Our Spring Conference will be held on Saturday, March 15, from 9 am – 1 pm.
Cinnamon rolls for breakfast and buffet lunch are included.
SPEAKERS
Yumi Tomita: How to Unleash Your Creativity with Music and Imagination
Is writer’s block affecting your productivity? Learn how to tap into your creative mind when you need it most. This presentation will help you unleash your creative mind to generate fresh ideas with music and imagination exercises. You will learn about the science and philosophy behind the methodology of music visualization exercises you can do anytime to tap into endless writing inspiration.
This session is perfect for anyone facing writer’s block, writers looking to enhance their creativity and develop new strategies for idea generation, and individuals interested in combining wellness practices with creative writing. This inspiring and practical workshop will help you start writing.
Yumi Tomita is the chief director of the Imagination Improvement Institute. She holds a BA in Biochemistry from Occidental College and has been a certified senior trainer for Imagination Improvement since 2014. She’s held trainings for executives and CEOs for Japanese corporations, group sessions for parents and busy professionals, and has run workshops at universities for over ten years. Yumi helps people care for and enhance their creative minds through a combination of music and visualization exercises. She was born in Japan, raised in Palo Alto, and calls the Bay Area home.
Jenna Brandt: Marketing for Indie Authors
This session will cover practical, effective marketing strategies tailored for authors, including the best ad platforms, social media advertising, and how to optimize Amazon ads with the right keywords. You’ll also learn how to automate newsletters, grow your email list, and keep readers engaged.
Jenna will explore tools like Publisher Rocket, Amazon Affiliate Links, and online giveaway platforms to help expand your reach. She will also discuss the importance of a strong book cover—your most powerful marketing tool. Whether you’re new to book promotion or looking to refine your strategy, this session will provide actionable insights to make your marketing efforts more effective.
Jenna Brandt is an international bestselling and award-winning author who writes inspirational romance. Her page-turning books have elements of humor, suspense and faith. She has several best-selling series including Disaster City Search and Rescue, First Responders of Faith Valley, Badges & Baristas, and The Lawkeepers all based off the life of her husband in law enforcement.
Matt Woodman: (Not) Just the Facts – Writing the Scientific Poem
In this writing workshop, Matt Woodman will discuss how poets have incorporated scientific insights, processes, and language into their creative work; the workshop will lead attendees through various generative strategies and techniques so that everyone will leave with a draft of their own scientific poem.
Matthew Woodman’s poems, stories, and essays have appeared in publications including Puerto del Sol, Sonora Review, Hawai’i Review, Fourteen Hills, Catamaran, and The Moth. He was named the 2018-2023 Kern County Poet Laureate and was awarded the 2018 Outstanding Lecturer at California State University, Bakersfield, where he currently teaches.
Saturday, March 15, 2025
Meeting begins at 9:00 am
Hodel’s at 5917 Knudsen Dr, Bakersfield
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