First week back after the Chanticleer Authors Conference in beautiful Bellingham, WA.
This conference was smaller than what I am used to at PNWA, HNS, Surrey, or even Left Coast Crime. The size did not matter, but the enthusiasm of the organizers and volunteers had a big impact on my experience for which I am most grateful. Also, attending the conference with friends always makes everything more interesting. And fun. Lots more fun. Meeting new ones became the icing on the cake this time.
The location of this conference, with the hotel right on Bellingham Bay, was spot on. Situated on the water meant some fairly windy days though the late April sunshine and warmth didn't deter anyone from long walks by the sea. A walk along the harbor was the perfect respite between sessions or as a pre-dinner sojourn.
I could write an epistle about the various Master Classes I attended, the knowledgeable and enthusiastic vendor/presenters, and the individual sessions where I either learned about the craft or how to market my work. Instead, and I hope you have already gotten a sense for this from the post up to now, this conference uplifted me in a way I hadn't experienced at a conference before. I don't know whether I feel more motivated because I'm closer to publishing now than before or its something else.
This conference gave me a sense of possibility and opportunity that felt fresh and real. Whatever it was that was in the ethers in Bellingham last weekend, I'll take it and then some. I became even more convinced that there's something to the wellness benefits of the negative ions theory after all. I urge all writers to attend a conference in a city by the sea at least once. I am tentatively planning one more this year, also on the Pacific Coast. Water calms, heals, and restores — something this writer sorely needed.