Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Avery Reed. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Avery, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

The bane of every creative’s existence: the dreaded desk job. I graduated college in New York City and started work as an Editorial Assistant at Penguin Young Readers. It seemed to be a dream job–working with authors and illustrators to create picture books; what could be better?

But then the reality of sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day set in. And I became stir-crazy. I remember crying to my sister on the phone, “I just want to be an artist!”

As the fourth of five children, I had grown up in a creative household. But my older siblings were always the artistic ones. My interest in art had been overlooked and underdeveloped, both by myself and my parents. So here I was, working a desk job without any consistent creative practice, longing to be an artist.

But I chose to listen to my innermost self. I quit my job and started working part-time as a Teaching Artist at the Children’s Museum of the Arts. All of a sudden, I was surrounded by other working artists, inspired by their practices, and regularly developing my own work. From there, I started taking classes, focussing on my art, and eventually went to grad school for illustration.

The amazing thing is that those 2.5 years in children’s publishing have turned about to be insanely valuable. Now, as an illustrator, I have first-hand knowledge of the publishing industry, plus I am still have relationships with many of my original colleagues. It goes to show that there is a purpose in each and every step of our artistic paths.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am an illustrator and writer who recently relocated from New York City to Camden, Maine. I work mostly in ink and pencil and use printmaking techniques to create playful images. I love patterns and repetition, storytelling and character design, and utilize limited color palettes. You can find my work at averyreedstudio.com.

I have always loved storytelling and spent much of my free time as a child making up plays, writing stories, and engaging in imaginative play. As my artistic voice has developed, it’s been so fun to put words and images together to tell my stories, whether that’s in a book format, across several patterns, or in a stand-alone image.

I am deeply inspired by children and the natural world. I taught art for seven years to elementary-age children, and they have been my greatest muses. I have always loved hiking and camping, and now that I live in Maine, I get to do that much more regularly. It is so inspiring to take a midday walk by the ocean or back in the woods. My family has been coming to Maine since my great-great aunt bought a cabin in 1912. And while it has always been a part of me, I am so excited to see how much more Maine will become part of my work.

I am currently focusing my time on illustrating children’s books and licensing work for products. I am illustrating a book for Wherewithall Press and am selling prints and products through my online shop on my website. I would love to partner with others to illustrate more books and create more work for greeting cards, wrapping paper, clothing, you name it!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

It was my second year of grad school, the height of the pandemic, and I found out I was pregnant. My husband and I had been together for many years and were privileged to have the foundation and support needed to take on this new chapter. But it definitely required a pivot.

As a female artist–female in general?–it is very challenging to balance motherhood and career. There are essays and books and movies and lectures written on this topic. But I have found very few women to look to who are both successful artists and illustrators and mothers. And I would love to see that changed.

I believe I am a better mother by having a deep artistic practice that grounds my sense of self and inspires me to look for and create beauty. And I believe I am a better artist by having a daughter that helps me stay present, tune into the world, and put another’s needs ahead of my own.

Parenthood is certainly not the path for everyone, and it is a challenging road to take. But I would love for more voices of artist mothers to be heard, if not only so that we could learn from each other and go the road together.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

One of the biggest questions I asked and I know many others ask: Is graduate school worth it? Is it necessary?

I think this is a very important question to consider. And there are so many different ways to answer the question.

Financial: Art school can be expensive, insanely so. And you aren’t looking at a six-figure salary when you graduate. I ended up choosing a public school that had in-state tuition (the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC). It was an incredible education at an affordable price.

Stage of Life: One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was to work for a number of years before pursuing a graduate degree. You can definitely start a program right after college if you know that you for sure need it. But taking time to work and seeing where your path is heading will give you greater clarity when finally deciding to pursue higher education. This will help you know what you are going to graduate school for and what you hope to learn and achieve.

Skills: I needed to invest sustained, focused attention in developing my skills and my artistic voice. I had taken continuing education classes and courses at a local university, but I knew I wanted more.

Network: More than anything, graduate school is about connecting with people in your industry, from your peers to your professors.

So, while it took me several years to determine whether graduate school was a worthwhile investment, I now heartily answer YES! Do I wish I had done it earlier in my journey? Not really. I am so thankful for the time I had to figure out which program would be the best fit and to decide what exactly I was hoping to get out of it.

Contact Info:

• Website: averyreedstudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/averyreedstudio/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avery-reed-57579447/