Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Laurel Aylesworth. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Laurel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?
I was a graphic designer for a long time before I became an illustrator. It helped me gain confidence in my artistic eye and design skills, and it gave me guidance on how to interact with clients. It’s that experience I draw from each day.
Laurel, 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’m a children’s book illustrator living in Rhode Island with my husband and two daughters. I inherited my mother’s artistic nature, but didn’t explore it seriously under after having kids of my own. And honestly, it was obvious to me in primary school that art was not valued as much as other disciplines, so I set it aside for a long time. I ended up getting my BA in English at Mount Holyoke College, thinking it would be more pragmatic in the real world. It was a long road back to art, but I’m so glad I had the opportunity to pursue it. As a professional illustrator, I love solving visual “problems” for the publisher. My brain naturally goes to the visual side of things so it’s easy for me to come up with a fun, engaging narrative. I do have a lot of respect for writers being able to weave together a compelling story. I think my strength is to fill in the gaps where they leave for more storytelling, which is my favorite part of the creative process. How can I make something unexpected and elevate as well as honor the writer’s words? I am most proud of recognizing the desire to create children’s books and putting in the work to develop a solid portfolio, land an agent, and publish my first children’s picture book with a traditional publisher in 2023. I have another book coming out this Spring and am currently working on my third. Plus, I did a lot of the work in between napping children or whenever I could. I think it says something about my drive and perseverance.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
This question called to me because I think it’s one that pops up almost every time I create, and that’s to unlearn the idea that since I didn’t go to a brick and mortar art school I’m not a “real” artist. There seems to be this undercurrent of feeling like a fraud at times, but the older I get the more I realize it’s just part of the gig for any artist. There will always be voices of doubt. I think a successful artist recognizes that inner voice and shows up to the canvas anyway.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When my girls were babies I needed to reclaim a bit of myself in between naps, so I started dabbling in water colors. A friend commented I should try my hand at children’s book illustration and the idea stuck. My girls and I spent hours at the children’s library and I’d read to them all the time and I started looking at the books in a new way: from the perspective of a potential creator. As the kids got older, I had a bit more time for myself and I enrolled in online classes at SVS Learn. Not only were the classes brilliant, but there was a forum where I could connect with other artists and find support. I don’t think I could have become a professional illustrator without SVS Learn, or the other artists I met there. A few of us students created our own critique group where we critique each other’s work and lend support when needed. This happened over the course of 5 years. I’m sure there were many moments of self doubt and struggle, but I worked when I could and it paid off.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.laurelaylesworth.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurelaylesworth/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/layleswo