Creative Chaos with Anna J. Boll

Live Journal

2006-09-27T14:27:00.000-04:00

I have started a second blog over at live journal. I can already tell that I will not be able to keep up with both so I will be posting over there for the near future. Please come check it out. Creative Chaos II

There are things I can tell that I will miss. The easy tool bar for links and photos, the clear templates, and no ads. However, the Live Journal system supports numerous writer friends and really feels more like a community. (This also makes it take more time as I have a lot more comments over there.) We'll see. If the whole "friending" business could cross blogs, and I would stop being "anonymous," I'd probably stay put. Come visit me at live journal!

Fabulous Weekend

2006-09-25T11:43:00.000-04:00

I just got back from a fabulous weekend with my writing buddies. Our "Fall Schmooze" was a recipe for success. Take 9 seasoned writers, 1 spicy editor from Walter Lorraine Books at Houghton, Add too much modesty, Stir over two days adding your choice beverage from time to time, Simmer with laughter and honest critique. Tastes delicious.

The weekend, as always, gave me a kick in the pants. I am going to complete my dummy by October 21st with the Fall Folio Feast in mind. I also hope to have some images with my poetry. My goal is to show how my words and images work together. Must get to work!

Poster contest sob story

2006-09-15T11:05:00.000-04:00

Okay. So if any of you have elementary aged children you know that it has been a busy week. Getting kids to bed on time, up on time, to the bus on time. We were busy getting used to school, the bus, and a host of extracurricular activities that all started this week. If I had a piece of chocolate for every time I told a kid to put on their shoes, I'd be fat. So it is no wonder that 1) My husband has been away for two weeks and I've been doing this all on my own. 2) The deadline for the National Cherry Blossom Festival poster contest is tomorrow.

I entered the contest last year and didn't win, but was able to see all the entries in an exhibit this past March. I was also able to talk to the judges and get a little insight into the process. I knew I wanted to enter it again, and have been sketching and gathering references and supplies. I created a block print using high density sign foam and a dremmel tool. This made the carving very easy although a little messy. I probably should have worn a mask as the dust goes everywhere. I carved at the beginning of the week, inked in the middle and finally did the coloring yesterday.

I ran to the UPS store and had them ship it overnight to make the 5pm, September 15th deadline, which cost me....Drum roll please......
$100 smackeroos!

I paid. Crazy, maybe, especially because we are in the midst of some serious money issues, but what else could I do. I wasn't going to let all that work go to waste. Anyway, it is a business expense that will show up on the 2006 taxes. The thing that gets me is that it is a digital file that I easily could have emailed them but that was against the guidelines.

Wish me luck.

September 11th: Five years later

2006-09-11T07:20:00.000-04:00

I'm not feeling very stable anyway but September 11th is hitting me like a ton of bricks. I told myself I wouldn't watch tv today and I won't but there has still been plenty of coverage in the days leading up to today. The front of the Portland Press Herald has a huge picture of the lights that memorialize the twin towers. I read the whole front page and the list of those from Maine who died five years ago. It's not a huge list but its enough. Enough to make me shiver, to make my stomach turn to lead. To make my brain foggy, a lump build in my throat, my eyes sting. Enough to make me so sad that I snap at my children because I can not, will not share with them what they are too young to hear. That there are hateful people who wish us dead. That there are people so mean that they are killers.

I am pissed that I do not feel safer, after the Patriot laws or TSA or seeing our troops die for our freedoms. Pissed that our government is barking up the wrong terrorists, and ineffectively at that. Pissed that I have had to become easy-going about a certain amount of risk in daily life that did not exist five years ago.

That's it for now. I might need to write more later.

Studio Streamlining

2006-09-07T21:27:00.000-04:00

With the kids back to school, I have been amazingly organized and on-task in my studio. I started out Tuesday developing a typed "to do" list that has all my magazine articles, poems, picture books, non-fiction, agents to query and novels. (I have quite a bit.) I jotted down two or three places each piece needed to go, and interesting quotes from specific editors/agents. This was relatively easy after a summer of reading Children's Writer, SCBWI market notes, and the new CWIMarket. (Yay again! to Cindy Lord for her article in the Market Guide.) The list has made my days more streamlined. I wave good-bye to my lovely, genius children and run home to my studio. I have a good two hours straight now on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. (Some of you may be laughing at how little time I have to work, but this is like heaven compared to the writing-in-the-cracks-of-life method I've been using.) Anyway, Tuesday I sent out a picture book manuscript. Today I sent out a poem with a sketch to Spider and a picture book manuscript to Kar-Ben. Perhaps by the time I get through the list I will be receiving the rejections that require me to start from the beginning again. That's okay. The next envelopes are ready to go!

