SCBWI Conference planning. What I learned as a 1st-time organizer of the SCBWI SF South Golden Gate Fest 2026

I cannot believe it’s been over a month since SCBWI San Franciso South’s Golden Gate Fest 2026. As a total newbie, I officially stepped into the role of SCBWI Translator Coordinator at the end of 2025. I was excited and overwhelmed by this daunting task and all the unknowns ahead. The first major challenge was stepping into an organizing role. There were so many documents, spreadsheets, surprises, and more “learning moments” than I can list here. Below you find the reflections of a newbie who jumped in with enthusiasm, learned on the fly, and gained a whole new appreciation for event planning and teamwork. I was pretty scared at first, but fear moves mountains, right? Being part of a fantastic leadership team made it all possible. Getting to know the team in the process made us closer, stronger, and unstoppable. You'd better watch out!

What a ride! This is how it went down. We (the Regional Team) kicked into high gear in January, working to get this fabulous event underway. Who knew December flies by like that! If you are planning an event, be aware of all celebrations and distractions; life can throw you for a loop at any time. If unexpected challenges arise, communicate with your teammates and allow them to help you. Remember to divide and conquer!

Fortunately, we secured a beautiful venue that we had successfully used for our previous one-day conference. The Farallon Room of Skyline College is located on a cliff in Pacifica, California. Its huge floor‑to‑ceiling windows offer sweeping views of the Pacific and the hills just below. Absolutely stunning and accessible, with easy and free weekend parking. The massive glass windows and high ceilings let in lots of natural light, which was invaluable and helped me avoid a migraine that day. We had quiet tables set up in one corner for people to unwind and relax during breaks.

 

Portfolio table set up in the morning.

Bookstore and Registration table at the entrance. 

I led a Walk-and-Talk activity in the afternoon. A chance for people to get outside, move, and connect. And an opportunity to let everything settle, get a little break from the noise, and tune in with nature. There are some fun hiking trails around the college. Even though it was windy and rain was looming, we were a pretty sizable group, had fun exploring, and even saw a Banana Slug on the trail. Yes, they’re real; even for the non–Nor-Cal folks who thought we made them up. But I am getting ahead of myself…

View from outside the huge glass front window in the main room.

Love that so many kidlit creatives joined me for the little hike, even though the weather wasn’t great!

Once we found and signed our amazing faculty, featuring the legendary Marla Frazee as keynote speaker, Danielle Collins (Beach Lane Books), Esther Hernandez (Knopf Books), Sasha Illingworth (Little Brown Books), Sophie Sheumaker (BookEnds Literary), and Sarah Stephens (Red Fox Literary), we had to put together the schedule, and fine-tune the presentations, craft sessions, workshops, panel discussions, and roundtable pitch clinics.

Sophie Sheumaker, Danielle Collins, Sarah Stephens, Marla Frazee, Esther Hernandez, Sasha Illingworth

Then we developed advertising content. I have never written so much promo copy in my life, but it was fun. We built the website, wrote more content, and then spread the word to as many SF Bay Area kidlit people as possible. Advertising was crucial! Reaching out to colleges from sister regions and college students helped us make our numbers. For a while, it really was touch and go! But thanks to determination, hard work, and advertising on a few different platforms, we actually made a small profit. 

There are so many minute details I wasn’t even privy to (thank goodness). Our Co-RAs Anita and Emily took care of many venue items, tech, food choices (including food sensitivities), all faculty expenses, and so much more. 

I had no idea how many day-of elements there are to running a conference. Thankfully, we work well as a team. Everyone was on top of their tasks. We had many wonderful volunteers who helped with set-up, registration, writing activities, portfolio and bookstore set-up, clean-up, and more. It made this event super smooth. I stepped in to help where I could, and the conference went off without major problems.

Marla Frazee’s keynote was incredible (hire Marla if you want to experience a perfectly written and executed presentation). She made us cry, only to have us laugh right after! Genius. 

Marla’s keynote and workshop were fantastic! You can read more about it next week.

