An Illustrator's Bucket List by Hazel Mitchell

Last night I thought, 'Oh lummee! It's my turn to blog tomorrow.  And I hadn't a clue what I was going to write about. And then, happily, two illustrator friends messaged me on much the same subject: AGENTS.

Alright, that's a misnomer, I am NOT going to yak on about agents. (Important though they are.)

What those conversations did get me thinking about was my 'ILLUSTRATION BUCKET LIST'.

This began just about as soon as I started to think seriously about my 'career'. (Or lack of one.)

IN THE BEGINNING the list was pretty short:

• Have the nads to spend more than 10 minutes in a children's book store without feeling overwhelmed/excited/suicidal.
• Get published and be fabulously famous. And rich.

I missed a hell of a lot of interim steps out! Like the whole illustration process for one (and two, three, four and five). Luckily I got me to a workshop.

MY BUCKET LIST GREW

• Learn more about kid's books. 
• Go to a conference. Meet some people.
• Get published and be fabulously famous. (And rich).

I reacquainted myself with the children's library and recalled books I loved as a kid plus reading a **** load of new books.
I went to an SCBWI conference.

NEW BUCKET LIST

• I know nothing. (Do something about it.)
• Create a portfolio. One that I would dare show to people.
• Create a website.
• Get a platform.
• Get an agent.
• Get published and be fabulously famous. (And rich).

I DID do something. I read, I listened, I networked, I went to more conferences.I began to draw like I hadn't in years. I started working on dummies. I submitted. I got rejected. I got rejected. I got rejected.

WORKING ON A NEW LIST

• I know nothing. (Do more about it.)
• Create a portfolio. With better work in it.
• GET A STYLE. (What is style??)
• Change website (again).
• Mail out postcards.
• Work on platform. And Blog. And Facebook. And Twitter. And ...
• GET an agent.
• Create more time to work on CRAFT. (gulp. This will mean analyzing my life and work)
• Get published and be fabulously famous. (And rich).

I continued to immerse myself in gaining as much knowledge as I could. I worked on my illustration. I submitted and mailed out. I got rejected. AGAIN. and AGAIN.

BACK TO LIST

• I know nothing. (Do more about it.)
• Work on portfolio.
• Try not to worry about style.
• Simplify website.
•  Mail out postcards. Work on contact list.
•  Work on platform. And Blog. And Facebook. And Twitter.  Don't spend too much time online.
• Get an agent.
• Work on CRAFT. 
• Get published and be fabulously famous. (And rich).

So a few years passed. I found I could now spend a lot of time in bookstores without breaking out in a sweat and feeling totally inadequate.
I was beginning to recognize a glimmer in my work that looked like SOMETHING and not the hodge podge of regurgitated learning from my past life as a fine artist/graphic designer/other. It was - voice.
The time and effort in giving myself a fast education in the children's book industry (via conferences, workshops, internet, books) was paying off.

I got my first real book to illustrate.

PRESENT LIST

• Work on CRAFT. Seek out places to learn more. Be a sponge. Be INSPIRED!
• Create.
• Enjoy.
• Promote.
• Wait for the right agent.
• Hope to work with great art directors and editors.
• Find the balance between work, supporting everyday life, living, and letting the stories out.

All I want to say, (really), is that everyone's list is different, and rightly so. I am amazed at the paths of my fellow artists and writers. There's NO right or wrong way, there is only YOUR way. Our wants and needs change. For me it was from a 'tick list' that gave me a lot of stress, all of those things I thought would lead me on the path to 'success'. Not that we don't find those things helpful along the way! And I needed them to get me motivated. But the 'along the way' is where we are, not where we are going. The most important thing to me now, is to do work that inspires the reader and inspires me. That's where satisfaction lies.

So far I wouldn't change a thing.

Toodles!
Hazel
http://hazelmitchell.com

My newest book is out March 1st '1,2,3 by the Sea',
written by Dianne Moritz and published by Kane Miller.

In the coming months I will be presenting workshops at 'Europolitan 2013' Paris, France and NESCBWI 2013 Springfield, MA.