Anything can spark an idea

2006-08-25T21:21:00.000-04:00

It's amazing what will give you an idea for writing and illustrating. I just thought I'd share two from today. This morning, as I took my shower, I spied a spider or two on the ceiling above the tub and created a humorous poem about them sliding down the water spout into the hair of the person showering. Later, I was waiting for my kiddo when he was in a school bathroom and saw this. I thought it was pretty precious. Doesn't everyone take off their red rubber boots when they go to the potty?

Sick, ick.

2006-08-22T15:49:00.000-04:00

After a beautiful morning with the kids, (walking up Bradbury mountain and having a picnic under the pine trees) my cold is catching up with me. I feel, you'll excuse me, that my nose and ears are cemented shut. Ugh. Not good for working. Maybe I'll write about someone who feels sick.

Rainy sunday dreaming

2006-08-20T09:09:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Jo Knowles for giving me this fabulous link to Jarrett J. Krosoczka's blog. If you are involved with children's books, you will want to watch his short video about the ups and downs of trying to publish. It is laugh out loud funny and amazingly well directed and produced. My favorite part is when they keep him waiting and waiting but want his work in a single month. (Definetly go to his website too if you have the time. ) I guess the premiere of the movie was at the LA SCBWI annual conference. I would love to go there sometime, but alas, I am an east coast girl without the means for a west coast ticket. Maybe someday I'll do a workshop there and get to go. After I have a book published that is. Oh hum. Back to work.

Picture book web preview

2006-08-17T06:52:00.000-04:00

A fellow critiquer in my on-line picture book group gave me the link to Dottie Enderle's site. Take a look at the book "preview" at the lower left of her page. What a great idea and relatively easy. I'll bet you could do this in imovie by creating a series of stills with fade ins and outs. I just don't know how it would be coded into your website.

Last night, I met with my in-person critique group. We have been in flux for the summer and since the wonderful success of our friend and fellow critiquer Cynthia Lord. Anyway, we worked on getting together a notice for new members, reestablished the structure of our meetings, and scheduled meetings through the rest of the year. I feel that we are all looking to be productive and publish. Perhaps this new energy will be visible in my manuscripts and editors will notice.

Davey and Janet scratch the Seven Year Itch

2006-08-14T07:29:00.000-04:00

What a weekend! My family went to Western New York to celebrate our good friends David and Janet. They have been living together happily for seven years and brought friends and family together as Davey's parents are moving from the area and selling their long time home as well. We traveled with my in-laws, five children, my sister-in-law, and her opere in two minivans. (Oh my!) The party was wonderful with crafts, a moon bounce, and extra sitters for the kids, beautiful weather, paraplane rides for whoever wanted them (Davey went to flight school at one point) and a Hawaiian theme. Before they opened the buffet, they called everyone into the tent. Davey asked us all to leave an aisle and he brought an old family friend up from the audience who was a lay preacher. Neither Davey or Janet's parents knew that their children were planning a secret wedding but they were all thrilled. When Janet came out of the house in a white halter dress with a beautiful ankle length hankerchief hem there wasn't a dry eye in the tent. The preachers friend, a local judge, came up and sealed the deal after the bride and groom exchanged spontaneous wonderful vows. I'm getting all choked up just writing about it again. The rest of the night was dance-filled and fun. Congratulations Davey and Janet!

Babybug makes offer on poem

2006-08-08T20:42:00.000-04:00

So good news. Babybug has accepted a poem from me. I send them back a yes on their offer, some tearsheets, postcards and a polished sketch for an illustration. I'm hoping this may be my in on the illustration front. Cross your fingers for me. So if anyone was keeping track, that makes four poems to Highlights for Children and two to Babybug. Now if I could just sell a book manuscript...

Summer Blogging

2006-08-01T07:45:00.000-04:00

I see that other bloggers are busy this summer too. Some resorting to "reruns" of past blogs. I will give you a quick update on all things Boll.

