We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Caitlin B Alexander a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Caitlin B thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

I think Illustration has been changing for quite a while, and as I was exiting college, that transition was really beginning with the rise of social media. I was the class of 2011, and we didn’t even touch on that in our lectures or studios– the focus was all on creating a website and sending postcard mailers, so those of us who entered the field around that time had to learn it all on our own. I think that transition to social media has also created a trend cycle that happens more rapidly than it normally would have for artists. It’s not just about the style of the illustration itself, but also how you’re sharing and representing it online. Right now, video content is much more popular, which is really tough for small businesses and artists to keep up with. It means you need to have equipment to film your hands while painting, or the right tech to do a long screen recording. It will be really interesting to see what this does to the field in the long-term, since illustration is naturally a static medium.

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 originally from Austin, Texas and newly settled in Manitou Springs, Colorado.

My work focuses on a representation of repeat patterns, color and texture in our natural world, observations of daily life, and messages of strength and acceptance, via hand-lettered typography. I am forever looking for inspiration in our National Parks, and hope my work will encourage people to explore and protect these beautiful lands we call home. Some additional subjects and topics I frequently illustrate in addition to travel are books/reading, cats, social activism, plants and people.

I primarily work digitally, but also paint in gouache, with a particular love for dry-brushing. My background was in traditional media, but I quickly realized post-college that I needed to keep up with the digital world for the ease of client edits and multi-functional illustrations, and have found a lot of joy in painting digitally, too.

I’ve been into art for as long as I can remember, because my mom is an artist, as well. She always encouraged my brother and I to pursue creative endeavors, and when I started to show a serious interest in it as a teenager, I had full support to pursue it as a career. I spend my high school years in Advanced Placement art classes, entering competitions and college programs, all with the goal of attending an art school for my degree. My teacher through those years, Mr. Bates, was also instrumental in providing opportunities and pushing for growth, and I’ll forever be grateful to him. Then, I attended the Savannah College of Art and Design, where I studied Illustration and Printmaking.

It may sound silly, but what I’m most proud of in my career is… well, my career. It isn’t easy to make the leap into full-time illustration freelance, and it took a lot of networking, hustling and dedication to be able to make this my job. I was stubbornly determined to make it happen, even after I realized how much more of a challenge it would be than I’d anticipated. I’ve learned to be happy with that accomplishment, and I love getting to do this every day.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I mentioned this earlier, but I wish I had understood the power of social media earlier on in my career. I feel like I could have had a lot more momentum with reaching potential new clients and marketing my prints and products if I had gotten in the game more seriously, earlier on. It’s now a very saturated market, so it’s a lot harder to stand out. I’m still grateful for the free platform, though and it has made a big difference for advertising my business.

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

It wasn’t required, but I felt a pull to start working on art that had more of a message after the election in 2016. Before that, everything I painted was just simple and cute, but didn’t have a lot of substance. Because I was also going through some huge changes in my personal life, that era became a significant period of evolution for me, and as a result, I had a lot more career success. People resonated with the messages I was putting out into the world, because they needed to see those same sentiments and concepts that gave me hope and motivation in bleak times, too. It was a powerful shift and I would recommend to any artist to take those difficult times in life where everything seems upended, and turn into creative power if you can. It was a game-changer for me, and it felt incredible to be making a difference for others, as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cbaillustration.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/cbaillustration
• Other: shop: www.cbaillustration-lovelylittlethings.com