Why Creative Community Matters When the World Gets Loud

When the world feels like it’s coming apart at all the seams and everything becomes unbearably loud, I feel myself shrinking, wanting nothing more than to retreat into a quiet place. I just want to detach and disappear. It has nothing to do with giving up or vanishing forever—it’s my instinct to find some stillness where I can breathe deeply, and calm down. In that small, sheltered space, I can gather the scattered pieces of myself and remember who I am beneath the chaos. Sometimes hiding is the only way I can survive. It’s good to be a writer and translator who works from home. But it’s lonely. Stepping out of my comfort zone and moving towards community is the absolute opposite. 

Find out what happened when I went against my instincts, joined the SF South Regional Team as Translator Coordinator, organized and attended our local in-person conference, and what I learned about myself during Golden Gate Fest 2026. This is a plea for courage, connection, and community.

I am an introvert, even though my family insists that I am the resident extrovert. There is a good chance you are more introverted, too. Lots of writers and creatives are. 

When a gathering includes more than three unfamiliar faces, I am usually drained and exhausted when it’s over. Occasionally, I get a migraine on top of that. The idea of organizing a local conference and voluntarily facing 140 people was horrifying. That is way too many strangers! But if you read my Golden Gate Fest 2026 Recap blog post, you know it was quite magical. If you haven’t read it, I recommend doing that first. I felt energized and happy all day and was still buzzing a few days later. 

How is that possible? 

There is a massive difference between a random get-together with acquaintances and attending a local SCBWI event. I met people whose hearts beat for children’s books just like mine. And that is highly contagious. It opened me up to conversations with strangers. Passion connects and enhances creativity in a way that can’t be achieved alone. Being immersed in a sea of kidlit people in such an invigorating atmosphere, listening to inspiring talks, working on my craft during workshops, and going deep was amazing. Sharing imposter syndrome, writer’s block, and other obstacles was refreshing and wonderful. Getting new ideas and learning new techniques charged me with tremendous energy. I know the feeling was mutual. Everyone I talked to responded with such a warm, positive spirit; I was blown away.

It was a weekend of making many new connections, and I was especially excited to meet Wanhsiang. She is a fellow SCBWI translator from my virtual monthly translator meet-ups. I could not wait to meet in real life. Getting together in person, having in-depth conversations and exchanges, and talking shop with like-minded kidlit peeps all day felt special, effortless, and natural. It fed the part of my soul that I usually nourish alone in my office (a desk in the bedroom's corner) while translating, writing, or drawing. Being around my creative SCBWI friends was so uplifting and exciting that I forgot all my troubles for a day. It made it easy to focus on my craft and creativity. 

When our presenters shared their personal and professional struggles, it made it easier for me to accept that writing is a tough business. Most of us don’t do it because of money, but because we love kidlit. We want to make a difference in children’s lives. We want every child to be heard, seen, and accepted. Particularly, the most precious and vulnerable groups in our society. Discussing our ideas, intentions, and motivations with others was both humbling and energizing. Sharing creative journeys unites and connects us, and sparks new inspiration, resulting in more creative momentum.

I definitely had some eye-opening moments while attending NY Times bestselling author-illustrator Marla Frazee's workshop, All the Markings of You. 

She blew us away with her knowledge and insights. First, she handed out all kinds of different-sized and colored scrap paper. Then she told us to keep doodling while listening. And to let go of all expectations, just let the hand do the work while the ears are doing their thing. I haven’t really doodled since I was in college, or when I am on the phone for a long time to pass the boredom. Marla suggested practicing this while watching a very familiar series or movie, too. It tricks your brain, or more specifically, keeps the inner critic occupied by the movie. 

She was showing examples of different picture book art, focusing on style, color palette, and other elements. Some examples were simplified, flatter, and consisted of only 3 colors; others were rich and very intricate. 

