The Portfolio: A scary monster that never feels “ready”
One of the things I’ve struggled with since the start of my career as an illustrator is the constant feeling that my portfolio is never good enough. Even when I had ongoing projects, I felt an overwhelming need to improve it, without really knowing what I wanted to change.
I even found myself reading blog posts about enhancing portfolios and downloading countless lists of suggestions of things I could add. I attended portfolio reviews, and asked fellow illustrators for feedback:
Draw more characters, full scenes, daytime and nighttime settings, indoor lighting, seasonal variations and include adults, adults with kids, animals.
The more I heard and read, the more frustrated I became. It felt like I had to make endless drawings before I was truly ready to “work”.
To be honest, I never followed any advice. I tried, though. I started painting scenes that included kids, a grown-up, paper planes, and a detailed background, but I never finished them. I was only doing them because someone said that’s what a good portfolio needed.
Almost portfolio-worthy illustration, 2021
Eventually, I began painting only what inspired me, not considering whether it would be “portfolio material.” Most of those pieces ended up as Instagram posts, but it didn’t matter because I was doing what I actually liked to do.
In the end, the work that led to the most interesting projects were the ones I created for myself. When I started working on my own ideas, I ended up with a portfolio by default (of course)—some of those pieces weren’t even on my website or social media. These were the projects I submitted to publishers via email or presented at book fairs, which ultimately led to invitations to collaborate on more picture book projects.
Characters from my very first picture book!
I never felt like my portfolio alone landed me the projects I have today. All the books I’ve been invited to illustrate—El viaje de Matías, La hermosa Babisuri, Las fotos de Murci—have animals as the main characters. And the funny part is that I didn’t even have animals in my portfolio.
Now, after four book projects, I’m finally working on my first picture book featuring human main characters.
I’m not saying having a portfolio didn’t help me; of course, it did. It’s a useful tool to show editors and publishers that you’re capable of creating a picture book, or at least that you have the skills to do so. Plus, it acts as an archive of your work’s evolution, showing how your style and interests have changed over time.
But a portfolio alone isn’t what lands you projects. It’s often more productive to spend time on personal projects, send out emails to editors, and share your ideas at book fairs, rather than getting trapped in the endless cycle of perfecting a portfolio while waiting for the “right” opportunity to come along.
You don’t need to have everything perfect before reaching out to potential clients, either.
Selling your ideas with a few sketches and maybe one or two finished pieces can go a long way.
Feedback can be invaluable at any stage.
Working on your own stories, planning solo exhibitions, and committing to long-term personal projects often open more doors than a polished portfolio alone.
Those projects can often lead to illustrating even more stories from other authors.
Thank you for taking the time to read and connect with my journey. I hope these thoughts bring some reassurance and maybe even inspire you to tackle your own portfolio monster. Remember, the best opportunities often come when we’re busy creating.
I’d love to read your thoughts in the comment section below!
Until next time,
