Risky Business

No, Peter...don't do it!

risky business

A ship in harbor is safe - but that is not what ships are for.
~John A. Shedd, Salt from My Attic

No risk, no reward

Having "blind faith" may seem like risky business -- especially when it pertains to career and goal-reaching. But I've found over the past few years that having blind faith is actually very freeing. It frees you from self-doubt and from second-guessing important but risky decisions that your intuition is nagging you to take the leap on. Blind faith is your friend. It's there for YOU. Not your mother, not your sister. No one else but YOU.

Regarding my art career, I started really paying heed to it again in 2004 (after a few years of "it happens" factors that lead to a hibernation of sorts). In 2004 I started to make important decisions that I knew were probably not going to pay off right away... and, in a tangible sense, I wasn't sure how or when they would pay off, if at all. But I knew that I had to 'follow my nose', period, and that's what I began to do -- take those all-important plunges into the unknown, one after the other. And once you start really listening to that intuition and following it, it starts talking to you more, but a little louder and clearer than before. And then, you listen more and follow it more.... and what you end up with is your own 'magic formula' !! (Not really any 'magic' involved...but wait, I think it is, after all. :) )

I still have that little "what if / but..." monster that crops up! (Don't we all!) But these days, most days, I just tell it to shut up and I proceed to put things on paper. I have a list of my goals. Then I make lists of the things I need to pursue or accomplish to reach my goals. Then I make lists of the steps I need to take to accomplish the goals on my list of things I need to accomplish before I can accomplish my goals...and, well, you get the picture. (Long-term and short-term goals 101, but hey, if it ain't broke...)

I do love making lists (and checking things off of said lists! ) and they are a wonderful tool. But the mental shift is the transformative aspect. Your goals are there for the reaching. But you are the motor... So, start up that engine!

Risky Business

I created this illustration when I was still working in gouache/pencil.
My nephew was only a few years old at the time and decided our fish needed a snack. Yum, doggy biscuits. Risky business indeed!

Seriously though, trusting my instincts continues to be my source of "risky business".
I don't know why that is. It took me forever to take the risk of illustrating 3 dimensionally although my gut had been telling me to do it for a long time.

There is a saying that I heard years ago that has helped me greatly..

"Do it afraid."

Sometimes, if we wait until we are ready to take that risk, we never will.
Just do it. Do it afraid.

Risky Business

It's risky business trying to break into the world of illustrating. It takes courage to believe in your unique perspective and voice as an artist. It takes a great deal of perseverance to keep submitting your artwork, sending it out again and again, bravely facing rejection. It takes strength to listen to critiques and adjust and improve your artwork.

As I get ready for my 3rd national SCBWI conference in NY, I'm amazed at the artists who are taking this risk every day. It's staggering to see the amount of talented people who are trying to get their first big break. My hats off to everyone who has taken this risk and my encouragement to those who are unsure if they can handle the challenge. It's a risk worth the taking.