So are you "Following your dreams" ? What are you doing today that you have dreamt about? Or are you still waiting to do what you wanted to do?
Ever since I was young I always knew I would be an artist but as I grew older I came to define what that really means and what type of artist I wanted to be. In college I had great aspirations of becoming a fashion designer at first, but then quickly realized that dream had to go... I just couldn't drape or make patterns as well as my roomates and while I love fashion I knew I needed another dream. When I changed my major to Illustration I began to find my niche. I loved making fun decorative illustrations and new exactly what I wanted to do when I got out of college, I wanted to be a children's book illustrator. This seemed like an easy task no? Well during the late 80's and early 90's no! Most companies only wanted established illustrators to do their books, I quickly got discouraged every time I would drop off my portfolio at another publishing company. I became sick of hearing " We love your work but since you haven't done any professional pages at this time we are going to pass." Seriously? How the hell am I ever going to get professional unless you give me a chance?
So then I had to wake up to reality and get a decent job which ultimately landed me in the Children's Wear biz- how ironic, I went to school for Fashion changed my major to illustration and here I am back at Fashion again.
If you know my long dragged out story you know I got into designing freelance prints next, then started Licensing my work to companies on products bla bla bla.. but wait I never gave up on my dream, I always thought that one day I would get to the place where my characters are brought to life. It may be 22 yrs later out of school that I finally get to do it! When the time is right I will reveal all, but for now I can honestly say I am closer to my dream than ever before and I see how the road in life has taken me full circle to this point, because it wouldn't just be a book, it would be something so much more!
So are you "following your dreams"?
I have a few colorways of this new doodle/design I did recently posted here- what are your thoughts on which colorway you think I should put up in my Shop?
Also on a side note- I had such a fantastic time this past Saturday going to the Meet & Greet book signing event of the fabulous and talented Holly Becker of Decor8. I was so happy to get to meet her finally after reading her blog all these years, and how funny that she used to live in the state where I live but I only met her after she moved to Germany!
There were so many beautiful creative women at this event and I throughly enjoyed having lunch with them. What a great diverse group of photographers, writers, bloggers, interior decorators, artists,etc. I loved chatting with the beautiful Rochelle Greayer who is a landscape designer with her fantastic blog Studio G and now changing careers to publishing an online magazine called Leaf. I can't wait to see the first issue! One of my fabulous friends Miss Kathy Weller did a post about it and you can read it here! She called me a firecracker but I think I am much more louder and colorful than that-!! haa Another great post was done by the beautiful and talented Desha Peacock. She has a tv show in Vermont that is all about how artists began their careers, you should check it out.
Another fabulous thing about the event was while I was waiting in line with Kathy to get her book signed I noticed the fabulous Matthew Mead was in front of us. I naturally just had to talk to him and his wife Jennifer who are just so lovely and down to Earth. I have admired Matthew's work for many years so it was such a great pleasure to finally meet him. I left the lunch exhausted and full of inspiration and happy to see all these women following their dreams.
I am off to keep plugging away at my dreams....
Ellen
