Speaking
I am available for author events, cartoon workshops, school and library visits, and speaking engagements both virtually and in person.
To request an appearance, please contact Christie Hinrichs at christie@authorsunbound.com, or (541) 797-2217. View my speaker profile here. TopicsNat Enough/Forget Me Nat
During my author visits about Nat Enough and Forget Me Nat, I discuss my background as an artist and cartoonist, my process for developing the books and how my own childhood has inspired my stories. I talk about how Natalie was bullied and how her biggest bully was herself in the form of self-criticism and self-doubt. It's an inspiring and fun conversation filled with images and humor. I also love to draw on stage (or virtually) and one of my favorite parts of any talk is the Q&A session at the end. You Are More Than Enough In this talk, I delve deeper into the core concepts of self-worth and self-love which are illustrated in both books. I talk about my own experiences from childhood and beyond and use Natalie as an example of how to work through these issues with humor and fun. Cartooning Since 2013, my daily syndicated comic, Half Full, has appeared in newspapers nationwide including the LA Times and Chicago Tribune and on GoComics.com. I discuss panel and strip cartooning, where I get my ideas, materials, and things I've learned along the way. A workshop format is also available. Creativity In this talk, I discuss the creative process I use while writing and drawing cartoons. I give an overview of where I get my ideas, how I organize them and my process. I also talk about key components of the business of creativity including getting out of your own way, believing in yourself and dealing with rejection, reviews and criticism. You Choose If there is something about my work or process you'd like to hear more about, let me know! I'd be happy to tailor a talk for your audience. 
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"Maria's got the gift for speech in spades! Her energy, enthusiasm, and wonderful personal story are extremely engaging. I loved interviewing her, and so did the thousand or so viewers to my weekly webcast." Maria Scrivan was a guest on Book Joy Live, a weekly virtual program I host that celebrates books, story, and school libraries. Her passion for comics, her humor, and her kind heart imbued my heart and the viewers' hearts with pure JOY. Thank you, Maria!" Maria was an amazing speaker to the small group of girls in my youth organization, Girls Positivity Club. She shared her writing process, showed us the real-life dog character, Treat, and spoke with the girls about following their passions and not giving up when faced with rejection. She elaborated on the questions the girls asked and was naturally genuine and responsive to the girls. One girl in my group was so excited to meet Maria because she has three learning disabilities and Nat Enough is the first unassigned book she has ever finished reading with success from cover to cover. That in itself paired with meeting her in 'virtual' person, was a priceless moment that she will cherish from her childhood. The messages in her books and in her speaking encourage kids to be who they are and to focus on the good qualities each person brings to the world. Maria brought an exuberant jolt of personality to my undergrad cartooning class. My students get plenty of “how-to” during the regular sessions, so I enjoyed watching them open up and engage with Maria’s instantly relatable story of her own artistic journey, including the challenge of finding one’s way after art school, a tale of particular interest for students about to graduate and enter the field, told with attention to both the creative and business aspects. Maria left many students with a renewed sense of the possibilities available in the field of cartooning, at a critical time in their own development. I’m hoping to have her back each semester, if she’s willing! That was incredible! Thank you so much for bringing well being, middle school challenges and books to life! The student's feedback was really positive and you created so much excitement. Our 3rd-6th grade students met with Maria online, and she is amazing with kids! We learned about her writing/drawing process, heard about her journey to becoming a cartoonist, and also learned how to draw Nat alongside her. Lots of rave reviews at our school from kids and teachers alike! |