I was doodling the entire time she was speaking, and most of the other people were, too. Because my dog Charlie was on my mind, inspired by the story of Little Brown by Marla Frazee, I started drawing him over and over. 

I really like how Charlie looked after 45 minutes of doodling. The curly mustache represents his proud sassiness and character and makes me smile.

After Marla was done with the presentation, she checked in with us and our doodles. Many people were surprised by their results. 

Someone created a wonderful pattern maze, which she confessed wasn’t her typical style. She didn’t think it was very good. Marla interjected and questioned this. Interestingly, many creatives don’t think that anything they completed quickly, easily, or imperfectly is as valuable as really thought-out projects because we think easy can’t be good. But maybe it could! Boom! That’s it; trust yourself to just do your thing. In the spirit of play vs. doing everything perfectly.

Sharing wisdom in this quiet solidarity builds resistance. Standing up in community and naming your purpose out loud is powerful. We all love what we do, and the world, especially our children, needs more hope, stories, and reasons to push ahead. It’s our job to show them a world that is worth living in.

Practicing craft exercises in a community and hearing feedback and honest industry perspectives is insightful. Receiving reality checks that both challenge and support us, along with learning how much stick-to-itiveness we all need to make it in this business, is way easier to face in a creative community. This sense of connection is truly the heartbeat of a day like this. It's unfortunate that we only organize these local conferences every two years. If you're curious about the reasoning behind this, feel free to revisit my recap of the Golden Gate Fest 26. 😉 My main takeaway: Attend more local events of our SCBWI sister regions and other creative events in the SF Bay Area.

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.

Remembering Jane Yolen

REMEMBERING JANE YOLEN

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and the children’s book world, is saddened by the news that author, mentor and friend, Jane Yolen, has died. She was 87 and her loss cannot be measured.

For the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, her passing is especially poignant. She was with us at our founding in 1971 and played a significant role in our development.

We first met Jane through Sue Alexander, another early member. Sue had seen Jane speak at a children’s book event in Colorado and wondered whether she would be willing to keynote our very first conference, even though we were expecting only about 50 attendees. Without hesitation Jane replied YES! Over the next half century, despite her busy schedule, she supported the organization, mentored members, and became a warm and faithful friend. We mourn her passing.

In retrospect, it seems that Jane was bound for a career in the arts from an early age. At seven years old, she once told a biographer how she and her younger brother, Steven, would print up and distribute a weekly newsletter to their friends and relatives in their New York neighborhood.

Following high school, Jane moved to Massachusetts and enrolled in Smith College. It was there that she discovered her love for the written word. Most of her early work was in poetry, and her poems were so moving that year after year she won the award for best poetry.

After college Jane moved to New York and found work as an editor at a respected publishing house. Although she was a good editor, poetry remained her real passion. That was until one day, on a whim, she switched gears and wrote a children’s book titled Pirates in Petticoats.

Proud of the story, she sent it off to a publishing house. One wintry day in February, she received a letter from the publisher informing her that they wanted her book! The good news called for a double celebration, as it was also her birthday. She was turning twenty- two.

Coincidence? Maybe? But, in any case, the rest is literary history.

Jane went on to write more than 400 books across nearly every category. These books were not assembly line tales cranked out featuring cookie cutter characters and tired plots. No matter the genre, Jane's books were penned with the utmost concern for the child who might someday pick them up and devote their time to reading the words she wrote.

This is something we might all aspire to do.

Jane’s books have won countless awards including a Caldecott Medal, two Christopher Medals, two Nebula Awards, three World Fantasy Awards, a Regina Medal, and many more. If you wish you can find a complete list online.

There is one accolade that does not carry with it a trophy, a certificate, or a medal. Instead, it is a simple celebration of her work, bestowed upon her by her many peers:

THE MODERN DAY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

Along with her loving children, Heidi, Jason, and Adam, and her husband, Peter, we mourn her loss. We know her books will live on for generations to come.

Written by Stephen Mooser

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.