Are you craving one-to-one mentoring with Lilla Rogers?
For 30 years, Lilla nurtured and championed some of the top artists in the industry, and now she’s offering that same expert guidance to a small, select group of students.
Imagine having a former top art agent and beloved educator guide you step-by-step through your work—with enthusiasm, humor, and detailed, actionable tips!
Want her support and encouragement twice a week for six weeks? Then we have great news: registration for the second round of Inner Circle, Lilla’s exclusive small-group mentoring intensive, is open NOW! Places are going fast – find out more and sign up here.
What can you expect with the second round of Inner Circle? Even more face-to-face time with Lilla for feedback and support!
When Lilla originally created the program for Inner Circle, she scheduled one weekly group meeting, plus the private 1:1 meeting after the end of the intensive. However, she quickly realized that she wanted to meet with the participants more often.
Lilla told us: “On the very first Thursday of Inner Circle, I met with each artist and customized an assignment for each, which was to be due the following Thursday. There was much enthusiasm, and the energy was high as each student was eager to dive in! A few days later, however, I thought: I can’t leave them without support until the due date, a whole week later, next Thursday. This isn’t a test. I want them to succeed. I want to help. So, I added on a Monday Zoom check in to give each student an opportunity to ask me any questions, share with me where they were at with their work. It was readily embraced. All showed up. If needed, I altered the assignment right then and there. So, you can see, it felt really organic, truly customized. That’s the kind of mentoring I love!”
Lilla added: “Going forward, we built the Monday Zoom check-in into the weekly schedule. The students told me that they truly felt supported, and this contributed to their rapid growth during the 6 weeks. And that doesn’t even count their upcoming hour-long one-one-ones with me!”
Want to see some of the very real results of our first Inner Circle?
Today we’re excited to share two fascinating before-and-after case studies which demonstrate how this kind of intense mentoring can have a huge benefit to your art.
Christy Obalek
Over to Lilla!
Lilla said: “Here’s Christy’s piece as she initially showed me with the intention to submit to puzzle companies. Gorgeous? Yes! Full of lovely visuals? Yes!”
Lilla continued: “I raved. I sang its praises. I loved the outfit of the main woman in the center (I want that jumpsuit!) Then, I encouraged her have fun with Black hairstyles, and to experiment with some deeper and varied colors, as this is what puzzle companies look for. We chatted about placing vases and frames on shelves on the wall in back, to add visual variety. Contrast and variety make it easier and more interesting for the puzzle-person to put together. Contrast makes the piece stand out on the shelf in the store and online. Like most wholesalers, puzzle companies like that.”
And here’s how it turned out:
Lilla said: “Check out those deeper colors—the deep purple on the background wall! You can tell that she became completely absorbed in making this piece. She added items other than flowers, like the heap of books with a birdhouse on top, and on the bottom right a cat is thrown into the mix. There are charming little flower signs, and the guy in the back apparently got fired for not looking cool enough, lol.”
Lilla added: “She crushed it! It’s ready to submit to puzzle companies (and I’ll give her some of my contacts when we meet for our one-on-one). I can also see her making stunningly rich portfolio pieces to submit to children’s book publishers. We’ll talk about that in our upcoming hour-long one-to-one.”
What did Christy think of the experience? She told us: “Inner Circle was the best investment I’ve ever made, full stop. The guidance from Lilla helped me to dig deep and see my work through her eyes. I am now better equipped to figure out where I need to improve my work, what is already working, and remind myself to slow down and enjoy the process.”
Christy added: “I wasn’t sure at first if I’d enjoy the group Zoom sessions, but they turned out to be the community I didn’t know I needed. All together it was a fabulous experience that I’d recommend to anyone looking to dive into their best work ever. Thank you, Lilla!”
Joanna Mahoney
Inner Circle student Joanna shared that she felt quite uncertain about her style – something which many artists and illustrators struggle with.
Lilla agrees. She told us: “I came to understand, during the first Inner Circle, that a lot of what we were working on, and what the students were looking for guidance on, had to do with style. Style is about being more of who you are. It’s about making art that you love to make, and will continue to joyfully make, for decades. It’s a very personal process and I’m here to help with that.”