During the day, I was mainly mingling and checking in with attendees to ensure everyone had a positive experience and enjoyed themselves. Catching up with quite a few write-in friends was fun, and I was super-excited to meet a fellow translator from my monthly meetups for the first time. Unfortunately, I was too busy for longer, deeper conversations, but I’ve since followed up with quite a few people. It was a long, exhausting day, and it was magical and energizing to be among all these creatives at the same time. We chose our conference theme, FINDING COURAGE: CREATING THROUGH RESISTANCE, for a reason. Feeling hopeful and accepted, and being with so many like-minded folks, is invaluable and more important than ever. It is reassuring to know so many creatives live close by. It makes getting together and catching up in person easier. Our event showed how much power and positivity in-person events offer. I will definitely meet with my new writer, translator, and illustrator friends more often and try to catch up with some old ones who could not attend the conference. We already planned some future hiking adventures. 

We provided our participants with a day filled with community, creativity, hope, and many tools to overcome challenging times. The atmosphere was infectious. There was a lot of laughter, and I saw many smiles. If that’s not proof that in-person meetings, human connections, and personal exchanges are essential, I don’t know what is. Adrenaline definitely fueled me all day. Strangely, I wasn’t exhausted afterward. It was just amazing and uplifting to be in the company of all these like-minded people and learn more about our craft. I guess that’s what happens when you find your people. 

The bottom line: it was a lot of work and took a village (all of us) to meet our budget constraints and pull off this wonderful event for our community. It definitely brought the team together, and I am very proud and grateful to be a part of the SCBWI SF South Regional Team. 

Susan Cabael, Seina Wedlick, Karin, Anita Tran, Danielle Heitmuller, Emily Jiang, Anastasia Kleckner

My key takeaways: stay flexible, be open-minded, and surround yourself with a team that celebrates, supports, and strengthens each other and the SCBWI community.

Karin Redclift is the Translation Coordinator for SCBWI SF South. She is a

German‑born creative writer, translator, and proofreader, raised in Southern

Germany. Her passion for children's books started in pre-school and deepened

when she began teaching. She specializes in writing and translating kidlit, loves

playing with words (German and English), and dreams of making the world a better

place, one sentence at a time. She is bridging cultures and generations through

storytelling, with publications including the German translation of Emily of

New Moon by L.M. Montgomery and an updated version of the German classic

Maya the Bee. Her flash fiction appears in the Bolts of Fiction anthology.

She also enjoys reading, knitting, drawing, Tai Chi, gardening, hiking, and chasing

her little rescue dog, Charlie. 

Find her at www.KarinRedclift.com (sign up for the monthly newsletter).

Follow @karinredclift on Instagram.

Registration for SCBWI Virtual Summer Conference Opens June 11th!

Registration for the SCBWI Virtual Summer Conference opens Thursday, June 11th, at 10am Pacific /1pm Eastern!

The conference is the perfect place to pitch agents and editors, get your art in front of industry professionals, and grow your skills as a writer, illustrator, or translator. Register before July 6 to lock in early bird pricing!

Click HERE for the conference schedule, session descriptions, and registration information.

This year’s event features inspiring keynotes, industry panels, a special look at how AI is affecting our industry, plus twenty-three breakout sessions. There are sessions specifically for illustrators, novelists, nonfiction writers, graphic novel creators, picture book writers, and more!

The career-launching portfolio showcase offers illustrators an opportunity to get their art in front of art directors, agents, and editors, while writers can pitch their books directly to acquiring agents and editors. For those who crave the networking opportunities present at in-person events, the Virtual Coffee Lounge is a place where attendees can meet one-on-one or in small groups.

Attend from anywhere in the world! If you can’t attend live, each attendee will have access to video recordings of all sessions through September 13th.

My First Picture Book Memory or The Magic and Power of Picture Books

I have loved picture books since my mom read the first board books to me as a toddler. They made me laugh, giggle, and feel instantly connected. From then on, picture books have been constant, reliable companions throughout my life; weaving in and out at times. I always cherished and treasured them because they were a source of comfort and a way to stay in touch with, and quietly nourish, the small child inside me. 

Born and raised in a small town in Southern Germany, I still remember my excitement for preschool, especially when Miss Beate read to us. We were completely, hopelessly in love with her and obsessed with her long brown hair. It was so shiny and beautiful. She let us comb it, braid it, and occasionally create unique hairstyles you could call avant-garde-ish.

