Carrie shares the impact of her own mentorship, that moment when Newbery Award winner, Lynne Rae Perkins,
"validated that I had a story worth telling and that she, a gifted author who won the highest honor in the industry, enjoyed reading it. She helped me recognize the value of my words on paper. Could there be a better gift?"
And I think Carrie is right. From my own experience being formally mentored by Emma Dryden in the SCBWI Nevada Mentor Program, to the many, many wonderful professionals in our industry who guide and cheer me on me today, being mentored is a turning point.
And equally powerful is that moment where you mentor someone else. Someone at an earlier stage in the journey. It's amazing how much you can learn when you try to teach... And I've been very fortunate, especially in my Speaker Visits to schools and libraries over the past year and a half, to do that as well.
So perhaps, as we all contemplate the New Year 2012 ahead of us, we can reflect on the power of mentorship in our own lives, and set out to both:
find a mentor to take us to the next level professionally,
and
be a mentor to someone else.
Being both a mentee and a mentor will strengthen our own art. And those bonds will strengthen our community.
And that is a beautiful thing.
Here's to an amazing (and mentorship-filled) 2012!
Illustrate and Write On,
Lee
