Hi, My name is Ashlie and I am a professional self doubter.
My inner critic is debonair, well dressed, and talks with the best of articulation. Unfortunately the things it has to say to me are mean, critical, and down right discouraging. The anxiety that I deal with on a daily basis enhances the things my critic says and the fact that I get anything done, is down right amazing.
On occasion I freelance for a wonderful graphic design business based out of Scranton PA called, Design Done Right. The world is a very small place and I am thankful for the connections that brought me to this company. Some things are just meant to be, and I thank the universe for the opportunities brought to me by owner Michelle Bersch as they are one of the ways I am able to shush the inner meanie.
The gratification that comes from the projects I do with Design Done Right, are wonderful.
My first job with Michelle consisted of a bull illustration for a diesel business in the Scranton area called "Rock Bottom Diesel". This opportunity was my first experience with freelancing and it made me really nervous! Firstly, I had to talk to the client myself. Secondly, I had to draw something that portrayed the ideas he had. Illustrations for companies are a big deal and I am aware of just how serious it is for a business owner to commission someone else to create something that will forever represent what they do and what they have to offer. Thankfully the owner of Rock Bottom Diesel was a very cool guy, easy to talk to, and pretty easy to please. As with creating something for someone there are always little revisions. In the end, he was very happy with what I created.
Michelle and I make a good team. She is easy to talk to and although sometimes I get my wires crossed as we do everything long distance and through email... in the end we get it just right. Getting it right and making the customer happy is the most important thing.
Drawing something so bad @ss was difficult for me, because as you probably have noticed I dont draw those sort of things. I like to think because I was able to follow through with the assignment, that it makes me well rounded and capable of creating images that are out of my realm.
I first drew the bull in a very light pencil, from there penned in it's outline, finishing with water colors using only the grey scale. Upon completion and client approval, it was scanned and emailed to Michelle where she worked her magic, adding the logo (lettering) work below my image.
The greatest reward of this project was recieving a decal sticker the owner had made to promote his business! Another smile on my face? when a friend said she was driving through the scranton area and saw the sticker on the back of someones car!! my art! on someones car! woo hoo!
My second project with Michelle and Design Done Right was the chance of a lifetime. With her and Ron Stiltenpole's story "Magic Coal for Santa", I was given the opportunity to illustrate my first children's book. Magic Coal for Santa is a story set in the heart of coal country and is a new twist on an old tale. Proceeds from the sale of this book went/go to St. Josephs hospital in Scranton PA, a place near and dear to the author's heart. Working with Ron was a definite pleasure. He allowed me to be part of everything. Something illustrators are not usually alowwed to do. I was able to join Ron at book signings and even took the pleasure of reading the story to a crowd of people while they sipped hot cocoa and ate candy canes. I owe great thanks to Ron for making a dream come true, I am hoping for future children's book opportunities!
Magic Coal for Santa was an awesome learning experience, and thankfully Ron was more than pleased with my illustrations. I even included his grand daughters into the book! Ron wasn't only someone I had the pleasure of working with, but also became a friend.
For the last few days I have been working on some silhouettes for a teacher that is opening her own school in the Scranton PA area. A few revisions, and I got them all right! I am looking forward to seeing what Michelle does with my outlines. I will share the finished product in a future post.
Silhouettes are a bit more difficult than I imagined. It's harder to insure that people see what you want them to see and still make the form look accurate. Fortuntly my husband built me a light box and I was able to use it on the creation and minor revisions of these children.
Today's message? shush, slap, and strangle your inner critic. Tie him/her to a chair, then push them into a closet that has no key. I'm not saying that from time to time, more often than not, that critic won't whisper things to you from under the door... what I am saying is that although you feel these things... you are the only one that feels them. Big Secret? Okay, not so secret... the person you are talking to or with doesn't know your self doubting! Nobody else knows the things you feel inside but you (and your pounding heart). If your nervous, if your anxious, if your feeling doubtful... pretend like you don't. This practice will help put your doubts and fears just a little farther away than they are now. You have the power to shush your inner critic, it's how you choose to deal with the critic that either holds you back from great things or pushes you into greater directions.
Rock it like you own it!
Would I have liked to say forget it to all of the things I shared with you today? sure! cause I was nervous, scared, anxious, and self doubting! but I didn't let those things get to me. When I can't convince myself to chill out, I rely on my husband, close friends, and family for the support I need. Utilize those special people in your life, they love you... and they are there to encourage all of your dreams! If they dont? well... then you should re-think those relationships.
But that is another post for another day.
As always thank you for your visit today. Thank you kindly for the minutes you have spent here, when you could of spent them somewhere else doing something else.
Enjoy your day!
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Just a little note, there will be a special art gifty to the person who becomes my 100th follower on facebook. Visit my facebook page here and press the "like" button.
Thank you!
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