After six months of working at the SCBWI Nevada Mentorship Program, I have decided I make a terrible mentor. Here are the reasons:
One. What do I know about how other people should write their stories, or make their illustrations? All I know is how I do it. But nobody wants to be me; everybody wants to be themselves, right?
Two. My English is terrible, my words are endless, which means that anybody who is working with me will hear more words from me than he or she can actually understand.
Three. I work even in my sleep. There is not time for anything else. People who work with me in their projects have to put up with me not having time for nothing.
Four. I have a very capricious personal taste for stories and art. My opinions are tinted.
Five. I am the emotional type, I can't do anything without feeling heart pains.
Six. I can't make you published, really.
Seven. I am afraid of sleeping in that hotel in Virginia City infested with ghost--where the mentorship program and conference took place.
Eight. People know better what is best for them. If you are smart, you don't want me as a mentor.
Nine. I am vegetarian.
Ten. People invite me to be a mentor to aspiring authors and illustrators, and then I make videos about it (sight).
If you don't believe me, here is the evidence.
but I recommend you see first David After Dentist, which was our video muse.
And so, here is Art Director After Conference, filmed and produced by Jim Averbeck, Laurent Linn (art director at Simon & Schuster), and Truly Yours.
You are warned now.
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4 comments:
Hi Yuyi, I heard you were an awesome mentor... Please do not feel bad for what you could not do. Everyone is grateful for what you DID do. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking part.
And thanks for posting the video. I tried to see if I could see it on facebook but then thought to come here.
It really was wonderful to meet you.
Kjersten, I am glad you liked the video. I believe those art samples must have looked very familiar to you.
Really, I wouldn't have missed the experience at the mentorship program, even though I am a terrifying mentor!
Are you serious? I may not be an expert on illustrating picture books yet, but I'm definitely an expert on whether you suck as a mentor or not.
In response to your numbered points:
1. "...everybody wants to be themselves, right?" Right, but I didn't apply to the Mentor Program to keep doing exactly what I was already doing. Your attention to specifics was very important to me. I was pushed to get out of my comfort zone and it was great to go through the process under supervision. Now I have the tools to create my own process.
2. "My English is terrible, my words are endless..." This is hilarious because I kept telling people that I really appreciated the way you got to the point and didn't waste any words.
3. "There is not time for anything else..." I felt that you gave me a lot of your time - especially since you also endured the agony of my ineptitude at writing a picture book!
4. "My opinions are tinted." With really great color I might add. This is a problem?
5. "I am the emotional type, I can't do anything without feeling heart pains." This didn't create any problems for me. What did you do to the other two?
6. "I can't make you published, really." Not your job. Way too much for anyone to expect.
7. "I am afraid of sleeping in that hotel in Virginia City infested with ghost..." That's awful! (You're still a great mentor.)
8. "If you are smart, you don't want me as a mentor." Well, I know I'm smart and definitely know what is best for me...having you as a mentor has been pivotal for me in my development as a children's illustrator.
9. "I am vegetarian." Ha! While in Virginia City I thought about how gross it must have been to mentor a non-vegetarian...I was feeling like a lousy mentee... :)
10. "...and then I make videos about it (sight)." The video is great. It actually captured the overwhelm I felt at the end of the program. I couldn't figure out whether to laugh, cry, scream, or just go to sleep. I think I ended up doing all, except screaming...
There you have it. Remember - I know what I'm talking about!
Kristen, you are so generous. And you are a great illustrator too. I sincerely can't wait to see how those final art turn out. I have big expectations!
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