Today is a special episode because we have a guest on Thriving Women Artists, Jennifer M. Potter joins Ping and Dorien to talk about her career as a children’s book illustrator. Find out about how Jennifer left her corporate job to follow her creative and artistic passions. Don’t worry, Sarah will be back soon, she’s currently recording some courses for Domestika.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Jennifer was a graphic designer and art director in the corporate world before she had the idea that she wanted to make a webcomic. She worked on it for a year and while she was doing this she saw and signed up for a course in children's book illustration.
• Jennifer made a lot of really good friends through the Make Art That Sells community and that really helped her when she was struggling to make the adjustment to being her own boss as a freelancer and not having a communal environment.
• There’s a tip Jennifer has for getting out of her comfort zone. She is the type of person who over-prepares for everything, so by over preparing for the things that are outside her comfort zone it makes her feel more prepared for the challenge.
• There is a downside to over preparing, that is procrastination. We prepare so much we don’t ever get around to doing the thing. Ping has a solution for this, that when you’re 70% prepared you just go for it.
• The right feedback is priceless, but they are just people’s opinions so you need to know who is the right person with the right advice for you to listen to as an individual.

BEST MOMENTS

‘I learned how much I took for granted moving from working with people to working alone’

‘The only way to make something comfortable is to do it’

‘70% is good enough, you don’t need that extra 30% just to be perfect’

USEFUL RESOURCES

1) Miroslav Šašek

https://thamesandhudson.com/miroslav-sasek-9780500023341

2) Edward Gorey

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-Gorey

3) Barbara Westman https://www.amazon.com/Beacon-Hill-Christmas-Barbara-Westman/dp/0395247268

4) Jennifer M. Potter

https://www.instagram.com/jennifermpotter

ABOUT THE PODCAST

A serious and fun podcast for female creatives hosted by Ping, Dorien and Sarah, three happy artists from Amsterdam.  This podcast will inspire you to make a living out of your art. We welcome you to be part of this community of like-minded people.

www.thrivingwomenartists.com

www.instagram.com/twapodcast

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Ping He

Ping is a watercolor artist. Her work is inspired by nature and her motherhood experience. She develops her greeting cards brand and teaches Botanical Illustration courses online and offline.

www.pinghe.art

info@pinghe.art

www.instagram.com/pinghe.art

Sarah van Dongen

Sarah is a children’s book illustrator and visual artist. She takes her sketchbooks and art supplies everywhere, which results in illustrations based on observation and daily life.

www.sarahvandongen.com

sarahvandongenillustration@gmail.com

www.instagram.com/sarahvandongenillustrations

Dorien Bellaar:

Dorien is an illustration artist. Her work is mainly focused on illustration for children, editorial/food illustration, hand lettering, and she likes to combine those into both traditional and digital art.

www.dorienbellaar.nl

hello@dorienbellaar.nl

www.instagram.com/dorienbellaar