Art vs. Artist | illoguild #30
2024 Highlights and Challenges
Hi everyone!
As the end of the year approaches, so many of us are taking time to reflect on 2024. Sometimes I forget just how much effort I’ve put into my art over the year, and I’m thinking some of you might feel that way too. I’m often beginning the next project, challenge, or assignment before I’ve even had time to fully digest that I just completed something else. So I really value exercises that encourage me to pause and reflect.
2024 Highlights
The Art vs Artist Challenge is a visual reflection that helps me realize just how much effort has gone into my art over the year. I highly recommend doing it, and you’ll recognize all the amazing work you’ve done this year! Just arrange 9 pictures of your art from 2024 around a picture of yourself, and you’ll find yourself reflecting on all your growth and accomplishments. Here’s mine:
I’m proud of how this turned out. The dogs, flowers, and lots of work painted with gouache really seem to sum up my art from 2024! Here’s some context for the images:
Top row:
Adding two more books to my illustration portfolio!
Winning a competition from Minted (my rooster card won Editor’s Choice)
Middle Row:
Using traditional materials to illustrate a book (hopefully the first of many!)
Putting together a book pitch about dogs (I can’t wait to submit it in early 2025!)
Bottom row:
Being a finalist in a print competition for my Italian flower series
Diving deeper into surface pattern, and even designing my own wedding invitations with a custom floral pattern featuring my pup
I’m grateful for all the work I was able to do this past year and for all the wonderful clients I got to work with. I’m so happy I was able to explore new materials and that my style developed into what it is now. And of course, I’m thrilled to add two more books to my portfolio!
Some 2024 moments not on the highlight reel…
Although I got to do some amazing things this year, it’s equally important to reflect on the challenging moments. Ups and downs are a reality of a creative career, and I believe that it’s completely normal to feel that illustration is tough at times.
Here are some moments that didn’t make the highlight reel: outreach efforts that went unanswered, rejections, pauses on my Substack subscriptions, slow card sales, and likely other things I’m not thinking of right now. But these challenges pushed me to reflect and make changes. I realized my outreach wasn’t working because I was pitching without knowing if clients were actively looking for artwork, so I created profiles on art job boards and started getting jobs. As for my cards, I hadn’t been promoting them, so I took time to organize a Black Friday sale, sold over half, and used the profit to fund a stationery design course. Letting go of what wasn’t working allowed me space to explore a new art market—and that’s something to celebrate!
Not every challenge will result in a celebration, but there’s not even a chance for it if we don’t first reflect on our successes and challenges. Can you tell that I really value taking time to reflect? Taking a moment to pause and think can really make a huge difference!
Looking ahead
So as we end 2024 and begin 2025, I’m excited to continue illustrating children’s, designing surface patterns, and learning about stationery design. I’m also so looking forward to continuing hosting
workshops and lives every month. It’s pretty incredible to think about all the growth that happens in a year, and I can’t wait for all of us to move into 2025 together, ready for all the new goals and challenges alike.See you all later this week for the weekly newsletter!
Katie
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We hope to see you at our next illoguild live on Monday, December 16!
Join us for an engaging live session where we’ll reflect on the highlights and lessons of 2024 while looking forward to the opportunities and possibilities of 2025.
This session will be an inspiring mix of personal insights, creative takeaways, and a collaborative look at how we can make 2025 even more meaningful. Whether you’re here for inspiration, a chance to reflect on your own year, or to jump into the conversation, this is your opportunity to wrap up 2024 with purpose and positivity.
Use the button below to sign up and check your local time, as clocks change this month: