Make It Great

Well, the PB writing course is officially over and I really enjoyed myself. After four weeks, I have 3 manuscripts that I'm happy with and will enjoy fine tuning and turning into dummy-books in the coming weeks. The class helped me answer some personal questions about the direction I want to go. Yay, progress!

Unfortunately, though, I also found myself going into a real 'funk' about my artwork during this time.  Maybe because I looked at over 100 pb's and the fabulous artists that illustrated.  It's very hard not to compare yourself to others and think "YUCK" about your own work. Atleast it is for me sometimes. So I have been trying to listen to my "inner voice" instead of my "inner critic".  Hard to do because the critic knows how to yell!

What is my inner voice telling me?

It's telling me that it's time to move to the 'next level'.
The next level for me is good quality materials and attention to detail.
I took the plunge and ordered some 100% wool felt this week in luscious colors. I can't wait to start playing now.

An email came in this week entitled , "make it great". I had to chuckle when I saw the subject line because I was already getting this message from various people and places and it was yet another confirmation.

In Robert Genn's newsletter, he wrote:

**The best way to
get noticed is to do great work.  The way to do
great work is
to go to your workspace and consciously exploit
full value from
your potential.  Feel the depths and the joys. 
Grab the
challenges.  It may take a while.  The minute you
think you are
getting somewhere, push yourself to an even
higher standard.
Acrylic or oil or encaustic or gouache or
watercolor or pastel
or collage or whatever--it isn't the medium. 
Make your work
unique and unavoidably brilliant and you will be
noticed.
Strother McMinn, my great instructor at Art
Center School, used
to say: "There's no such thing as an undiscovered
genius."**

This really hit home for me and maybe it does for you too.

What is the next level for you?  Go for it.

Comments

[wynlen]

Good to hear you enjoyed the course. Looks like you've worked really hard with it too, 3 manuscripts is great. And I really know the feeling of comparing your own work to others, I do it all the time, it's really hard not to do. Keep working, your illustrations are great.

[Don]

I can relate, Roz. I recently received a magazine in which I was one of maybe 10 illustration contributors. My stuff didn't stand up against the others, at least in my eye. But others say they liked my stuff. I think we may be too hard on ourselves.

[roz]

You're right. We are too hard on ourselves! Why is that I wonder?

[violette]

great advice from Robert Genn....robert is as interesting in real life as he is in his newsletters. I told him once that i wish i had a "pocket robert" that i could pull out for inspiration every now and then....like a pez dispenser...he really like that!

Violette

[Courtney]

I know exactly how you feel. I went through a 2-3 week period thinking that everything I created just sucked. I feel a bit better after creating my last illustration friday piece (the one you commented on :) but I think these feelings are inevitable. An intergral part of the creative process, it's how we force ourselves to improve. By the way, I used to live in Austin and attended the SCBWI confrences and critique groups. We moved to Maryland after my daughter was born and I miss that funky creative atmosphere. Thank Goodness for the internet. ;)

Courtney