I had a message from a Graphic Design student in Paris last week. They really want to be an illustrator and there is not enough drawing on the graphic design course, which only uses illustration within design projects.
As I was wondering what to advise, I saw a video by @willterryart called called “Artists should always have a personal project”
It got me thinking. Life takes you down may routes and sometimes you might wish you had chosen a different path. Sometimes, if you are in a really bad or dangerous place, you need to stop and start again immediately, but generally, going back and trying another route doesn’t get you very far either. You can just sit down and cry, but that doesn’t help much.
It’s generally best to forge ahead and do the very best you can, learning all you can along the way. At the same time, have your personal project. If you want to be an illustrator, then draw ever day – all day – in every spare minute. then bring what you learn into the part of your work you find less interesting and do that to the best of your ability.
If you are stuck in a place, work so well, putting in love and enthusiasm to your work, so that you outgrow the situation you are in. It’s amazing how opportunities come to such people, because opportunity likes to work with hard working and talented people.
Your degree qualification will mean nothing in the big, wide world. You will be judged on the quality of your work, ideas and personal vision. So get working on that and others will start working to advance your career. Everyone loves a winner and everyone loves to be a part of their success.
Good luck to you all, but you won’t need it if you work hard and do in your own time what burns inside you. Luck only comes to those who have already prepared the ground.
If you wonder what this post is doing on a children’s book author’s site, then I wonder the same thing too. I’m planning to split my efforts across two sites soon. one will be more aimed at drawing, professional and personal development nad this will return to children’s books.