We were lucky to catch up with Emma Trithart recently and have shared our conversation below.

Emma, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I’ve been making art ever since I could hold a crayon! Throughout my childhood I was always doodling and experimenting, trying to improve my work while also using drawing as a form of self expression and escapism. I was lucky enough to have extremely amazing parents, who saw my passion and supported me in applying to and attending art school. While I don’t believe art school is necessary to grow as an artist, it taught me important lessons about receiving and applying feedback that I still use to this day in my illustration work. And I believe I am still actively learning to do what I do! Being an artist, to me, means you’re never truly done growing.

I believe the most essential skill when it comes to being an artist is patience. Everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) can draw, but as we age it becomes harder and harder to keep working on something that doesn’t come naturally to us. Patience lets you accept that you’re not *great* right now, but that with time you’ll learn and grow. Patience reminds you that, with time, you’ll get through a creative slump or plateau. Patience keeps you from giving up!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am an illustrator focused primarily on work for children, such as picture books. Growing up, books provided this magical experience that allowed me truly escape into another world. Knowing that, I try to infuse a little joy and wonder into all of my artwork so kids of all ages can have a similar experience. When I illustrate I get to transport myself into the world that I’m drawing, so I love adding details within my characters and scenes that delight me… and hopefully the viewer! I also get a lot of satisfaction when I hear from friends or family members who say that a book I illustrated is a favorite for their children – it’s really a full cirlce moment!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Pay them! With AI art flooding the internet, it’s never been easier to skip over hiring an artist to create artwork. As sophisticated as AI might be, it’s missing one pivotal thing: a soul. Human artists create work informed by a lifetime of experiences, and the art they create is an extension of themselves. Typing a prompt and being presented with an image in seconds removes the heart at the center of art.

And paying artists is also, coincidentally, easier than ever as well! Even if you’re not a giant company with a big budget, you can find artists selling prints at your local craft fairs or offering custom portraits online. Even the simple act of taking a book out from the library supports the artists who created that book.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I’m actually currently in the middle of unlearning something quite specific: how I draw eyes. This might seem like a tiny detail, but I recently received some feedback that made me realize that the kind of art I was trying to make would benefit from eyes that were more full and expressive. Previously I relied on a much simpler style that brought me a lot of personal enjoyment, but the work I do for clients requires something more. It was an important reminder that change is always possible and should be welcomed – I’m really enjoying experimenting with different eye styles and figuring out what works best with my work!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.emmatrithart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/etrithart/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmatrithart/
• Other: I have a TikTok although I’ll be honest, I’m not super active on it! https://www.tiktok.com/@etrithart