many moons ago i got asked by new moon a magazine for girls aged 8-12 to do my first magazine illustration! it just came out in the jan/feb issue and i’m so pleased to see my name in print:) in the summer i sent out about 50 postcards to various publications, and i was shocked that someone actually responded and asked me to do an illustration! strangely enough, i was not nervous at all, but just excited! i love that it was a magazine for girls that matches my values… even the article about body image is something i feel strongly about. this is why i wanted to do illustration in the first place to make kid’s books and affect change in some small way.
it’s hard to keep that on the forefront… i’m taking 2 classes right now: sequential imagery and color workshop. the first is just what the title says, but most people in the class are comic book fans, and me i’m more interested in kid’s books. i fear that my work is going to look so dorky and clean-cut next to their bloody, sexy, gory and hip (that’s the one that gets under my skin the most… those too cool for school sullen art students intimidate me bc i’m so not!) imagery and it will be hard to get a real crit and inspiration. i really want the courage to just follow my own unique image making and get some projects that i’m been working on for years, namely kid’s books, out the door and to publishers! it’s such a competetive field and i really need the structure of a class to help me finish them. i am writing this down to remind myself to focus and to hold my own even if it’s not popular. i should follow the advice in the article… laugh along, ignore it, speak up… if my art is not found “cool”. hee. screw being cool, i said that’s what turning 30 was about…. being myself and not cool! i’m way to earnest for playing that game.
the 2nd class is a painting class that should be good, but i know is going to rock my ship. it is so hard to stay focused in art school with what you really want to do. the nature of art school is to question you constantly to make you stronger in the end, but the process is so critical and picking it all apart. i just like color and prettiness and evoking feelings and telling stories… i’m not referencing this artist or trying to make a statement about post-modernism. alrrright? some days it’s so fuzzy and others i feel so strong about my goals. ultimately, i know i want to create a life where i can be making art every day– whether it’s for a coffee shop or kid’s books or etsy or t-shirts… no me importa. i needed to get that offa my chest– thank you for reading! off to my studio!