Small child is taking tap with a "ballet warm-up." According to him, this is not real ballet like his other ballet teacher. He is eager to get back to sweet, patient Miss Elizabeth who is so talented and graceful it makes me want to wiggle into a pink leotard just to take her classes. He is also excited to go get his big boy backpack from LL Bean. His brother got to do the same before he went to Kindergarten.

Large child is finishing up a whole summer of baseball. He is itching for friends and, I think, the start of school. He said to me this morning, "Mom, can you believe I'm going into the second grade?" Hardly, darling, hardly.

Husband is starting up at the Navy tomorrow. He is usually on reserves but is going back on active duty for a six month period. The regular paycheck and health benefits will be great to have. Perhaps it will relieve some stress.

I am trying to relax and enjoy the summer with my children, work more hours at the gym for money (which would usually go to fund my author/illustrator work but is now going to the family), find bits of time to write and draw, and trying not fall asleep at 9 each night.

My list of wishes:
I wish the arts were compensated at a higher level.
I wish child care were free to parents ala Sweden.
I wish my manuscripts would be accepted already. I've had enough of pleasant rejections that tell me how adorable and exciting my ideas are.
I wish health care was free.
I wish editors could get back to writers in a more reasonable time frame.

There's more I'm sure, but that is all for now.

Children's Illustration Class

2006-07-23T17:50:00.000-04:00

Last week there was no time for blogging as I was commuting to the Maine College of Art for my Children's Illustration class with Judy LaBrasca. I was hard at work from 9-5 all week. Tuesday was the most difficult as it was about 120 degrees on the fourth floor of the Porteous building. My fellow students were very kind and talented people with varying knowledge about the publishing industry. Judy honored my knowledge and let me speak about SCBWI and Maine Illustrators' Collective.

During the week, I was able to take my ROAR manuscript to the next level. I started the week with a manuscript just under 500 words. I think I cut at least 200 of those words as my vision for the illustrations became more concrete. I found that many of my words were redundant and I ended up getting rid of them. I analyzed other picture books by creating story boards for existing books and learned a lot about pacing. I also focussed on character development using clay to sculpt my main character. (A technique borrowed from David Weisner, Tuesday.) I found that after this process, I was intimately aware of the curves and lines that made up the character. I also completed two finishes for spreads. I am working on the book dummy I will submit to publishers.

Now that I am home, I hope to do one spread sketch a week for the dummy. I am eager to start the submissions process as this book has been a work in progress for about four years now. I am efficient when I have a long period of time to work (and no internet or children to interrupt me.)

School will be starting before we know it. I have the Staples commercial playing in my head, "It's the most wonderful time of the year..."

Ideas

2006-07-18T05:13:00.000-04:00

Here is a bit from my comments for the children's illustration class I'm taking this week at the Maine College of Art with Judy LaBrasca:

I keep an idea file with bits of paper with unfinished poems or possible titles. Often these ideas come to me in the car (during carpool) and are scrawled on the backs of receipts. More often, I try to keep the ideas more organized in a sketch book that I keep beside me in the car and in my purse. Another sits beside my bed. My sketch books are full of writing as well as sketches. I have been carrying a sketch book pretty religiously since 2002.

Actually, it was a journal with lines in 2002. At that point I saw myself as a writer who liked to draw. In 2003, I got rid of the lines. In 2004, I took Leticia Plate’s Business of Illustration course throught the continuing studies program. In 2005, I had a web site, a portfolio, and sent out two rounds of postcards. I got two small jobs last year. I was an illlustrator. This year, I had a lack luster portfolio review at the New England SCBWI conference. This, in addition to the fact that I have not been able to make any money through my illustration or writing this year has caused a lack of confidence in my skills. I have been questioning if I am really an author/illustrator or if I am indeed, a writer who likes to draw. I am taking the class, in large part for the support and constructive criticism of an instructor and fellow artists.

Actually, I am jealous of other artists sketch books. Too me, other artists have drawings that look so finished and accomplished. They seem to sketch all the time. I love to see the sketch books with a collage of ideas, crowding the pages, new characters peeking out from behind each other. I love the drawings that are born out of the artist’s mind’s eye. Fantastical and free, tripping from page to page. My scrawling is big with a single drawing filling a page. I find it difficult to draw anything well if I am not looking at reference of some type. Instead, my sketch book is filled with quick gesture drawings, unfinished observational drawings, composition ideas and words.

