Over the weekend, my dad handed me a bag full of stuff that I had left at their house - old sketchbooks, little frames, etc. (side note: so very kind of my parents to have kept all this and not just pitch it) Anyway, in the bag was a collection of books illustrated by the very talented, Jared Lee. I was so excited because this was my absolute favorite part of my college art experience. As part of my senior portfolio class, I was able to visit with him. He was so kind and took the time to look over my “very college” portfolio and give advice. It was so inspiring to see his studio and all of his work and I remember thinking…yep, I still want be an illustrator. In one of my sketchbooks, I had written down notes about my visit:
•ALL artists are just like you - don’t be intimidated
•If you get rejected, you probably didn’t want to work with them anyway
•Don’t give up - continue to send work to clients you are interested in working for
•You can do more than one job to make ends meet
•Never a starving artist if you stay focused and committed
•Not all people will like your work - don’t let that bother you
What great advice and fantastic reminders. Truly an inspiration. Thanks again, Jared Lee.