From the RA...

A Road Less Traveled
By Denise Vega
When I first started attending conferences and workshops, I took notes practically verbatim, vowing to do exactly what this writer did, or to follow that editor’s instructions precisely, thus ensuring my path to publication would be quick and fairly painless.

What I learned was that there are no formulas for getting where I want to go and, more importantly, what worked for one person didn’t necessarily work for me. I had to discover my own vision, my own path, my own way of doing things, supplementing that with methods and tools I learned from others.

One writer writes every day, another only on certain days. One artist must have music playing while she paints, another needs 10 projects going at once to feel inspired. One writer's or artist’s vision of success is having a best-selling series, while another’s is completing his first novel or illustration.

The journey for each writer and artist is different and each of us should honor the journey we feel compelled to take. If this means you abandon a novel-in-progress because it just isn’t meaningful to you anymore, so be it. If you can only draw or paint for a couple of hours before you need to take a walk, do it.

Obviously, there is a fine line between taking a break and avoiding your craft altogether because of obstacles, but if you allow yourself the freedom to explore the way you work, develop a routine that enhances your creativity, and feel confident in your methods, then those breaks will be just that—breaks in the process. And I know many a writer and artist who has worked through a block during these so-called “breaks,” having that “ah ha” moment that sometimes only comes when we are not in front of easel, computer screen, or pad and pen.

Honor your creative vision and journey. It may be a road less traveled but it will be a road that is uniquely your own.

Denise Vega is Co-RA of RMC-SCBWI