Posing for figure drawing class

2006-07-13T10:45:00.000-04:00

I am a confident person. I am a performer at heart. I am comfortable in my own skin. So being naked in front of a room full of artist is not difficult. The challenging part of modeling for a figure drawing class is coming up with interesting poses one can hold. The one minute poses are fine. I rock at one minute poses.

My one minute poses invoke dance and yoga, real life experiences, interesting twists and turns of ribcage and pelvis, arms outstretched or entwined, eyes searching the sky or the past. Five minute poses still have some of these qualities but when we get to the fifteen minute poses, I am "nude in recline." I sit. I kneel. I lean. I lay. Every once in a while I will stand but I have to make sure my hips are in line, my neck is just so, my arms are not throwing me off balance, and that nothing is pressing into any part of my body. One table or stool edge pressing on a thigh isn't much for five minutes. Add in another ten, however, and it feels as if the edge has permanently pinched all nerves, veins and arteries in that locale. Did you know that a whole leg could fall asleep?

The thiry minute poses do me in. Change "nude in recline" to "sleeping nude." At this point it is 8:30 at night. I've been awake since 5 am. First, I went to the gym and took a yoga class. Next, I chaffeured my children around from baseball, to camp, to swim lessons. We had two scraped knees along the route and at least five arguments which sent my small son into a fit of whining that made me want to rip my hair out. (Or maybe his.) After all this driving and refereeing, I plopped my children infront of the TV while I whipped up home-made pizza. I digress. As I pose nude at 8:30 pm, head on pillow, legs on a box slightly askew, one hand on belly the other above my head, I fall asleep. Not a deep sleep mind you. A cat nap sort of sleep. Twenty minutes into the pose I am wide awake again but I cannot feel my biceps in the raised arm. "I'm sorry," I say, "I have to put my arm down." It takes a good five minutes trying to get the blood back into that part of my arm. In the mean time an artist says, "Your arm keeps moving." That's a good thing as far as I'm concerned, because I thought I had lost all movement in that arm. "I'm sorry," I say and keep still.

Another thing about posing is the time you have just being. It is a slightly meditative state where knots in the wooden floor can be figured into dogs, or old ladies with floppy hats. The cupboard pulls in this studio, for instance, look as if they are cartoon eyes staring right back at you. You can count the drips off the skylight as it rains or listen to the Veery birds at dusk. All this in your best suit without any children about.

Agent wanted

2006-07-07T19:38:00.000-04:00

My brain has been on overload for a while now. I am filled with bits and pieces. I agreed to edit our synagogue newsletter, I am trying to learn my choreography for the aerobics class that I teach (I need to know it by Monday), I applied for a great job that I didn't even get an interview for (or so it seems), I got an interview and an offer for an okay job that I didn't even apply for (can't decide if I should say yes or no), and I got an inquiry about a job that could be very interesting, I would need to develop it but it is somewhat iffy. All this job talk is because I can't seem to sell my writing right now. One does not make money from rejections. Maybe once I get in the summer groove I'll be able to get more stuff out and off of my desk. Right now, I'd really like an agent but that seems to be just as hard to find as a publisher.

Don't smile at me Mommy

2006-07-05T13:23:00.000-04:00

My small child is learning to inline skate. He puts on his skates and starts to chug around the basketball court feet furiously moving back and forth. I'm a little surprised that he gets anywhere this way but there is definetly forward motion. "March a little, kiddo" I call out. "It is more of a step than back and forth." He is ignoring me. Finally he finds the new rhythm. March, march, march, roll. March, march, march, roll. "That's it!" I say. I watch him smiling. He mumbles, "No smilin'." I'm not sure I heard him properly. I grin as he rolls again. "Don't smile at me, Mommy," he says in a frustrated tone. I thought these teenage moments would wait until nine or ten. It seems we have them early.

A great birthday for a five year old

2006-07-04T16:07:00.000-04:00

My small son turned five yesterday and, I must say, had a great birthday. He spent the weekend swimming with his cousins in his grandparent's pool. A carnival was in town and it was ride all you want for one price. He rode the small train, the big trucks, motorcycles that did wheelies and jumped, and airplanes that soared in circles. Cake and presents topped off that night. On his real birthday, he received roller skates and went skating. His grandparents arrived again, this time in a red convertible. They took him for a ride that he loved so much, sweet boy, he fell asleep. In the evening we had a barbecue and finished the night with a bonfire. The kids roasted marshmallows and made s'mores. They hunted for lightening bugs with the neighbors and ended the day with a story by the fire. It's good to be five.

