Sometimes you need a kick in the ass to begin
Act, then analyze, repair, and act again.
In this blog I would like to talk about my beginnings as an illustrator.
Successful people have one particular characteristic. Courage. I know, because there were moments in my life where I had everything else but this. I was scared, unsure, and I did not have a good opinion of my work. I thought I could always do better. Well, I still think that today, but I do not let it stop me.
I studied fashion design and drawing was part of my everyday life. When I became a mother of tree georgeus children, I wanted to adapt my way of life so that I would be more available for them. I began to think about the business challenges that I could work from home. I started with digital illustration. I did everything to perfectionise myself in this feld. I chase down every blog, video or Photo on Internet and learned to draw in Photoshop by myself.
So one day my friend Simona Rituper, a writer, whom I deeply respecting , called me. Simona is really a special writer. Everything she writes has a deep message for the reader. When it comes to writing, messages from higher spheres come in and she is an artist who skillfully translates it into understandable texts. Simona wanted me to draw the cover for her first book. So I got my first order. I have drawn more illustrations, but because of my perfectionism or lack of confidence nobody has seen them. Everything was nicely stored in a folder on your computer, and I rather had bad news for Simona about not completing my order as to find courage and show my work to anyone. You see, I know what I’m talking about. If we first analyze our work, we debate with someone who is quite critical, we will never release our work. This is done by many people not only in art, but in bussiness, relationship, … These people never even started. Like me.
After4 years I had at least a hundred illustrations on my computer, which were good, but not good enough for me to release it. So one day I was browsing my computer and found Simona’s illustration. I thought that the book had been published for a long time, so I send Simona a message: “See what I found?” Simona sad tahat day, that this was a sign. The book was just in the proofreading phase. She only needed illustrations. Thus, “my” first book was created.
Perkection in your work is killing progress in your work. It stops you from publishing it. Simona says that we have been guided through the processes of creation. And I belive her. It remind me that all artists, musicians, illustrators and others have once released their first work. An art or creations that probably do not belong to their surplus, but without which there wouldn’t be no other. That’s why, for me, Katarina’s Christmas Secret is a very special book for me. It is special because it is my first. It’s the first stone in the mosaic of all my next books, that I will illustrate.
Wass I nervous when the Book was released? Of course. Well, neather the first child step is perfect, but it’s special because it’s the first one.