Meet Lori Burt

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

Hi Lori, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.

I think my optimism comes from experiences I’ve had growing up and always feeling encouraged by my parents. My parents always told me I could do anything but that I had to actually put myself out there or ask for opportunities in conjunction with working hard to succeed in what I wanted. I remember going to college and my first semester I really wanted some extra money. I had worked as a floral designer before I graduated highschool and thought maybe I could get a job with a local florist in my college town. I was really scared to go in and ask for a job or ask if they were hiring so my mom came with me. Before we went in she said to me, “What is the very worst thing they could say…. probably no. And is that so bad?” So, with my mom by my side, we went in to the florist and sure enough, they said they didn’t hire students. I think they really just didn’t hire anyone outside their family. We walked out and my mom said, see… now you know and maybe when they hit a busy time, you can go back in and offer your skills then. What’s the worst they could say? Fast forward to Valentine’s week that year and I thought about what my mom said and I went back in and offered to clean roses for them for the day since I knew they would be busy. They readily took me up on the offer and said they would only hire me for this one day. After the long day of cleaning roses, tying bows, and prepping vases and baskets, they offered me a part-time position and I was THIRLLED!
This experience was really one that has helped me to stay optimistic and continue to work hard and ask for opportunities.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’ve had a windy road to where I’ve landed! I graduated college with a Bachelor’s in Biology and then after marriage and kids I went back to school to get my degree in Graphic Design. I worked for the Community College of Aurora for about three years and did freelance graphic design work during that time as well. I discovered fashion illustration during that time and started to watch fashion illustrators really rise in popularity with live-sketching. I decided that was something I would love to try and started to do that on the side. I did a lot of small parties and some corporate events. I eventually decided to reach out to some businesses that I really wanted to work with and offer my services. Thinking it was a total shot in the dark, I reached out to Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. Nordstrom was wonderful and immediately saw what I was doing and wanted to work with me. I took me about a year of reaching out to Neiman Marcus before they decided to have me at one of their events, but they became one of my most consistent clients.
I’ve now had the chance to work with some of my favorite brands such as Fendi and Coach as well as Neiman’s, Nordstrom, Pixi Beauty and others and it has deepened my love of illustration and fashion. I’ve also started to publish beginner fashion illustration classes on Skillshare and will have a new class coming out in December!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Three qualities that have been most impactful to me in my journey as a fashion illustrator would include practice with my drawing, persistence in working with clients I want to work with, and being kind no matter what or how I’m treated. I would say that practice is the very best thing to do to continue moving forward. Without practice there is no improvement and therefore you stay stagnent in your abilities. Find ways of improving and don’t be afraid to be terrible at something.

How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?

Right now I am trying to make the shift from live-sketch to other income streams. Live-sketch has been my primary means of income for a few years now but we’ve moved to a city where I have to drive at least 3 hours to get to a city with the clients I work with. I don’t like traveling alone and I also have anxiety about traveling in general. I’m hoping to continue to build my portfolio and work my way into art licensing and teaching and transition out of live-sketching.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.loriburt.com/
• Instagram: @lbprojectprint
• Linkedin: Lori Burt