We recently connected with Madelyn Burnham and have shared our conversation below.

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

Being an artist is something that has always been a part of my life- I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. Creating characters, drawing out comics, writing stories. Art grew up with me, and something that started as a hobby became a passion. But I was never under the impression that I could make it a career- we’re told a societal narrative from such a young age that art can’t be your job. “You won’t make money, it’s unstable, it’s competitive” etc. By the time I had graduated from high school, I was unsure of what I wanted to do going forward. I wasn’t even sure if college was the right path for me, but my parents encouraged me to apply to OSU anyway. I started out at The Ohio State University in the nursing program in the fall of 2019. Between math and chemistry homework, I was drawing. I was really into drawing portraits at the time. Only a few weeks into the semester I realized that nursing wasn’t for me, and I owed it to myself to try some art classes. I switched my major to “Undecided” and spent the rest of my freshman year taking drawing and art fundamentals classes. After my semester was cut short due to COVID in March of 2020, I had a lot of time to think about my future. That month I submitted my application to the Columbus College of Art and Design, and I was accepted. The time I spent at CCAD only solidified that art was the right path for me, it just felt so natural. I graduated with my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration in 2023. It was hard work but I always felt like I was working towards something I was actually passionate about, the time I spent in school and on assignments was never in vain.

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 a freelance Illustrator, and I’ve been creating custom art for clients for about 4 years now. I have done everything from custom pet portraits to logo design to stylized family caricatures. In the two months since I’ve graduated, I have been able to dedicate myself full-time to the start of my career as a children’s book illustrator. It was during my last two years of school that I settled into the “KidLit” niche, and dedicated my senior capstone project to a deep dive into the world of children’s book illustration. It’s my main goal for my artistic career to work with authors in telling important stories with my art. I’m proud of all the work I’ve done so far, as it has been so fulfilling for me. Every project is a new opportunity to create something special to share with the world. My illustrations aim to boost awareness and acceptance of diversity, so that every kid can see themselves represented in a story. Illustrations are an incredible learning tool, so I want to be making art for books, fliers, games, puzzles, educational resources… pretty much everything under the sun! Outside of KidLit illustration, I’ve been able to be a part of lots of cool things that I wouldn’t be able to without my art. I’ve created a logo for a local sourdough business, a poster for an award winning movie, hand-painted jackets for a boutique, a custom prom dress design, unique wedding gifts, sticker designs for book clubs, portraits to memorialize dear pets, and I have even sold my work at local markets! The people I’ve met and experiences I’ve had through these opportunities have made life so exciting. I can’t wait to work with authors and educators in the future to make a difference in my community.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

KidLit called to me as an artist because I knew how impactful media is on young minds. What drives my art at its core is my desire to create better representation and awareness for diversity, especially disabilities. Having worked with kids as a daycare teacher and babysitter, I know that kids learn so much about life through the books they read, games they play, and movies they watch. The art and stories within them help teach kids about themselves and the world around them. I want to create books that help address more sensitive topics, such as foster care, chronic illness, disabilities, and medical procedures. I believe these stories can help normalize these situations to kids and make them less lonely and scary to experience. Growing up, I struggled with my health, so I went through a lot of doctors visits, testing, and new medications. It was an intimidating and lonely experience, as I always felt out of the loop on what was going on in my own body, why my body was working differently than others, what procedures were being done to me, and why I had a harder time with things that seemed so easy to others. I had to educate myself, I learned how to advocate for myself in everyday life and in the doctors office, how to adapt my lifestyle to my body, and how to explain my situation to able-bodied people who may not understand the challenges faced by chronically ill and disabled people. It was a journey I felt very alone in, and a lot of lessons were learned the hard way. Even as an adult, I continue to traverse the complicated territory of living in a world built for able-bodied people, without much guidance. I don’t want kids growing up feeling alone and confused like I did, I want them to have stories that educate, prepare, and empower them. I remember going into medical tests as a kid, and I was so scared the entire time. I didn’t know what was happening, why it was happening, or what would happen next, just that it was painful and unfamiliar. Knowledge is power, and being educated about a procedure, treatment, or condition can make that experience less scary. I think sometimes as adults we forget that a lot of experiences are brand new for kids, and they often don’t know how to cope with the fear and anxiety that may bring. Having a candid conversation about what is going on goes a long way to helping them feel more secure and in control. I want my art and books to be a tool that parents, doctors, and educators to use to help facilitate these important conversations!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

In both life and art, progress is not always linear. That was a tough lesson for me, because I was always a perfectionist growing up. Things change, go wrong, and get complicated all the time, despite your best efforts! I had to learn that this is a normal part of any experience in life and that some things are out of my control. Mistakes happen and not everything works out, but that doesn’t have to reflect on you as a person or your worth. This applies especially to the grace, compassion, and understanding I’ve had to learn to give myself. As an artist, I have to be patient, as I am always learning new things and improvement doesn’t happen happen overnight. As a person living with chronic health conditions, I have to know what my limits are and realize that no matter how hard I try, I’m still going to have bad symptom days and it’s ok to honor your body’s need to rest. We all have bad days, unfortunate situations, or disappointments. But that does not mean all the good work you have done to improve in life is null. You learn from every bad experience, and having learned something new only makes you more successful going forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: Mburnhamillustration.com
• Instagram: Mburnhamillustration
• Other: [email protected]