Being an illustrator is a solo job, but it doesn’t have to be!
When I attended the KidLitVit conference last year a prominent Australian children’s book illustrator was asked to describe her job in 3 words. She said “creative, imaginative and isolating”. The last word stuck out to many of us in the audience. How could a job that brings so much joy to others and seems like so much fun leave a person feeling lonely?
Well this is why- we often spend long hours working in isolation, which leads to feeling disconnected. But, it doesn’t have to be like this! I am very lucky to have found like-minded individuals to surround myself with, the most prominent group or community in my life is the illoguild. Without them I probably would have given up or at least not have gotten as far has I have to date.
I’m going to share some ways that I have found my community- hope they help you to find yours!
1. Social Media
Overtime this can lead to friendships or at the very least meaningful interactions. I have found that there are many illustrator groups on Facebook that are active. When I first started illustrating, I joined some very large Facebook groups (60k+ members) and they were great for answering my questions (mainly about using procreate) and getting feedback on my artwork, but they seemed very anonymous. These interactions were quite shallow, but it still made me feel connected with others following a similar path and it was an easy place to start. I just looked for groups using the search function.
One Facebook group that I have enjoyed being part of and am still a member of is “The cardboard box illustrators”. It’s for Australians and we meet monthly for a “chat and draw”. They have also recently started hosting online events.
In addition the Facebook groups for “Make Art that Sells” have provided me with a sense of community during live courses.
With instagram, I sometimes feel like it’s all about “followers” and “likes”, but I have also found it to be very much about making connections. For me it’s about showing up and following illustrators I like and commenting on their work. Overtime this can lead to friendships or at the very least meaningful interactions. I have found that most of my meaningful conversations tend to be with people I have met outside of instagram, but we connect on the platform.
I have also seen people post about various groups that they belong to or in person events that they will be attending- this has lead me to…
2. Attend Illustration Conferences
Attending conferences and events specifically tailored to picture book illustrators has allowed me to meet other illustrators and people in the industry. Some of the one one I have attended are KidLitVic (coming up soon), the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (read my newsletter on the topic)and the CYA conference.
3. Join Professional Organizations
They often have events and you can also reach out them to help you find your local community. I have joined SCBWI, ASA and the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA). Through joining SCBWI I am now part of an Australian critique group, we meet monthly over zoom and provide feedback to each other over email. Which leads me to…
4. Start or join a critique group
After completing a “Make Art that Sells” course Adam Ming asked if anyone was interested in forming a peer review group. I put my hand up, as did around 14 others, and soon the illoguild was formed. This group has really changed my life. We really do support each other and since we are a group spanning different time zones there is always someone around to offer feedback. We have really become friends over the years and we still consistently meet up over zoom every two weeks and share our work (or anything relevant) on a discord server.
5. Collaborate with other Artists
If you are lucky enough to have a book deal, you will be working with a team (art director, designer, editor and sometimes the author). I have really loved working with David Reiter, Josie Montano and Charlotte Birkmanis on my books (“Little Shark Lulu is Sleeping” and “Mia’s Glamma”) and have enjoyed our regular catch-ups).
If you don’t have a book deal, maybe try something small like a instagram post where you invite a collaborator?
If you are struggling to find a community to be part of, please feel free to reach out to me directly via email, comments or through instagram. I Would love to be in touch.
Also if you have any other advice for readers please leave a comment.
News
I just completed Kelly Light’s character design course through The Illustration Department.
I am currently doing the “My Arty Book Pitch” live course through Make Art that Sells
The dates are locked in for the launch of ‘Mia’s Glamma’ in July.
Please follow me on instagram to see my illustrations from these courses and the book launch details (coming soon).
Thanks for reading and being part of this community 😊