We’re so excited that Lilla will be running a brand-new iteration of her small-group mentorship intensive, Inner Circle, in spring 2027!
To give you an idea of what’s possible when you get the support, insight and focus from an art agent and illustrator (and speaker, author, craft business owner, columnist, educator and more) with more than 40 years’ experience in the industry, we’re sharing stories all this month from previous Inner Circle participants. Last week we met Jo Mahoney, and this week we’re hearing from another Inner Circle student, Pallak Shah. Check out what she thought of Inner Circle, and how her career has changed since then, below!
Pallak Shah
Pallak with her book, Ed in the Fridge, at the Delhi Book Fair (left) and one of her character sheets for Illustrating Children’s Books (right).
Q. What successes have you had since taking Inner Circle?
Pallak told us: “After taking Inner Circle, I managed to pull all my artwork together to create my website. It is mostly art I have created during other Make Art That Sells courses, including Illustrating Children’s Books (which I am a huge fan of!). My most recent gig was making posters for a drama academy, and we are in talks for their book illustration projects.”
HOT OFF THE PRESS: We’ve just heard from Pallak that she is currently working on her first paid children’s book illustration job. Not only that, but she is in the process of discussing the second one and the author is thinking of making it a series! When she shared the news, Pallak told us: “My lessons at Make Art That Sells have been soooo precious and productive!”
Q. How did Inner Circle help you on your way?
Pallak said: “Inner Circle is seamlessly designed to cheer all of us and our unique voice, which as artists, we need to be reminded of more often. I had specifically mentioned to Lilla that creating a double spread was very daunting for me. She broke this fear with mini assignments and now a full-blown scene is a sheer joy to create. Inner Circle gave me the confidence that I lacked, and my biggest lesson was that there’s a place for all of us as artists.”
Pallak’s full-page spread for Illustrating Children’s Books. She told us that in Inner Circle, Lilla helped her get over her fear of creating double spreads, and now creating them is “sheer joy”.
Pallak added: “I have written and illustrated my first picture book, Ed in the Fridge, and I am looking at publishing my next book. Lilla started working with me on this project, and her ideas and comments helped me sharpen my character. She embraced and enjoyed my quirky details and encouraged me to take inspiration from other artists like Maira Kalman. I did Illustrating Children’s Books after Inner Circle and my work improved drastically, which both Lila and Zoe noticed. My work was reviewed over the weeks, and my double spread page was much appreciated.”
Q. Do you think Inner Circle was worth it?
Pallak said: “Most definitely. Inner Circle gives you an exclusive space and experience with Lilla and various talented people around the globe who are at different stages in their journey. We had a lovely exchange amongst each other and the community never stops cheering you on no matter where you are. Being in an exclusive space with Lilla also gives her the chance to view everyone’s work in zoom-in mode and that way she can give a clear and appropriate feedback to every single one of us.”
Pallak worked on this piece of art with Lilla during Inner Circle.
Pallak’s plate, which won an Honorable Mention in our free Quarterly Challenge. She was also picked for the reviews in Illustrating Children’s Books after taking Inner Circle.
Q. Is there anything else you want to include or think anyone considering Inner Circle should know?
Pallak said: “I thought of Inner Circle as going to an art university and making the most of this special time. I hustled during this course and gave my best to it. Inner Circle helped me define my style better. And by the end of the course, with all the big and little suggestions and tips shared by Lilla, I could see that everyone’s work evolved greatly. During my 1-1 with Lilla, she gave me tips to work on improving the look of my website. And she believes in my creativity. I am grateful to Lilla for being an amazing and an extremely supportive mentor. I still enjoy taking Make Art That Sells courses and doing the quarterly challenges to keep my pencil sharp. They end up being great portfolio pieces and there’s no limit to learning!”
See more of Pallak’s art on her (new!) website and Instagram.
Ready to sign up for Inner Circle and find out where YOUR art career could be a year from now? Don’t wait – once the 12 places are gone, they’re gone for good. Find out more and sign up here.
- Lilla’s small-group mentorship intensive, Inner Circle, is BACK in spring 2027! Places are strictly limited to just 12 participants – don’t miss out, grab your spot here.
- Do you want to learn how to use your portfolio and social media to attract more jobs? Lilla’s self-paced Portfolio Review course is back for a limited time only. Sign up now to make the most of the LIVE Zoom with Lilla on November 6th – find out more and sign up here.
Lots of love
The Make Art That Sells team xxx
