By Heather Phan
The SCBWI Southern Breeze Spring Mingle 2025 conference is coming up and you may be asking yourself the question: Should I attend a conference? Google this question and you’ll be met with several results and a lot of advice, but only you can decide whether getting into the mix with Southern Breeze this spring will be right for you. To help you answer this question, let’s look to some of our favorite picture book characters and the insights they can provide into the question: To mingle or not to mingle?
The Black Rabbit by Phillipa Leathers
“Go away, Black Rabbit!” he cried.
Feeling a little sus and worried that you’re not a “real” writer or illustrator? Don’t be afraid of your own shadow! Belief in your work starts with you. The paths to becoming a published kidlit creator are many and varied, and a day of professional development can provide valuable insights into the different paths that others have taken to realize their kidlit goals. But if you’re like Rabbit and still feeling doubtful? We understand. But the source of your uncertainty? It’s just you, Rabbit! Learn more about the Spring Mingle here and how it can jumpstart your career by giving you the information and insights that can help you stop being afraid of your own shadow and realize your kidlit goals!
Sam & Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
“We won’t stop digging until we find something spectacular.”
Not sure where you are in your career but fancy yourself the adventurous type? Think you’re on the right path and want to see what you can mine from the conference experience? Know that something big is waiting if only you go look? If you’re a Sam or a Dave, register now, and see where the conference day takes you! Whether you hit pay dirt or not, this is sure to be an adventure. And who knows—maybe you’ll find the jewel you’re looking for!
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
As the weeks rolled by, Liam began to feel like a real gardener, and the plants began to feel like a real garden.
You’ve been working hard to nurture your craft, develop your skills, and educate yourself about children’s book publishing, and now it’s time to grow your kidlit career. If you’re like Liam, then you may not feel like you have all the answers, but you believe that your work is vibrant and thriving and you’re ready to shepherd it into the world and see where it goes. What’s just around the corner? Register today and find out!
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
By the time she reaches the end of the trail, she finally knows how to make the thing MAGNIFICENT.
It really is THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING.
Like our inventor extraordinaire, you didn’t give up and now you have a thing that you know is MAGNIFICENT and CANNOT WAIT to take it for a spin. It’s time to meet others in the kidlit community and make connections that can help move your career forward. Need we say more!? Register now!
After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) by Dan Santat
I almost walked away, again. But then I thought about all the time I’d spent working on my plane, and all the other things I’d missed.
Attended a conference and felt like you crashed and burned? Or didn’t benefit as much as you would’ve liked from it? Wasn’t what you hoped? Now you’re feeling very eggy; we get it. But we think that there’s always something to learn and encourage you to take a look at our faculty lineup to determine if the Spring Mingle 2025 conference is right for you. And if you did crash and burn once upon a time? Eh. You’re a creator, and now you’ve got a great story to tell when you finally make it and one from which others can learn, empathize, draw inspiration, and derive comfort. You didn’t crash and burn—you just did research for when you’re on the Q-end of the Q&A. By the way, we love to hear that wildly successful creators were once just like us, so we expect to hear all about it during your first keynote. Get off the shelf and back on the page, kidlit, because it’s time to see what you’ll become! Register here.
Hit us up on Twitter/X or Facebook and let us know which picture book character represents YOU.
Have a question for us? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at southern-breeze@scbwi.org.
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Register now link
https://www.scbwi.org/events/full-steam-ahead-spring-mingle-2025