So excited to be heading off to the RWA National Conference this week! While hubby is minding the fort, I’ll be in New York City, mingling with old friends and making new ones. I’ll also be attending workshops, visiting with my publishers: Hallmark and Sourcebooks. More importantly, I’ll be taking part in the Literacy Signing on Saturday, July 27th. This wonderful event is from 3 to 5 pm in the Westside Ballroom (5th Floor) of the Marriott Marquis. Not only will you be able to meet hundreds of authors, but all the proceeds will be donated to a local literacy group. So if you’ll be in the New York City area on Saturday, please drop by and help out for a worthy cause.
#ThrowbackThursday – RWA National Conference at Disneyworld
Last year’s RWA conference was so much fun on so many levels. Great workshops, wonderful book signings and most of all, getting to spend time with both old friends and new ones! It was great to see so many people in and around the conference hotel as well as at the Literacy Signing. It was also so nice to spend time with some buddies on a trip to Disneyworld where we got to see the awesome fireworks. I just love fireworks. Believe it or not, this photo was taken with my smartphone. The cameras in them are getting better and better every day.
This year’s conference is in Denver and if you’re in that area, I’d love to see you. The Literacy Book Fair is open to the general public and all proceeds go to a local literacy group so it’s for a good cause. For more info, you can visit www.rwa.org.
Creativity and Chaos and Rubber Duckies
Many years ago I shared a meal with a friend at a legal conference and we got on a discussion of my writing as well as my firmly held belief that as a creative type I was allowed a little slack in the organization area. Mind you, clutter was something with which I grew up since my mother loved her little things.
In retrospect, that aspect of our lives was probably shaped by our departure from Cuba and leaving so many loved things behind. The two things I was able to bring with me were my gold Caridad del Cobre medal (my patron saint) and my little doll Pepito. He sits on the top edge of the sofa in my office in a place of honor.
But back to the clutter which invariably can lead to chaos and disorganization. In my mind I was entitled to some slack in the organization department because of my creative bent (and also a decided lack of time due to multiple jobs).
My friend looked at me and said, “Do you ever lose time trying to find something you need?”
The answer was an immediate “Yes” which was followed by, “And that was time that you could have spent being creative, right?”
At which point I was feeling rather embarrassed because she was totally right. If I spent half-an-hour searching for paper or something else that I needed, it was half-an-hour that I could have spent writing or relaxing.
Armed with that new insight, I took steps at home to clean up the clutter and get better organized. Not only did it make cleaning the house easier, but things looked neater and less oppressive. The one place I have yet to totally re-do is my home office.
There my doll Pepito sits, eyeballing the clutter, but I have started getting rid of the mess. And once a month, whether I like it or not, I get things organized. Now my goal is to just make it organized right away so that the once a month toss is not necessary. Get my ducks in a row which is in part why I chose that picture for today’s blog.
The other reason is that next week I’ll be at the RWA National Conference so you may see me be a little absent from the blog, although I am hoping to provide you with updates on what’s happening at the conference and some fun photos and videos!
If you happen to be going or if you’ll be in the Orlando area, please drop by the Literacy Signing which is taking place on Wednesday, July 28, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Walt Disney World® Dolphin Resort, Pacific Exhibit Hall. This signing is open to the public.
If you’re attending the conference, also look for me at the Grand Central Publishing signing on Saturday, July 31, from 3:00-4:30 p.m. at the Walt Disney World® Dolphin Resort, Southern Hemisphere, Salon 1. We’ll have copies of books for you as well as some special bookmarks and fun Jesse Bradford football duckies (hence the ducks also) in honor of the hero in STRONGER THAN SIN!
(I swear the rubber duckie is bigger than this!)