Lilla here. This is the fourth of five newsletters I’ve written for you to share some of the lessons I’ve learned from three decades (and counting!) of working in the creative industry, as an art agent, an author, an illustrator, a columnist, a speaker and more. If you missed the other newsletters, you can find them here.
I’ve been navigating the creative industry for more than 40 years, as an illustrator, an art agent, an author, an entrepreneur, a speaker, a columnist and more. I want to share what I’ve learned with you!
Today, I want to talk about something that everyone, no matter their level of success, has experienced: envy and competition. And I’ll show you how to overcome envy!
How do you kick envy’s butt?
There’s a lot of beautiful work out there, and you have two ways to respond to it.
Let’s say you see a stunning piece of art, maybe on Instagram or Etsy, with tons of likes and comments.
Art by Make Art That Sells student Violeta Serratosa for Illustrating Children’s Books.
Your first thought might be, “Wow, that’s incredible! I could never do that. She’ll get all the clients, and I won’t. I’ll never succeed.” This reaction is understandable, but it’s not helpful.
Instead, I want you to reframe your mindset. Try thinking, “She’s doing great—that’s amazing! It’s exciting to see this kind of art thriving. I can step up my game. I can improve, grow, and learn.”
Now, here’s something else to consider: envy can teach you what you really want in life. For example, I don’t care much about golf. When I see it on TV, I think, “Oh, that’s nice,” but I never feel, “I wish I could be a great golfer.” Honestly, I don’t care enough.
But when I was starting out and saw great artists, I would think, “I want to be that good,” or “I want my illustration in that magazine” or “I want my product line out there.” That desire, that feeling of envy, is a clue about what you truly want. So embrace it! Envy is showing you where your passions lie.
Your Mini assignment #4
We’re going to let Envy be our guide for a few days, and see what she’s trying to tell us. Every time you feel a twinge of envy for the next few days, I want you to make a note of it – in your sketchbook, your journal, your hand, a Post-it, or on a handy banana.
What is Envy saying about what you should focus on in the year ahead? What lights that fire in you?
Once you know that, you can start planning how you’re going to get there. Dreaming of your own kid book deal? Get yourself a show-stopping pitch in Illustrating Children’s Books. Want a home décor line of your very own? Learn everything you need to know about this fantastic art market in Creating Collections for Home Décor.
- Tuesday, November 19th to Friday, December 6th: Mark your calendars for our huge annual sale, with at least 30% off everything and up to 50% off our career-changing bundles!
- Tuesday, November 19th: Join our FREE live Zoom event at 1 pm ET/6 pm GMT with FOUR of our amazing Make Art That Sells teachers: art agent Lilla Rogers, creative director Margo Tantau, educator and illustrator Tamisha Anthony and children’s book art director and author Zoë Tucker! Plan your career for 2025, ask our teachers anything, plus course giveaways galore!
- Next newsletter: What’s the secret of life for creative people? I reveal all …
Lots of love
