To all who are struggling with the business of illustration. I hear you and completely understand how you feel. I’ve been at it for 40 years, and have my fair share of bumps, bruises, and broken hearts.
Learning to be a professional illustrator and understanding the maze of business skills need to obtain that dream is daunting. For many, including myself, it like trying to climb the side of a mountain, in the dark, in pouring rain, with a 70 pound pack, and a burlap sack over your head. You will make mistakes, take the wrong trails, constantly confront unforeseen obstacles to navigate, and then the doubt creeps in and you being wondering if you should just give it all up and slink home.
Or, you can drop your heavy baggage, pull that slopping bag off your head, let the rain wash the sweat, blood, and mud off you, and take notice of where you are. You are on that mountain, the rain is easing up, the view is breathtaking, and you discover you're much further up than you thought you were.
Don’t give up. There are MANY travelers on this mountain who can help you. You can learn from all of us–and we’ll learn from you. It still may be hard to climb, but I can tell you your outlook is better the higher you go. Rest when you need to, its not a race to the top. The clouds will clear, the sun will shine, and we’ll gather around the campfire in the evening and check in with each other on our progress. We are all here because our romance with the medium burns in our heart and calls on us to climb.
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