Chronicle Books

In June, while on vacation in San Francisco with my family, I had the opportunity to visit a Chronicle Books bookstore. It was so fun. My kids and I stayed for a long time reading as many picture books as we wanted. I love being surrounded by children’s books, and this little trip to the bookstore was perfect. I always try to take advantage of opportunities wherever I am. You never know what hidden gem is just around the corner. So go out, explore, discover, and enjoy.

Inspiration in Surprising Places

Inspiration comes in all shapes and forms. Even amidst chaos. Just ask my four-year-old. She can wreak havoc in no time flat. I’m always amazed at what she can do in the few minutes that I am upstairs switching laundry. However, I found that I sometimes welcome her destructiveness. That might sound crazy, but her path of destruction has often brought me great inspiration for my stories. I am writing for children after all, and who would know children better than my messy four-year-old?

My husband thinks it’s funny that I take pictures of all of her chaos, but I just say that it is for research and inspiration. I never know when one of her crazy ideas is going to be the perfect idea for my story.

Some of the best stories have been inspired from everyday occurrences. We just have to be open and ready to the things that are around us. If our eyes are open to finding the humor and fun in everyday situations, than we will find our needed inspiration.

So embrace the messy, destructive chaos. It just might be the inspiration you’ve been needing.