The real magic began when she opened a book. Miss Beate wasn’t just patient and kind; she was also a wonderful storyteller. The moment she said, “Who wants to see what book I brought today…?” the entire class joined her. We pretzeled our legs and all eyes were on her and the book. Once she settled into the Lesesessel (big, cozy reading chair), we couldn’t wait for the magic to happen. We were ready to be transported to enchanted forests, pirate ships, and countries far away. We lived for that moment every day.

My favorite picture book back then was Die bunte Flaschenpost, written by Lore Lehner and illustrated by Hetty Krist. First published by Herder Verlag in 1968, the book was reissued by Kerle Verlag in 2003 under the title Flaschenpost, schwimm übers Meer, this time with fresh, contemporary illustrations by Astrid Krömer.

The author, Lore Lehner (1935–2017), lived and worked in Germany, where she built a career bridging academic research and children’s literature. She earned her doctorate at the Ludwig‑Maximilians‑Universität München (my alma mater). When she became a mother, she turned her attention to writing for young readers. Die bunte Flaschenpost remains one of her best‑known titles, cherished both in its original 1968 edition and its later reinterpretation. Lehner continued to write and contribute to literary and scholarly life until her passing in 2017.

I have a very vivid memory of the original Flaschenpost, even though we read it so many years ago. It’s a rhyming picture book, a gentle, hopeful story of children connecting across the world via a message in a bottle. I never forgot the cover. 

Jens and his father, a lighthouse keeper, live on a small island in the Baltic Sea. He is very lonely and wants to find friends, so he sends a message in a bottle to children around the world. 

His message is simple.

“Who wants to be friends?

All the best, Jens.”

He rolls up the paper, sticks it in the bottle, puts a cork in it, and tosses it in the Baltic Sea. 

The bottle travels to the Island of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). A boy named Kim finds it at the beach and is very excited about the letter and the drawing of the boy inside. It is the first letter he ever received!

He adds himself to the drawing, seals it in the bottle, and throws it back into the ocean. 

As the bottle travels around the world, Zaty from Madagascar, Nai-Ming from China, and Pepe from Mexico discover it on a beach near their homes, and the list of friends becomes longer and longer.

Somewhere in the ocean, an old whale swallows the bottle but has to spit it out because it’s too hard to digest. That’s when the Inuit boy Navsak finds it. He, too, draws himself and places the letter back in the bottle, seals it, and sends it on its way. 

Guess what! The bottle actually comes back to Jens. He can’t believe how lucky he is to have so many new friends around the world now! You can feel his happiness radiating from the page.

I couldn’t get enough of this story. Intrigued by how strongly the drawings resembled my own, I drew countless messages, stuck them in a bottle, and, for quite a while, my friends and I imagined ourselves to be Jens and his friends from around the world. Pretend play was our favorite activity in Kindergarten. This book has stayed close to my heart all these years. It unlocked new worlds, cultures, animals, and ways of living. It also gave me something to hold on to when I felt alone. After we moved far from my beloved preschool and the friends I thought I’d grow up with, I was lost and heartbroken. It took me a long time to find my footing again. This story didn’t fix everything, but it steadied me and gave me hope when everything felt unfamiliar. 

Life went on, and after graduating from high school, I completed my Bachelor of Science in Education in Germany before moving to the United States. Within a year, I obtained my Texas Teaching Certificate and began teaching second grade at a magnet school focused on math and science. I was so lucky! We developed our own literacy-based curriculum, and I was instantly immersed in American picture books and kidlit. I started collecting books for my own growing PB library. You can pretend it’s a classroom library, but deep inside, you know who those books are really for. Creating and working with this amazing team of teachers, writing this curriculum together became its own reading adventure, leading me to fall in love with more books. It opened my eyes to a whole new world.

When I became a parent, and my kids were little, I never missed the weekly story times at the local library or Barnes & Noble. I became friends with June, the woman who led the read-aloud on Tuesdays at the bookstore. Our family spent almost every Saturday at the library, reading, browsing for books, and schlepping home at least 15 new children’s books. What a wonderful way to spend family time and nourish a love for books and reading. I also enjoyed discovering more children’s books through my kids’ eyes and evolving interests and perspectives.

When the kids were older, I became a Reading Partners Tutor. The read‑aloud portion is, without question, my favorite part of the entire program. Those first 10 minutes spent together with a picture book, reading while checking in, laughing, having fun discussing the story, and learning and getting to know the students are special and invaluable. 

