A MAP of my JOURNEY to become A PICTUREBOOK ILLUSTRATOR

A 30,000 foot view

Or, How I became a picture-book illustrator in 23 steps. (This list was originally 35 steps, but I consolidated a few)

Over the past 2 years, I’ve written 650 newsletters that talk about or elude to the different aspects of my particular journey of becoming a picturebook illustrator. But when you break it down there were only 23 steps, here they are:

Wandering Artist

I think there is a period of wandering that every artist goes through. Some artist never come out of this mode and go on wandering forever. To be a professional, the trick is to take the lessons from all the wandering and turn that into service.

1. I wanted to be a cartoonist

2. I drew comics daily and posted them on Instagram

3. I realized that was a bad strategy

4. I looked at what the cartoonists I admired did daily and throughout their career

5. I realized I needed an agent ,

6. I realized I needed a portfolio to get an agent

7. The algorithm served me an AD of a course I could buy that will help me do both

9 Months to Become a Picture book Illustrator

1. Motivation We got pregnant! ( I have 9-months to make this thing work)

2. Crash Course I take a year’s worth of online art classes

3. "Why Your 'Not Good Enough' Portfolio Pieces Are More Valuable Than You Think"

4. I work every day building out my portfolio

5. I take specific classes for the areas I’m stuck at

6. I work on a plan B simultaneously and get to work with a creative director to improve some skills.

7. I get a day job (part-time)

A Dream is Born

1. Baby is born, COVID ends

2. I take the class that started it all again, get very precise feedback from the teachers, and apply all of it.

3. I build a portfolio website

4. I get offered a book and paid in advance (and the book gets delayed 2 years)

5. I was offered agency representation by a prestigious - The offer is withdrawn because I’m ‘too ambitious’.

6. I started a critique group with peers from class

7. I reach out to industry pros for advice, I don’t know what the next steps are

8. I get offered agency representation by a ‘new’ agency

9. I get offered a picture-book, and then a 2 book series, before you know it I’m booked for a year!

My journey was a series of realizations, I got some of those realizations by taking the wrong actions, and others by getting good advice. There is a lot to be said about learning from experience but good advice works so much quicker.

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