We were lucky to catch up with Amelia Gossman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amelia, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Like many other artists, I have enjoyed creating art since I was a child. Illustration has always been a natural way for me to communicate. Throughout grade school, I continued developing my skills. By the time I was a junior in high school and I started thinking about college and my future career path – becoming a professional storyteller felt like the obvious choice.

Amelia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am an illustrator/writer located in Baltimore, MD. I earned my BFA in illustration and creative writing from the Maryland Institute College of Art. I am currently a Studio Arts MFA candidate at Towson University, where I independently focus on my illustration practice. I will be graduating this Fall!

While I enjoy making art in a variety of disciplines, I primarily focus on creating children’s literature. I’m drawn to creating picture books because even though they appear simple, they are quite sophisticated. The stories often distill complex experiences and emotions to the purest, most poignant details – all while carefully considering children’s perspectives. My childhood, is the source of my story-telling inspiration.

After undergrad, I began working in a public library as a children’s librarian for several years. I now work in an academic library and teach Illustration at Towson University. Since graduating I’ve been working on some small editorial, community art, and small press projects. I’ve enjoyed working with local authors on their stories, and I’m excited to be continuing my path toward working in the traditional publishing industry.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think there’s often a misconception among those who are “non-creative” that artists are born with natural talent. While I do believe people of an artistic bent have an intuitive proclivity for creating, that notion really dismisses the time and energy that goes into developing art as a skill. I believe all people are creative in one way or another, and it’s never too late to start building one’s skills through practice! Even though art can be hard work, it can also be fun and relaxing and an excellent way to express oneself.

That said, people who don’t dedicate a lot of their time to creating or artistic practices (someone who would consider themselves non-creative) might view artists as almost having magic powers, and while that’s flattering, it’s important to remember that just like learning an instrument or weightlifting, the more time that is invested in improving results in a more skilled outcome. Artists invest a lot of time, resources, research, and materials into developing their craft, and can make it look easy when it’s often anything but!

And as a result of this perception, sometimes when a “non-creative” commissions an artist, they’re either looking at it through that lens or view art-making as a hobby rather than a profession. This can result in an impossible timeline or revision expectations, or very low compensation that doesn’t respectfully reflect the time and energy of the artist – not just for the project itself, but for the years of hard work that got them to that point in their career.

Another misconception among non-creatives is the assumption that artists are proficient in all areas of art-making. There are many multi-disciplinary artmakers, but it’s really important to look at an artist’s portfolio before hiring them for a project if there is a specific vision. An illustrator is not necessarily the right fit for designing a logo or painting a mural. Each artist’s work is as unique as the individual, so that is an important consideration for anyone interested in commissioning an artist for their envisioned project.

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

Personally, something I’ve been unlearning is “there is a particular way to make art that is ‘correct'”. What I mean by that is, when making art, trying to include everything from value, color, texture, etc as if going through an art elements checklist. All of those things are important to consider, but as an artist, you can make varying decisions about what suits a piece to make it successful. Art is not one size fits all!

I think something I continue to remind myself is that art doesn’t need to be photo-realistic to be considered “good”. Hyper-realism is definitely impressive and a testament to one’s skills, but there are also so many styles and approaches that result in strong artwork. Artists who focus on developing a unique and distinct voice will stand out from the crowd, and their portfolio will have longevity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amelia-grace-illustration.com
• Instagram: @ameliagraceillustration