Is your work your life?

Several weeks ago, a Live Journal author, whose blog I enjoy checking in on, told her readers: "my work is not my life." I can respect that, I thought to myself. It's good to separate the two if you are able to.

But it started me thinking about my own work. Is it MY life? Well, my real life is being a mother and wife and daughter, but besides that other life, is my WORK my life? Or is it my job?

I think it is my life. I cannot keep my need for art out of my life. I think that making some kind of artwork in one medium or another has been my life almost forever (well, maybe except for when I was between the ages of 13-16. Then maybe BOYS were my life). In college, before kids, and even after there has always been the need to scratch the itch of being creative. It took many forms, but it was always present.

Now that my kids are getting more independent, it is even more of an obsession--the obsession of creating books for children. Sometimes it is the story and sometimes it is the art for the story, but the end product is always the book and making it happen.

I thought I would present another author/illustrator who lives her art. If you attended the SCBWI Winter Conference last weekend or if you attended the Friday evening at Bar Nine, then you saw her. You saw her engaged in the activity which she appears to do nonstop during all of her waking hours: journal sketching. You saw her in the lobby of the Hilton, the corner of the room housing the Art Showcase, the restaurant in the hotel, the ballroom, the brunch room, and so one. Of course I am talking about Ruth McNally Barshaw as the roving on-the-spot sketcher and visual journal keeper. Here are some nice shots of Ruth doing what she does best.

And so when Ruth's book hits the stand this spring, you should know that this is not only a fresh approach to a new middle grade novel. This is REAL life for Ruth as projected on to her character. This is art immitating life. And because of that, it is sure to ring true.

P.S. Ruth's book is being pulished by Bloomsbury.

I got to see the arc and it looks wonderful!

Comments

[roz]

I couldn't agree with you more about the sincerity behind the book that she has coming out.
I never saw Ruth without her journal, scribbling away.
It was a highlight of the trip for me to see her in action for sure.

[paula]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and impressions of the conference, Barbara! I especially like this posting you did on Ruth and her journaling. I read her journal from a previous conference as well as some of the others on her site. She's great at doing the sketch/cartoon journaling!

Oh, and I got your tag for the 6 weird things--Thank you! I'm still trying to come up with some new ones as there was a tag last year similar to this one and I don't want to repeat myself.

[john nez]

Well for me my work is my escape from my life.

Sad but true... just about the only bright spots in the last few years have been my books... born of my escape from reality.

Hey, I'm a big fan of Ruth's... I knew her way back when too. It's nice to see a pitcher of her finally.

jn

[Don]

How'd I miss this. Thanks for sharing!