Writing and its Rewards?

Writing and its rewards?

I wanted to share with you all something I was shown today.

Sometimes I just don't know how we creatives and wannabe established author-illustrators do it, we receive rejections upon rejections from agents and publishers, and then finally get a bit sick of that so decide to take the risk and invest our own dwindling money supplies into doing it ourselves (whether self publishing or just getting a few limited edition copies of something printed/made) and - in my experience so far - lose more money than we receive. And yet, we persist. We carry on, because despite all the apparent failures, despite the fact we lose more money than we earn, despite all that, we just cannot imagine ourselves working in anything else but this. So we keep going.

As yet I am not an officially published author-illustrator. I think most people know just how hard and long that can be! You won't find my books on the shelves of Waterstones, not yet. So last year I decided to risk it and print a few limited copies of my series of three Silent Books myself http://www.maiamakesbooks.com/shop.htm and I also went on a small tour of some primary schools to collect feedback from teachers and children about The Silent Books.

Then one day not too long ago I felt like the luckiest lady when I suddenly discovered that my books were being used in many more schools in the UK and abroad. Most decision you make to move things forward end up having some kind of effect, whether big or small and whether you notice it straight away or months or years later. For this, I also had the likes of Rob Smith from the Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshed.com/ and other wonderful folk to thank for promoting my work amongst teachers on their websites, blogs, Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Though this is not as yet my full time job (how I wish it was!) and I'm not making a living out of it, all the incredible feedback I am receiving is seriously heart warming and is what keeps me going. I value it so much, and I have so many people - people I have never even met - to thank for being my  huge driving force.

Oh yes, so what was it that happened today that inspired me to write this post? I saw this >> http://room32012.blogspot.co.nz/ All the way over in Rotorua, New Zealand, children at St. Mary's Primary School have been using one of my books 'Stray' as inspiration to write their own stories! It is strange and incredible to think that something I created has managed to create a wave of creativity.

Published or unpublished, money or no money, writing, illustrating and all sorts of creativity are rewarding in so many different ways!