Picture books are magical and powerful. They make a meaningful, positive difference and are amazing tools. Life is full of issues and emotions that can be tough to handle. Sometimes we can’t even express what we feel when everything seems unfair, sad, or we feel unseen, unimportant, disrespected, or overlooked. Reading a book can reveal and gently open a conversation that otherwise seems tough to start. It encourages problem-solving and helps address confusing feelings in a way that makes these issues easier to face. A main character, engaging words, and illustrations help to remove the problem just enough to make it approachable. Books can offer solutions, humor, comic relief, and a sense of familiarity, whether read alone or with someone else. What a great bonding opportunity for parents or teachers! 

Do you have a favorite picture book?

If you are curious about my favorite or would like to hear a German read-aloud of my beloved Die Bunte Flaschenpost, you can watch the entire story on YouTube.

Karin Redclift is the Translation Coordinator for SCBWI SF South. She is a

German‑born creative writer, translator, and proofreader, raised in Southern

Germany. Her passion for children's books started in pre-school and deepened

when she began teaching. She specializes in writing and translating kidlit, loves

playing with words (German and English), and dreams of making the world a better

place, one sentence at a time. She is bridging cultures and generations through

storytelling, with publications including the German translation of Emily of

New Moon by L.M. Montgomery and an updated version of the German classic

Maya the Bee. Her flash fiction appears in the Bolts of Fiction anthology.

She also enjoys reading, knitting, drawing, Tai Chi, gardening, hiking, and chasing

her little rescue dog, Charlie. 

Find her at www.KarinRedclift.com (sign up for the monthly newsletter).

Follow her on Instagram.

Remembering Mildred Pitts Walter

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the children’s book world, and young readers worldwide mourn the passing of author and friend, Mildred Pitts Walter. She was 104 years old, and was still writing for children.

Born in 1922 in a small, segregated town in Louisiana, she eventually made her way to New Orleans and enrolled in Southern University. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English. In 1944, she moved to Los Angeles, where she worked briefly as a school clerk.

She married Earl Walter in 1947, and they both became active in civil rights. Walter, who passed away in 1965, became the national vice chair of CORE (Congress Of Racial Equity).

Mildred was an early member of SCBWI and frequently spoke at SCBWI events throughout the many years of her children’s publishing career.

Her passion for children’s literature was born when she became a teacher at a predominately African American school in Los Angeles. Disheartened that the only book in the school library featuring an African American child was Ezra Jack Keats, “The Snowy Day”, she wrote the publisher out of sheer frustration, requesting that more books feature characters who looked like the students in her classroom. The publisher wrote back, “Write them”. And that she did.

Her first book, “Lillie of Watts”, was published in 1969. Eventually, she went on to write more than 20 others, including “Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World” (1986) for which she won The Coretta Scott King Award. In 1996, she was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, and she received the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Honors for “Second Daughter: The Story of a Slave Girl”.

SCBWI Co-Founder and current SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund Managing Director, Lin Oliver, had this to say about her longtime friend, Mildred Pitts Walter, “Mildred was a longtime member of the SCBWI Advisory Council, offering her wisdom about the necessity of representation and inclusion to all of our conversations. As an author, she was a pioneer in writing stories for and about black children in everyday modern life, not as historical figures. Her books changed the course of children’s literature.”

We mourn her loss while celebrating her long and productive life. The SCBWI was fortunate to have her as a colleague and friend for so many wonderful years. She will be missed, but long honored and never forgotten.

Deep Dives with Merfolx: A Sparkling Interview with Jessica Love

Happy Thursday! We are back with the final installment of our MerMay entries, and I am over the coral moon about this one— an interview with the one and only, Jessica Love! The author and illustrator of one of my favorite books of all time, I feel so privileged and honored to have her on the Official SCWBI Blog. SO without further ado, let's get started!

 Hi Jessica, I am so beyond excited for you to join us on the Official SCBWI Blog. The wonderful author/illustrator of Julián is a Mermaid, and Julián at the Wedding, please tell us a little about yourself, in your own words.

