Dear Scribblers, We miss you! We miss your hugs, your smiles, the brilliant conversation that occurs when we come together in creative community. And we want to know how you're faring, whether you're writing, how we can support you.
So let's get together. Saturday, July 25, 10 a.m., it's a date. We'll be on Zoom, hanging out for an hour and a half, talking about it all.
The world has changed a lot since we last got to see you in person, and we know that the new normal has changed things for a lot of people. Some are fully tuned into a creative flow in this moment, taking advantage of extra time at home to compose words and stories. Others are feeling the weight of isolation, raw emotion and worry, and feeling blocked. Writing may feel like more of a challenge than usual in the midst of everything that is happening in our lives.
Wherever you are right now, we'd love to hear what's going on, and learn from one another. In this special online forum, we will check in with one another. We can talk about what's happening in your writing life with craft, process, and creative inspiration. We'll discuss challenges we are currently encountering, and also share tips, hacks, and tricks to help us cope with these challenges. Finally, we'll spend some time talking about the big WHY. Why we write. Why we fell in love with the often solitary life of the storyteller. Why creativity matters deeply in the midst of uncertainty. When we remember our why, we can rekindle the writing passion and move forward.
CBW-LA knows that stories change lives. We see firsthand how important representation is in literature, especially literature for children. As always, we hear you, we see you, and we stand by you. The most fundamental part of our CBW-LA mission and vision is to support a literary world in which every child sees him or herself reflected in literature—both in the characters and in the authors. We support and stand with Black Lives Matter, DACA and international students, refugees and immigrants, authors with disabilities, women, and LGBTQIA+ voices.
Arts and literature make a difference. They are a way through quarantine and isolation, as they offer entertainment, escape, and creative outlet. They are a way through social justice, as they offer reflection, empathy, understanding, and belonging.
Let's celebrate that magic of creativity and writing, and be there to support one another in these times.
