Your portfolio isn't a complete archive—it's a strategic invitation.
When you include those "just okay" pieces alongside your stars, you're actually dimming your own light.
Twenty mediocre works + five exceptional ones doesn't average out—it drags everything down.
Which pieces truly represent where you are and where you want to go? It feels counterintuitive to show less, but that selectivity is precisely what signals your value to the clients you actually want.
That said, find a way to do more with each piece, a Halloween scene could also showcase your love for transformers. Or your seasonal scene could also showcase diverse characters in a holiday destination!
TEN MINUTE ARTIST PROMPT
Draw a thumbnail about what you might put into a portfolio piece.
Here’s mine, it’s just some casual play, I’ve filed it away, maybe someday it will be a thing.
Share your own drawings in the chat! (Write a caption so I can share the context of the drawing with the other readers, and go comment on each other’s work)
If you know someone who could use some daily inspirations and encouragement, invite them to join us!
Ha, this one is very interesting! I'll do it.
I like very much how you defined portfolio: not a complete archive, but a STRATEGIC INVITATION! Brilliant.