Closing Keynote by Bryan Collier

Bryan Collier's closing keynote is one of the most uplifting and energizing talks we've had at SCBWI maybe ever, attendees are all still buzzing from the journey he took us on in a mere thirty minutes. And it is fun to remember that Bryan is most famous for his illustration work—but after today I'm sure many attendees are wishing they could see him again regularly, somewhere on a global stage as a public speaker—how lucky are the kids who get him for school visits? Where do we nominate him for Children's Book Ambassador?

Maybe if this post gets enough comments below seconding my request for BRYAN ON YOUTUBE we can convince SCBWI to put the keynote up for free on their Channel for a limited time? While I will cross my fingers that the entire SCBWI society membership can have access to Bryan's keynote, here are a few highlights even if I can't really do the experience justice.

Bryan Collier is a beloved illustrator known for his unique style combining watercolor and detailed collage. He is a four-time Caldecott Honor recipient for Trombone Shorty, Dave the Potter, Martin’s Big Words, and Rosa. He's also the illustrator of many other books including Uptown, By and By, Thurgood, The Five O’Clock Band, and Between the Lines. His recent books include All Because You Matter, We Shall Overcome, Music is a Rainbow, Maya's Song, We Are Here. Love is Loud, Ode to Frapefruit, Freedom on the Sea, and Black Boy Rise, among others forthcoming. He lives in New York with his family and Bryan joined us today from his art-filled studio.

Bryan shared a bit about the seven years he spent trying to break into children's books and the joy he felt when it finally happened. He credits editor Laura Godwin for saying the simple words that have guided his bookmaking career since that very first book, which is to just tell everybody what you know, what you've see and what you've experienced. Think about what you love most in this world and tell everybody about it through your words and art, don't hold back. 

Bryan has done exactly that for all 55 of his books, and feels like he has to relearn how to make a book every time he starts a new project in order to give readers the best of himself and his talents.

You can never outgrow a picture book, says Bryan, who has loved Harold and the Purple Crayon since he was 4 years old and still has a powerful, emotional response to the work. Bryan takes us through his personal copy of Harold and shows attendees its an allegory for our own creative and spiritual journeys in a way that we will never be able to read Harold again without both weeping joyfully and having an existential crisis, but that's Bryan's whole point! Picture books are really powerful objects that stay with you your whole life. 

Wall to wall glowing comments and hearts for Bryan's keynote

Bryan shares more original paintings onscreen from his art studio and talks about what his book series with Tami Charles has meant to him and the messages he wants to put out into our world. He tells us about a book he's wildly excited to be putting out soon about Marian Wright Edelman, the founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and an advocate for disadvantaged Americans for her entire professional life. 

Thank you to Bryan for raising everyone's spirits up with the finale to his exceptional talk and ending another great SCBWI summer conference.