Thank you so much for having me, Justin. When I was about nine years old my answer to the question "what do you want to do when you grow up?" was actor, artist, writer. Which is a pretentious answer for a nine year old but oh well, I suppose I was a little bit pretentious, but I guess I meant what I said because I've done all three of those things professionally as an adult. My parents are both artists--my mom is a weaver, my dad is a potter, and my extended family on both sides is made up of highly creative people. 

I grew up in Santa Barbara, California. I've always drawn and painted, and from as far back as I can remember I was making up stories and illustrating them. I was passionate about playing pretend, I was definitely one of those kids who would live inside a game for days at a time. Eventually I discovered theater, which felt like a bigger game of make believe, and I really fell in love with it. But I think both of my interests (visual art and theater) spring from an interest in make-believe.

 I see that you studied Drama at Juilliard and was a professional actor until you moved into publishing, very similarly to me being a dancer turned illustrator. How has your background in the theater world shaped your storytelling as an author/illustrator and how was that transition?

I didn't know you were a dancer! That makes me very happy. I am currently at work on the third Julián book in the series, and it is called, Julián is a Dancer. It's about that threshold moment when you enter a creative process with other people for the first time, and how intimidating it is at first but also how thrilling once the first step into the room has been taken. 

So yes, I was an actor in New York City for many years. I moved to New York after studying Visual Art and doing Shakespeare plays at UC Santa Cruz, to study Drama at Juilliard. After graduation I stayed in New York working as an actor in new plays and very old ones. I loved it. While I was doing that I had the idea for Julián is a Mermaid and started working on it whenever I had time. I developed it slowly over several years, the last draft I did before I started submitting it was completed backstage in my dressing room in a play called "The River". The actor (and brilliant writer as well, by the way) Mary Louise Parker helped me meet my wonderful agent, Meredith Kaffel-Simonoff, who immediately understood what I was trying to do with Julián and really guided me through the process of crafting a proposal and readying it for submission. 

So there were lots of practical ways my work as an actor informed my pivot to this new industry. But on a process level I think I am making use of much of the same vocabulary, and using similar principals as guidelines. In drama school one of the phrases you hear most often is "be specific" which is something I really try to do in my illustration. I like for every character to feel as embodied as possible, that's important to me. I think I also see the page as a kind of stage, in terms of the way I like to frame action. Another virtue of the theater I want to try to keep in mind more often is the possibility that is afforded by a really deep depth of field, it allows several different threads to be at play at once, and that's something I love in art, any kind of polyphony. I think I also tend to sort of act while I'm drawing, I'm making the faces, I'm trying out the movements in my own body. I also try to think of drafts of a book as rehearsal--a physical process you use to get the story in your body, so that when you do the final art I know what I'm doing so I can be loose.

When Julián is a Mermaid came out, everyone I know and who know the true me sent me the announcement. Not to exaggerate, but this is one of my favorite children's books ever. I've never felt more seen in a book. I, too, grew up in New York, had a secret love of mermaids, but unlike Julián, I didn't show my true love until I was older. 

I'd love to hear what inspired you to create the book and how did Julián come to you as he is? I mean, did you hear stories of me when I was eight years old?!

Wow, I love this question so much. It is incredibly, powerfully affirming to me to get to hear that from a reader, thank you so much. 

I had a very clear goal for myself, which was to make the Juliáns of the world feel seen, and even celebrated by that seeing. I was deeply inspired by the documentary Paris is Burning about the golden age of the ballroom scene in New York in the '80's, the first time I saw it I immediately watched it over from the beginning. Those ballroom artists had created something astonishing. I was also pained by how many of those kids--because they were so young!--had been forced out of their birth families due to their unwillingness to reign in their self-expression. And of course they created new families with long legacies in the establishment of the different houses and family structures in which this culture thrived. 

With this picture book I wanted to reach way back to the early childhood of kids like Julián, and give them a story in which they express something deep about themselves, and are seen for who they are, and celebrated. Just a story of pure love and recognition being exchanged between two generations. I wanted to bottle that feeling you get when one of your elders really sees you and loves what they see. I really didn't write the book with just kids in mind, I had hoped it would reach the grown mermaids too, so it makes me so happy to hear your saw yourself in it's pages.