How did Lilla help Joanna find her style?
Lilla told us: “First, Joanna did a study of lemons six ways (it’s a great style-finding exercise). I actually loved them all. I had my preference and was curious which she liked best. I asked her, which one was the most fun for you to make, the most satisfying? She said the bottom right, the offset riso-style image. I loved that one, too. I felt it was fresh, contemporary.”
Lilla continued: “Then, the fun began. Joanna and I picked a piece for her to work on—a food truck scene.”
Here are Joanna’s initial sketches:
Lilla said: “I loved it. But I wanted more specificity. More of Joanna’s point of view. More of her wit. I popped Google right up during the Zoom, and we researched food trucks. We looked at the range of trucks for telling details, quirky bits, and I recall Joanna became very enthusiastic.”
Joanna told us: “When I first showed my food truck sketches to Lilla, she very wisely gave me the push I needed to bring out my unique take on the subject. She suggested that I dig a little deeper to come up with truck themes that were less obvious than the usual burger, hot dog, and ice cream trucks that everyone else draws. With that in mind, I let my sense of humor run wild, and I’m so happy with the result. I know that Lilla’s suggestion will help my design stand out from other puzzle pitches in the market, and the whole piece feels like it’s truly ‘mine’.”
Joanna presented this gem the following Zoom:
Lilla told us: “I was blown away. She went from a hamburger truck to ‘The Best Wurst’ food truck! To Baby Got Bao! Taco ‘Bout it! You see? She was having fun. She spent time coming up with witty titles. She researched trucks to find the ones most interesting to her to draw. I was thrilled, and let her know.”
Lilla continued: “She was clearly happy about it, and excited to go to color, which she would share the next time we met. She was obviously very motivated, because she colored them two ways (this just shows what a little support and guidance can do to a career)!”
Here’s what Joanna brought along to the next Zoom:
Lilla said: “We loved both. She chose the green one, and went to finish, which meant filling in the charming buildings in the background, adding a few details in the grassy areas, and placing a lively diamond pattern to the Wurst truck. I loved it. I told her that it was ready to submit to puzzle companies. (And no, not everyone was working on puzzle companies, but for these two folks, it was a great direction to start with, and it’s a category that is looking for very individualistic illustration.)”
Here’s the finished piece:
Joanna told us how much Lilla’s insight helped her: “I’m so proud of the progress I’ve made in Lilla’s Inner Circle program! Before taking this course, I struggled with overthinking and second-guessing my style. I felt totally unfocused. I had a very clear vision for my career goals, but I had no idea what steps I needed to take or what kinds of projects would help me achieve those goals.”
Joanna continued: “With Lilla’s guidance, I was able to confidently figure out where my art fits into the market and develop portfolio-worthy projects that authentically represent my style and voice. The encouragement and support I received from Lilla (and my Inner Circle peers!) brought out the best in my work and helped keep me accountable every week. The friendships I’ve made in this group are an incredible “bonus” that I wasn’t expecting when I signed up. We’re all still cheering each other on!”
Want to see what Lilla’s small-group mentoring can do for you? We’ve got fantastic news for you – Lilla’s doing it all over again!
The second round of Inner Circle will run from 29 September to 7 November, and just like before it will be strictly limited to 12 places – which are going fast! (Two of the students who took Inner Circle the first time have already signed up for round two – what does that tell you?!)
Lilla says: “I hope you’ll join me for Inner Circle. I’d be honored to help you refine your style, gain clarity and direction, and tune into who you are—so I can offer tailored advice drawn from my decades as a former art agent. All while you enjoy the camaraderie of a close-knit group of creatives for friendship and support.”
See what can happen when Lilla mentors you. Don’t miss out on this amazing and rare opportunity – find out more and sign up here.
- Next newsletter: Want to write and illustrate your very own picture book? Look out for our FLASH SALE on Lilla’s picture book writing course, My Kid Book Pitch.
Lots of love
The Make Art That Sells team xxx
