Hello dear friends and faes! Welcome to the first entry of “Cozy Art Inn.” Whether you heard about us through social media, or family or friends, I’m honored you're here to catch the very first entry.
Come sit by the fire, enjoy a hearty meal, and take a well deserved rest.
A little background about myself…🏰
Many of you may know me as an artist/illustrator with a love for fantasy, but there are a bunch of other interests I have that I might touch on every now and then in the newsletter. Here are a couple notes about me!
I have a Masters in Software Engineering (I love coding and also love teaching it!)
I’m an avid LEGO builder (lotr sets all the way!)
I LOVE hightop sneakers and my outfits are never complete without a cap
Super Smash Bros. is the greatest game of all time and I even competed in a Super Smash competition when I was 11
Cookies-and-cream is my forever go to ice cream flavor
If I wasn’t an engineer or artist I’d probably be a vet (a bit animal obsessed)
I met my childhood heroes: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, and Andy Serkis at comic-con and it was the coolest experience ever :)
If I could travel to one place, it would probably be New Zealand (you might be able to guess why ;)
Now that you know a bit more about me, let’s get to the content!
Library of Legends: Innkeeper's Book Picks 📚
I recently finished reading the entire Spiderwick series for the first time. I’ve seen these books growing up at the library but for some reason never decided to pick it up. I’d previously read Diterlizzi’s other books like “Kenny and the Dragon” which I LOVED so I figured it was about time I’d pick this one up. I received the boxed set as a gift and it had a gorgeous cover design. After finishing the series of 8 books, here are my honest thoughts:
The creatures and worldbuilding is just incredible! Creating a world that combines real-life with creatures like griffons, hobgoblins, and elves felt so whimsical. I honestly wish I could read it sooner. In comparison to the film from 2008 (which I adored as a child) it was much more drawn out, in a good way. The vibes throughout the series were warm, magical, and I loved some how some of the settings felt vintage, like Arthur’s study. Shortly after reading the books, I was gifted “Spiderwick's Field Guide” which went along perfectly with the series. The illustrations of the creatures were beautifully done and I loved how each were unique and memorable in their own way. One scene in particular that brought me to tears was during the Epilogue, where Arthur, who'd been trapped for 80 years by Elves, finally meets his daughter but passes immediately since time has caught up to him. Overall, it was an enjoyable read that felt immersive all the way through.
Tales by the Hearth: The Innkeeper's Ramblings 🪶
I recently began playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and boy was I blown away. I received it as a gift from my sweet sister and at first was a bit intimidated since I hadn’t played a story-mode, action-adventure game since forever. After 2 months I finally built the courage to pick up my Nintendo Switch, and, with gameplays on Youtube to aid me, began the adventure. The art and environments are mind-blowing and I especially love how detailed and colorful the trees look. So far I’m still towards the beginning of the game but tbh I've spent most of the time wandering around in awe of the gorgeous environments. I can’t wait to dive in deeper in the coming weeks!
Council of Wanderers: Tips from Fellow Travelers ⚔️
For this section, I want to take on a question I received from Instagram: “How do I get clients as an illustrator?”
There is no one direct answer to this and part of it is meeting the right people at the right time. However, there are definitely a couple of things that are in our control that we can do to get our work seen. Here are a couple things that helped me get my foot in the door in the illustration industry:
Create personal projects, take them seriously, and get as much feedback from professionals as possible. Back in COVID when I was revamping my portfolio for illustration and animation, I created a bunch of artwork and uploaded them to my website. I would set deadlines and treat them seriously as if I were working on an actual production/project. I would then attend as many portofolio chats as possible to receive feedback from professionals on what to improve (amazing organizations like Rise Up Animation and artists like Owen Davey were offering free chats at the time). One specific note that I was repeatedly advised by these professionals was not to create standalone art but pieces that are intertwined (linked through a common story). This shows art directors and publishers that you’re able to connect ideas together that tell a story.
Don’t underestimate the power of personal connections. When I worked on my first major book project I did not have an agent at the time. However, I did have personal connections within my community who were aware of my illustration skills and shared my portfolio with others. This first project that I landed through a personal connection later helped me stand out in the process of landing an agent!
Don’t solely rely on social media. Although social media can be a great place to share work it is incredibly saturated and may not always reach the people we are trying to get to. Over the last few years I’ve kept a spreadsheet of contacts in the industry I’ve made, some are art directors I’ve met through portfolio chats, others are 2d artists in animation, and some are budding artists trying to get in the industry like me. I would then send my portfolio to these contacts every few months. I think the key here is to keep these contacts in the loop and aware of updates to your portfolio. They may not need you for a project at the moment, but may in the future, or maybe have a contact who’s looking for someone with your expertise. I’ve also made a list of small/large studios and publishing companies that I frequently contact and submit to as well that contains the dates I’ve reached out and tracks their responses. This way my work cannot be missed in an ocean of content and my portfolio can be directly saved via email.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to similar people in your field. As an introvert, this was a tricky one when I was starting out. I was afraid my art wouldn’t be good enough to share, or maybe I wouldn’t ask the right questions. However, after pushing myself to reach out to other artists for advice, or simply to discuss my goals, I found it to be incredibly helpful. It depends on the artist, but most people I’ve reached out to through Linkedin or instagram have been happy to chat and discuss my work. I also love chatting with new artists as well, so feel free to message me on instagram if you’ve got burning questions!
Bard's Gallery: Artists and Inspo 📜
We’ve reached the end of this entry and I want to close on a short quote that I really like by Richard Bach where he says:
“Argue for your limitations and sure enough they're yours.”
I think it’s really easy to come up with excuses and procrastinate when it comes to creating art, however, I think it’s important to remember that life is full of obstacles (most of which are non-stop) and if we keep pushing things off, we’ll end up never getting any actual work done.
Well, weary traveler, you seem well-rested and ready to continue your journey. Stop by again soon at the Cozy Art Inn, where comfort and creativity always await you!
I LOVVE THIS SO MUCH!! 🥹🫶