recipe he had created in his lab.
He placed the plate on the floor of her cage and if it weren't for her incredible hunger,
the panda would have left it there all night for she was scared that it may harm her.
However, her tummy tossed and turned from her starvation and the purple bamboo actually smelled amazingly
delicious, so she took one small bite and instantly felt the power of the bamboo rush through her veins and straight into her heart.
She soon had gobbled up every last bite and when she was finished, she felt her heart begin to beat strongly in her chest.
Her tears were long dried up and she felt different - new somehow - as if the wizard's creation had given her
special loving powers in her heart.
She did not know how he did it, but the panda immediately felt trust and love for her captor.
Once wild and free, yet now captive, the panda felt the best she had ever felt and wanted to hug every animal
around her.
This feeling must be shared, she thought.
She concentrated really hard on the love in her heart and sent out vibrations to her new neighbors.
One by one, they began to stir and soon the whole laboratory was buzzing with energy and love.
It worked!
To Be Continued...
Friday, December 9, 2011
Flying Frontier
Rollin' down the highway
In the sky way-
Seeing the point
So high in the line
And I see, finally,
The philosophy
Deep inside of me
Swimming in my dreams...
My mind in the clouds
And up here I see you
Doing a backstroke, too.
I wave slightly with my fingers
And you return the gesture.
We float on.
Then, I descend,
Close to land once again
Different now.
New from the changes
I spied in the sky.
Feet on the ground
I go.
In the sky way-
Seeing the point
So high in the line
And I see, finally,
The philosophy
Deep inside of me
Swimming in my dreams...
My mind in the clouds
And up here I see you
Doing a backstroke, too.
I wave slightly with my fingers
And you return the gesture.
We float on.
Then, I descend,
Close to land once again
Different now.
New from the changes
I spied in the sky.
Feet on the ground
I go.
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