Perspective: We Are Not Small

As a Children's Librarian AND aspiring writer, I often find that my worlds overlap and intersect like a crazy Venn diagram. Last week, I shared a relatively new book with some Kindergarten classes that came to visit my library. It's called You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant. (And incidentally the Theodore Seuss Geisel Award winner for 2015). It's all about perspective - how the little creatures (bears?) are only little when compared to the larger ones, and vice versa. (Don't miss the adorable parachuting REALLY little critters - check it out!)

Last weekend, I also attended the NESCBWI Conference with many fellow writers and illustrators. While the theme was "Think Outside the Crayon Box", (and believe me, I LOVE a theme) what I took away was just like the readers of that book - a new perspective. I heard two different agents mention that those of us in attendance need to think of ourselves as BIG - the Top of the Heap - NOT small. Sure, they could just be saying these nice things, but I think we, especially aspiring writers, need to remind ourselves that we are exactly that. We go to conferences, read blogs on writing, join critique groups, search out other writers, and spend endless amounts of time writing - or at least thinking about it! We are not small.
So instead of thinking that we are all such tiny bears in that forest of writers gathered in the ballroom at NESCBWI, let's think of ourselves as the BIG bears, who took the time to be there and to be inspired.