Exciting News
Tempus Fugit. Incredibly, almost half a year is gone, and still so much to do!
One of my objectives for 2024 was to start working on new, challenging, and interesting projects that would take me out of my comfort zone. I have a few exciting projects I will be sharing in the coming publications.
The Menu for This Week
🌳 Coaching and Mentorship 1.1!
🌳 Let’s talk about Bologna Children’s Book Fair
🌳 Online Shops for artists still a thing in 2024?
I’ve started ….. an Artistic Coaching and Mentorship for Illustrators!
This is part of an educational project I’ve had in mind for a long time. Having the opportunity to talk to an illustrator working in the field to get personalized help and feedback is something I was super eager to get when I started out and felt very lost but didn’t manage to find. The way I see it, there are many (incredible!) resources for artists and illustrators, and the best thing you can do is to explore and learn from them.
However, sometimes there are certain situations, doubts, questions, or simply very individual cases, that could really benefit from some extra help and guidance. Getting direct and personalized support can really make a difference. I know it did for me on several occasions throughout my education and career.
Customized help is something we all need from time to time! The reason why it's so valuable and helpful is because it addresses your unique goals and helps you steer in the right direction. Unlike generalized advice, personalized coaching focuses on your specific challenges and strengths. This tailored way of working closely together offers something that, sadly, books, online classes, and videos (as awesome as they are!) can’t: feedback and strategies directly applicable to you as a person and an artist, making the learning process more efficient and your artistic growth faster.
You know what else? The number of mistakes I made at the beginning of my career could build a very peculiar memorial wall. I still make mistakes that sometimes make me cringe and often laugh. I don’t regret them, as all of them were super valuable lessons, but let’s agree that if I were able to avoid them or see them for what they were, I’d much rather do that! Through sharing my experience directly with you, you can also benefit from them!
Some of the questions we will be able to answer together
How can I improve my style, and my portfolio?
How can my portfolio be more attractive for clients?
Getting new clients. How?
Porfolio Review - What should I work on?
Should I get an agent? When , why, how?
How I price my work, how the licensing works
How to transition to full time or turn a hobby into a career
… and all the hows about your artistic career your can think of.
As a commercial published illustrator, illustration is my full-time job. And because I want to be sure that I can give you my full attention and support without compromising my client and personal work, I’m only able to open only a few spots at a time, for a few illustrators only.
I’m super happy that I’ve already closed my first cohort, the first group of artists I’ll be working within the upcoming weeks! I’m very excited to be able to help you in your individual art journeys and meet you all!
If you’re interested in coaching with me, feel free to use the link below. It will lead you to an waitlist form (don’t worry, it’s not any kind of subscription, but a questionnaire) that will allow me to see if I’m the right person to help you now.
This will be a waitlist for when I open more coaching spots for cohort 2, and when that happens, I’ll get in touch with you.
Bologna Children's Book Fair – Should I stay or should I go now?
If you’re an illustrator and you’ve been staying up to date with the online illustration community (as you should), for sure, once a year every April the thing you’ve been hearing about over and over again is the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. All of the happy and excited illustrators rushing to Italy are hard to miss! It's a big event in the illustration world, but who truly benefits from attending?
I went to BCBF with high hopes, equipped with marketing materials for the illustrators' wall and to leave with potential clients. My goal was to connect with awesome publishers and companies and find new job opportunities – after all, marketing is a steady ingredient of the illustrator’s job. And the truth is, I’ve only ever heard good and positive things about the Fair. Even checking out the attending illustrators' IG stories, reels, and videos gives you nothing but positive and excited reactions. Is my impression far away from that of fellow artists?
How much work did I get after attending the Fair? How effective is marketing your portfolio, illustration services, and creative offer in Bologna? Is it such a good way to get noticed?
The fair's massive scale and the sheer number of illustrators can be both thrilling and daunting. With everyone looking for the publishers’ attention, standing out becomes a unique challenge. The illustrators' wall, filled to the very borders with cards and posters, seems like a fantastic opportunity, but does it truly attract the right eyes?
The BCBF event offers a big variety of events and workshops—each one promises something different, and it looks like everyone should find something interesting for themselves. The busy atmosphere of the Fair might be energizing or overwhelming, all depending on how you prefer navigating.
The fair is renowned for networking, but is it the best setting for forming meaningful connections? Reflecting on my interactions, some conversations felt promising, hinting at potential opportunities. I’m very happy about some chats I had and, above all, experiencing the Fair on my own skin and being able to now have a strong opinion.
Have you visited BCBF yourself? What was your goal and impression? Are you thinking of going? Would I go again? Let me know in the comments, either here or on YouTube, and don’t forget to watch the video!
Why I closed my online shop?
That’s a question I promised you I’d answer since I closed my online store after years! And I still haven’t gotten to it! This very same question will most probably be the title of my upcoming video. When it comes to running your own illustration shop, the amount of doubts you guys normally have is high! Where? (Etsy? Print on demand?) What? (Stickers? Calendars? Prints?) How much? (Stock? Earnings?) What makes your shop successful? Is it even worth it? Can I sustain myself from it?
For me, running an online shop was a constant balancing act. It demanded a lot of time and energy, often pulling me away from my core job – creating art and all that comes with it.
I feel like I tried most things available, had the possibility of trying them out and seeing if they worked for me. There were times my shop did better and times when it did a bit worse. Some products I offered seemed to be more popular, and others didn’t attract many customers. Experimenting with different platforms and products taught me a lot about what works and what doesn’t. It's all part of the journey. Each attempt, whether a hit or miss, provided insights that shaped my approach. Sharing these experiences can hopefully give you a clearer path and save you some of the trial and error.
I’ll try to answer most of those in my next video. If you have any questions, just let me know below!
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