An Introduction
Over the past several years, I have worked in rare & quiet moments on finding my why and my how of fulfilling my dream of becoming a full-time artist.
This dream started in my years spent in corporate graphic design. It was during this time, when I was putting in very long hours for the grand visions held by V.I.P.s at the very top, that I started to realize how disconnected I felt from the work I was doing. Want to know the difference, in my eyes, between an artist and a designer? A designer is always working on bringing someone else’s vision to life. An artist is concerned with bringing their own perspective into the world.
In turn, I started playing with different art mediums in the evenings. I started paying attention to the artists on Instagram, having fun choosing a new favorite artist to obsess over every 6 months or so. I started going to printmaking classes and taking online art courses through various channels. I started honing my brand, building my website, and researching taxes and LLCs. Somewhere in there I had a baby and decided to stay home with him. It's been quite a journey. Though, through all of this trial and error, I still hadn't found my why. One thing all of this taught me was that I needed a solid reason behind my desire to become an artist and illustrator, or I would never have the motivation to keep coming back to it day after day.
My Why
After I had my son is when it really clicked. We started reading to him and I found that this was my favorite part of the day in those early, hazy, postpartum days. I loved marveling at the beautiful illustrations, and I loved that bonding time with him. I began to see a very specific type of magic in the mixture of my two passions of art and parenthood. That excitement made me want to delve deeper and share that magic with others. For that reason, I have established that my why is to help people connect. Whether it is children and parents who will read the books that I will illustrate, or a young, want-to-be illustrator, looking for her next step (i.e. me, 5 years ago)—my way of giving back to my community is through sharing art, stories, and the knowledge of the industry I gain along the way.
My Goals for the Year
Okay friends, this is where you come in. I want to take you along as I learn. I want to start talking to you on a regular basis. So, to wrap things up today, I’d like to share one of my goals for 2025: to be more loud and proud about where I am today, and to share my experience with you. One way I’m going to achieve that is through a weekly blog where I take you along on my journey, and we talk it out together. Maybe I’ll have some insights. Maybe you will. Maybe we’ll build some community. Maybe it will be a great way to sort out and organize my own thoughts. You know what they say about teaching—the best way to understand a concept is to explain it to someone else. Any and all are worthy reasons to just start. So I’ll be here every Friday, give or take, and I hope you’ll join as well.