As a New York, I've attended the Mermaid Parade for several years. It is sort of my Pride celebration. I've always loved the parade just from its sheer inclusiveness. Being a mermaids doesn't come with the expectations and standards of what it means to be "human." It is a celebration of all people, from all backgrounds, ages, body types, cultures, etc. What drives you as an artist to celebrate representation in your work and in the book space?

This is what I love about the Mermaid Parade too! Despite being a dress-up as a fantastical creature parade, it is its human-ness that is moving to me. I love that it's on a day when it's SO hot and it's in the direct sun so everybody is all sweaty, and kind of naked, and truly, truly the crowd is made up of a raucously heterogenous sample of New York Humans, I absolutely love it. 

I think showing the world we live in means showing a diverse world. And beyond being accurate, beyond being fair, it's interesting to move your point of view around, and to remember that really it is only ever just that, a point of view in an vast number of points, each as real as you.

I just saw the announcement that Julián is a Mermaid will be making its way to become an animated feature, led by the Academy Award nominated director Louise Bagnall with Cartoon Saloon. How did it feel to be approached about the adaption and what are your hopes for the feature?

I am so excited for this film to come out. Louise and an absolutely incredible team of animators from all over the world have been working so hard on this for years and years. The script is written by Juliany Taveras, who is also a playwright and the way they managed to expand a 30 word story into a feature length film while maintaining the original bones of the house is a pretty awesome feat of ekphrasis. It's beautifully done, Cartoon Saloon is one of the last studios actually drawing everything by hand, which is really meaningful to me. A human hand was important in this story.

Last question, which I know I've personally pondered for ages, but if you were to sprout a tail right this second, what would it look like?

I'm so glad you asked. This season my tail is going to be like a black plum with the occasional scale of nacreous pearl, but my fins will be tipped in vermillion.

Check out more about Jessica Love, HERE, and follow her on Instagram @jesslovedraws.

That's all, Merfolx! Thank you for joining me on this month long journey through the seas! As MerMay comes to an end, I hope you've celebrated your mermaid-ness but also, in doing so, as Jessica said, your humanness! And for those who are in the NYC area, the Mermaid Parade is June 20th! Hope to see you there! Ciao!

Introducing SCBWI Critique Groups

Introducing SCBWI Critique Groups

You've asked, and SCBWI has heard! Introducing the SCBWI Critique Groups! SCBWI is proud to announce that the beta version of their exclusive Critique Group program has officially launched!

One of the best ways to grow as a storyteller is by receiving feedback from your peers. Whether you’re an author, illustrator, or translator, our critique group builder is designed to connect you with the perfect partners who are working on similar projects. 

As a member of SCBWI, you will have the opportunity to browse listings from fellow members, or create a group of your own, all on your SCBWI ‘Member Home.

Check out this video below by the one and only, Jolie Stekly, for more information on the groups!

Find your people, connect, create, and critique! Your craft will thank you!

This premium member benefit allows SCBWI creators to design the peer groups of their dreams and connect with new critique partners. Start your critique journey now through your MEMBER HOME.

Why Join a Critique Group?

Every creator reaches a point where an outside perspective becomes essential. A critique group gives you a trusted space to share your work and hear how it lands with others: what resonates with readers, what confuses them, and where your vision has room to grow. The conversations you have there won't just improve a manuscript or a spread; they can help sharpen how you think about storytelling itself. This is a member benefit that helps anyone at any stage of their development.


Read more about the SCBWI Critique Groups, its benefits, Code of Conduct, and more, HERE!

Deep Dives with Merfolx: A Splashing Interview with Paul D Kellam

Deep Dive with a Merman: 

Interview with Paul D Kellam

The illustrator of countless books, ranging many genres like The Little Mermaid: Make a Splash by Ashley Franklin and You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!) by Taraji P. Henson to the Coral Keeper series by Robin Yardi, Paul D Kellam has made a SPLASH on the scene with as much energy and vibrancy as his artwork. 

But before we "dive in," Paul,  tell the reader a little about yourself, in your own words.

Hi I’m Paul (insert Jimmy Neutron Monkey)! 

I’m a full-time freelance artist based in Florida. I’ve drawn for as long as I can remember, my mom often reflects on how I crayon doodled on my nursery walls and even had the nerve to sign my name. I grew up loving all things animated, with ‘The Little Mermaid’ on constant repeat; but once I discovered ‘Avatar the Last Airbender’ I knew I wanted to work in the creative field. I practiced diligently, filling stacks of sketchbooks with ink and colored pencil before teaching myself to work digitally. 

