10/28 Friday

This week I got a good news/bad news call from a publisher I really, really, really wanted to work with on my book.
Bad news: they aren't going to publisher Scootertown bc the company is phasing out picture books.
Good news: they do want to work with me on other projects - the owner loves the book, loves my site, oves my paintings so the months of work leading up to this may pay off in a way I never expected!
Of course, I'm incredibly dissapointed about the book but it appears I've got a chance to do work in another direction so I can't be sad.

However, I'm back to the drawing board as they say - I have to write queries and submit my book to other publishers and reps. I'm going thru children's book sites and working to determine who I should submit to. It's incredibly time consuming and tedious but if I want to reach my next goal - getting my work on book shelves (...and winning a Caldecott), I have to keep at it. This, like getting my paintings in galleries, is not going to happen on it's own. Dogged determination and blind stick-to-it-ness...that's what I need to have running thru my soul 24/7 till I've reached my goal. Grrrr, GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

After my phone call witht he publisher, my first impulse was to give up, let the book goal go because, somewhere in my head, I hear those voices telling me over and over again that I've wasted my time, energy and money on another venture that's never going to go anywhere. My voices are constant and consistant: success is out of reach. My second inpulse is to take a deep breath, shut my head down and meditate into the task at hand.  With or without the voices I worry though - what if either action produces the same result and I'm left here with a very expensive pile of black and white, off set print proofs?

Forge ahead, forge ahead, forge ahead - I have to keep trying to build a network.

On the upside list:
 I made several good connections in the past week -

• the publisher, who I sent a thank you note
• a fantastically talented fellow artist In Providence who's recommended me to a top pop up gallery
• I was offered a show at one of my favorite places in the whole world right now: AS220

In addition, I've got a new place to hang a rotating gallery of work every month: Muse Cards in New Bedford and, then hopefully, I still have a show in Brooklyn coming up....still waiting for a show date.

So, opportunities are out there and happening, I just have to put my head down, stop listening to those voices in my head and keep moving forward. Breath, breath, breath...and keep trying.

To see more of Stories from Scootertown: Run Rabbit Run go to my website: http://becklane.com/

OR

 purchase a copy at Etsy:http://www.etsy.com/listing/82504890/stories-from-scootertown-run-rabbit-run  - each copy comes with a box of crayons!