Update

Hello everyone! Looking forward to my book release party which is happening in exactly one week! So far I have a lot of people who said they're coming. In addition to hopefully selling a lot though, I'm just really excited to see all these people I love at once, and it's so cool they will be there to support me. I just hope I ordered enough copies (well...it would be nice to run out!)

Success!

Well the lectures went swimmingly. It helped that, although it makes me nervous at first, I very much enjoy public speaking. It also helped enormously that the students were extremely nice and attentive. I was asked some very good questions, and overall they seemed to enjoy it. Even though most of them are in more humanities type majors, I hope they got something out of it--I think it's always interesting to hear things from another perspective. I hope I can do this sort of thing again sometime!

Ordering yet another round of proofs of the book. I keep finding mistakes; it is very frustrating. I hope I get everything fixed and ordered in time for my book release party (TBA).

Lecture at Temple University

Exciting news! Tomorrow (this morning really) I am giving my first-ever lecture on children's books. I will be speaking about a brief history of children's illustration, picture book creation, and my own work, to 2 children's literature classes at Temple University in Philadelphia. Of course I am extremely excited as this really makes me feel validated as an illustrator, however I do grapple (as I'm sure many artists do, no matter how experienced) with feelings of horrible under-qualification. I keep thinking if only I had just one more book published, just one more award, even one more sketch to show of an upcoming book, that I will feel more like I deserve this. I can only hope I have enough to talk about given my extremely brief time in the field thus far!

But the truth is, I don't think I would be invited if I didn't deserve it in some way! I have to look at my achievements: I am a well-appreciated freelancer with loyal clients, and although the assignments are sporadic I get steady praise. And to top it off, I have a picture book on the verge of being available on Amazon, and I do happen to be extremely proud of it. As I was told in a conversation at a gallery opening the other night, lots of people can have the ideas or even make a few drawings, but it's really tough to make it as far as I just have, all the way to the press (and the internets!) So I keep reminding myself.

Enough tooting my own horn though. I still have to prove I can sell this thing to really make it happen. That will definitely be the biggest hurdle yet. But til then.....

I'm giving a lecture at a university! Yay!