At 16 I bought my first Bamboo Tablet to illustrate my first kids book, which was horrendous but a great learning experience. I later polished my skills in college, earning my Bachelors in Media Arts and Animation; but quickly found myself more at home with book illustrations.

Your work explodes with color, movement, "flow and rhythm," something I love and am inspired by! You and I have spoken a bit about it, but I would love to hear about your process and what inspires you as an illustrator?

My process is not always streamlined, but I always aim for my art to dance off the page through movement and color. My compositions typically use a lot of “S” and triangle shapes to help lead the eyes of the viewer; as well as gradients with focal points being the most saturated bits. I’m heavily inspired by nature, haute couture, and people that I cherish. A lot of the snarky expression I draw are basically a mirror of me with my younger sisters, haha.

Bursting with color, your books also brim with a range of beautiful, colorful, and diverse characters. What are some of your thoughts and feelings when it comes to representation and why do you think it is important?

Representation is beyond important, and I’m glad I’ve had ranging opportunities to depict various ethnicities and disabled folks as well! We have so many unique people in the world who feel invisible still to this day, and it’s amazing especially for children to feel seen in media, truly. It encourages hope and possibility; showing miraculous experiences are not limited to any one specific group.

I believe community is key to a healthy and fulfilling life, no matter what area of your life it appears in. I consider you a big part of my art community or mermaid pod, if you will. Your generous spirit is such a light and I know you've cheered me on when I needed that extra push. Can you speak a bit about community, how it has shaped you and why it is essential to the process?

I’m quite the hermit crab, so finding a sense of community outside of contained spaces like school or work life can be rather difficult. Social media thankfully allowed me to connect with many like-minded creators. Specifically in the ‘Mermay’ community I’ve befriended lots of brilliantly sweet and creative people, like yourself, whom I’ve truly appreciated having in my mer-pod! It’s been such a beautiful experience bonding with artist who’ve uplifted and inspired me with their different approaches to their own art and life. I’ve had many friends show me better creative tactics I hadn’t considered, and I’m glad I’ve been able to help others as well!

To see you occupy the spaces you do, in the way you do, with style, energy and sheer joyfulness, is revolutionary on so many levels. What would you say to younger Paul and how do you think he'd feel seeing you today?

Honestly one of the greatest parts of working in children’s illustration is rediscovering the warmth and exhilaration I felt when creating as a young artist. To Lil’ Paul I’d say continue to be you, and be so much louder and bolder about it too! The ability to create authentically is such a gift and no one else will do it like you. Your art can change the world for the better, for good, even! I think he’d be overjoyed to see all the lives our work has touched throughout our journey, it’s no-longer just little anime sketchbook doodles. Though, in classic Capricorn fashion he’d wonder what’s next, lol.

Though I know you and I are merpeople in our souls, if you were to sprout a tail right this second, what would it look like?

I imagine my natural tail color would be a sort of turquoise-y jade with gold flecks, but my scales would hue shift to varied jewel tones based off my moods. I just love colors so much! What would yours be?

Thank you so much, Paul, for joining us on the Official SCBWI Blog. I'm excited to see what the future holds for you! Your art has been such a joy to witness and I'm alway SAT for what you will share next! 

Check out more about Paul D Kellam, HERE and give this fabulous merperson a FOLLOW on IG! 

SCBWI Resources: The SCBWI YouTube

I'm back again, with more goodies provided for you, by SCBWI. 

This time let's chat about the SCBWI YouTube page!

There are many videos of panels, like the Writing from the Immigrant Experience and UNBanning Books, to interviews with Featured artists like Alex Howes, and Kerry McQuaide. Some of my favorite are the "Let's Eat..." series!

SCBWI has been a champion of sharing knowledge, and resources to help build community and the YouTube is one of the many ways to keep tabs on what is happening in the organization and in the publishing world!

Check out some of the videos below!

Writing from the Immigrant Experience - An Author Panel

UNBanning Books: A Panel Discussion

SCBWI Featured Illustrator: Alex Howes

Let’s Eat Dim Sum with X Fang!