As a young girl, I recall my second-grade
teacher asking the class what it was we wanted to be when we grew up. Twenty-one
little hands shot up in the air, waiting for their turn to be called upon. When
it was my turn, I simply said, “An author,” for I loved to read in my bedroom
until all hours of the night. The following year, we were asked the same
question. This time, my answer was: “A teacher,” because I admired my own. When
I finally reached middle school, I discovered a world of marvelous things that I
was able to unlock with my pencil and my sketchbook. As I fell in love with my
ability to create something from the nothingness of a blank piece of paper, I
knew I wanted to go to art school. I didn’t realize that as my dreams changed
as I grew older, so would my lifetime goals. I now know that just as we are
capable of having more than one love in our lives, we can also have multiple
career goals. My ultimate goal now is not only to become a successful
illustrator in the children’s book and children’s licensing markets, but to also
to teach illustration at a local art college or university.
Illustrating
books for children was my first goal when I graduated with my Bachelor’s of
Fine Arts degree at the University of Hartford in 2007. I was able to fulfill
that dream and have since illustrated three picture books and contributed to several
educational magazines and textbooks. I was also able to obtain an agent who
helped me find freelance jobs, but I still had a deep desire to take my artwork
to the next level. I could see that I had room to develop my characters, the
human characters in particular. I hesitated to apply for graduate school
because I did not think my work would measure up to that of my colleagues. I
was fearful of putting my work up on a critique wall and having it verbally
torn to pieces by my peers and mentors, who, this time, would be professional
illustrators of the highest achievement. When I finally found the courage to
apply and got in, I knew it was a chance to rebuild my portfolio as well as my
career.
.....to be continued
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