Wicked Inspiration

People in Massachusetts use "wicked" as an intensifier, similar to "very" or "really," as a holdover from New England's regional dialect and history, despite its traditional meaning of evil. The modern usage is a distinct regionalism that likely emerged as a way for Boston-area youth to create unique slang, possibly as a response to other regions, and was later popularized by media like the movie Good Will Hunting and the TV show Saturday Night Live. 

What does inspiration mean? According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, one meaning describes it as….“the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.”

So, if you are a children’s book author or aspire to be, as I once did, then why not pay a visit to some of the most famous and creative children’s book authors you can remember from your childhood!

Where to start? Well, I was born and raised in Massachusetts, so there was no better place to start than right in my own backyard.

I enjoy expressing myself poetically, so here’s a poem I wrote just for you:

Last year, I paid a visit to a very famous Cat

Who always looks good in a red and white hat.

He said his author, Dr Seuss by name, is responsible

For giving him his spotlight and fame!

Good Night Cookies can do that, too.

Grace Kelly and Mr. Mischief are quite a crew.

Keep up the good work, he said with a grin,

“Come back to Massachusetts again and again!”

There are many famous authors from this great state,

For you, it might be a bit of fate.

For just up the road, there is a museum you must see.

It has stories and illustrations that provide nothing but glee!

A Hungry Caterpillar greets you at the door

But with Eric Carle, there is so much more!

Seeing the world through the eyes of a child is certainly one way to inspire. Even the simplest aspects of life can provide the most creative idea on which to build. If you have been a child or raised one in the last seventy-five years, then you know the books of Dr Seuss and Eric Carle. The Dr. Seuss Museum is in Springfield, Massachusetts, and the Eric Carle in Amherst, Massachusetts. Both are well worth the visit.

Being immersed in the world of those famous authors and watching the visiting children interact with their many characters does make you feel like they can talk to you, and they did!