Dani Jones Illustration

2008 Year-in-Review

The year is coming to a close and the holidays are in full swing. I will be running around gathering gifts, spending time with family, and getting last-minute projects done, so I’m going to take a moment to wrap things up here on the blog.

Join Me on Twitter!

I discovered Twitter several months ago, and I have to say I am loving it! I originally intended to use it to just share links and tidbits too small to dedicate to full blog posts. Now, I am also using it to chat directly with readers, ask questions, and keep up with fellow artists. This is the best way to keep in touch with me in between posts. You can follow me here: http://www.twitter.com/danidraws

Notable Posts of 2008

A list of some of the highlights from the past year.

75 Artists You Must Know and Where to Find Them

This was a very fun and educational list to put together, and also the most popular post of the year.



http://danidraws.com/2008/03/17/75-artists-you-must-know-and-where-to-find-them/

Illustrating a Children’s Story: The Three Pigs Project

It was great to keep up with a project on an ongoing basis, and over several posts. I liked how it helped me stay productive, while also allowing me to teach a little about narrative illustration. Hopefully, I will have something similar to share in the upcoming year.



http://danidraws.com/2008/02/22/illustrating-a-childrens-story-part-1/

http://danidraws.com/2008/03/07/illustrating-a-childrens-story-part-2/

http://danidraws.com/2008/04/24/illustrating-a-childrens-story-part-3/

http://danidraws.com/2008/05/21/illustrating-a-childrens-story-part-4/

http://danidraws.com/2008/07/22/illustrating-a-childrens-story-part-5/

http://danidraws.com/2008/08/05/illustrating-a-childrens-story-part-6/

And the finished product can be viewed here: http://www.danijones.com/extras/3pigs/threepigs.html

Just Draw! and the Daily Doodles

This was not necessarily a big or popular post, but it seemed to hit a strong nerve for some readers. It was motivated by my Daily Doodles project, which I’m happy to say is still continuing today (but not without a few bumps. Heh.). I was happy to see several people taking on their own daily drawing goals because of it. Keep it up!



http://danidraws.com/2008/10/22/just-draw/

You can view my full archive of Daily Doodles here: http://www.danijones.com/dailydoodles.html

Reflections on 2008

I have been blessed to work as a freelancer for a little over three years now. I don’t have the most experience in the world, but with what little I know I have tried to be open and giving. As a result, I’ve gained an audience here who is willing to listen and read and learn. This year has been especially hard on the industry and world in general. And so, as the year ends, I am going to contribute the little advice and words of hope that I can.

The hardest part of building an art career is not the drawing, the learning, or the business hurdles. It’s staying motivated and courageous enough to keep doing it – learning to support yourself in a fickle economy, getting past the stigma of a not-so-typical career path, dealing with rejection and criticism, all the while trying to get better and stay creative.

Whether you are a student just starting out, or a working illustrator who has already built a career, the down-times and the struggles will be prevalent. There are times when you will lose confidence and gain doubts. This year has been a great test for me and many artists, and may not get better any time soon.

And all I’d like to say is, don’t lose hope. Work hard while others sit idle, draw constantly even if you don’t feel like it, experiment with new markets and strategies, and stay positive even if the world around you feels like it’s crumbling. If you create great work, people will want it, and you can’t create great work sitting still, waiting for the bad times to pass. The worst thing you can possibly do in a time like this is to do nothing. So keep moving.

I wish you all Happy Holidays and a very joyous New Year! This will be my last post until 2009. Enjoy this time with your friends and family and be happy you are involved in this wonderful creative community.

All the best,
Dani

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