Tuesday I was a bad mother

2006-06-29T08:11:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, I left my child at baseball. No excuse, just plum forgot where he was and that he needed me. I suppose it has to do with the fact that his Dad dropped him off, he left around the same time he would for school, it rained on Monday and baseball was canceled. But the fact is that I just wasn't ready for the new schedule and I had a bad mother moment. Don't worry. When I figured it out (20 minutes after I was suppose to be there) it hit me like a ton of bricks, or a train, or any other large object that makes your heart drop to your knees and suck in air like you have to fill an entire hot air balloon. I hustled my smaller son out of the house (I had forgotten about his day camp as well) and raced (as fast I could given all of Brunswick is under construction) to the ball field. The good news is that he was never in any harm. The older kids came to the ball field for their session along with many Moms we know from school. He played happily on the playground until I showed up 45 minutes late.
Wednesday was much better and perhaps today I'll even figure out how to revise my picture book in between pick-ups and drop offs. Mama taxi ready to roll.

I'm Back

2006-06-21T07:34:00.000-04:00

My last post was twelve days ago and I'm truly thrilled to be back and posting again. When our parents warned us about being starving artists they didn't know about the stress of debt. Yes, we eat fine in the Boll house but right around the 15th of each month we start wondering about how we will make it to the 30th. I've been applying to restaurants, LL Bean and a job for the fall. So far, nothing has come through. If something did come through for the summer my time table is so odd with caring for my kids I don't know how anyone would schedule me.

So, I turned in my application packet for a part-time adjunct lecturers position at Bowdoin yesterday. If I got the job, I'd be teaching Environmental Education, supervising 10 Bowdoin students in elementary school placements. It is a dream job for me and I thought about staying quiet about it. But, like a pregnancy, if things don't work out, you want to have the support of those who care. So, I'm hoping to get an interview at least. We'll see.

While I've been working at get work, the work I love, my writing and illustrating, has been shoved aside like some in-the-way child who is sulking in the corner asking to be played with. Print, draw, write, create, it says. I do have my sister coming in mid-July and I've been saving my pennies for an intensive illustration course at the Maine College of Art. I'm really looking forward to it! Hoping to end up with a dummy for Roar! that I can send off immediately.

I got a nice rejection from Kirchoff/Wohlberg. My picture books are age appropriate but picture books are a hard sell these days. (I know, I know!) Really they are looking for middle grade or young adult novels. Won't that market get flooded too? Geez. Happy first day of summer!

Emails you don't send...

2006-06-06T20:15:00.000-04:00

Here is another funny video link. Not about rejection but email communication ettiquette, if you will. I wonder when these people have time to create these great videos? Thanks to fabulous friend and illustrator Leticia Plate for sending me the link. Take a look at her "Snail Mail Productions" link to neat stuff she's created for sale. Very crafty!

Rejection Video

2006-06-01T21:23:00.000-04:00

I'd like to say I found this video myself, but alas, I've been holding a small boy's head over the toilet since last night and haven't the time to wander the web. Enjoy! Thanks to Jo Knowles!

Illustration Friday: Cake

2006-05-29T23:40:00.000-04:00

Beach cake takes a lot of concentration.

The All-American Day

2006-05-29T19:55:00.000-04:00

My gosh! What a gorgeous day we had today. Beautiful blue sky, hot, sunny day. We went to the Memorial Day parade. Great people watching for characters. I got some color at the Seadogs baseball game. The Seadogs got two home runs (the model lighthouse rises from just over the wall with a great "ahoogah" foghorn noise) and they won. We sang YMCA and Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Finally, we had lobster rolls at our favorite lobster pound. Truly a fabulous beginning to the summer and a great setting for a book.

New Moon

2006-05-27T06:52:00.000-04:00

Every once in a while it seems that the whole world is in a downslump. Okay not the whole world, but the people I come in contact with on a daily basis. My world, maybe? A lot of folks I've run into recently have that same glazed, over-exhausted, stressed look on their faces. Phases. What phase is the moon in right now? No moon at all tonight. So perhaps as the moon grows over the next days and weeks the world will seem a little brighter, lighter, happier. Or at least my world will.