Children’s Book Week 5 – Gaining Insight

[cs_section parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_video_embed no_container=”false” type=”16:9″][/x_video_embed][cs_text]When it comes to pursuing our passions and interests, especially when we want to pursue them well, we need to gain insight. That has been my aim during this 5th week. And as I continue to learn the process I realize I cannot simply learn everything on my own. Learning from others, hearing them speak and tell of their experiences is a valuable thing. That is why I decided to attend a children’s book writers conference in September.

Can Conferences Help?

The question of and even hesitancy toward conferences is quite understandable. I tend to be cautious with anything that promises to give answers, especially when it requires money. Indeed, the question “Can conferences help?” is a tricky one to answer. Having been to some myself I have found that some are just a drivel of insider jargon, a waste of time and money. However, sometimes they provide very useful information. So the answer is a very non-committal, it depends.

One of my first thoughts to any help group is, “Are you in it for me or you?” Granted, no organization can be completely giving, there has to be some self preservation. A group that always gives and never receives cannot last long. Yet, there is a scale that shows whether an organization is mainly for its members or for itself. Using that scale I evaluate groups and carefully align myself with those groups who are more focused on the members. So, when I choose what conferences to go to I look at what that organization is about.

I say all that to say this – conferences can help if you choose the right one(s) and the right lectures. There are some valuable lecturers out there that may show you stuff you never thought of or may even get you thinking in a different direction. Information is your friend so long as you get the right information.

The writers conference I have chosen to attend looks promising. There are some lectures that I am looking forward to attending. I have done my due diligence and hope that I gain some valuable insight. But whether the lectures are as good as I hope for or not at least I am pursuing an interest of mine rather than sitting on the book for another eight years. This is something I hope we can all say we did at the end of our lives – we attempted something we took a chance on, we tried it and got to it!

Attempt it. Chance it. Try it. Get to It![/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section]