We were lucky to catch up with Susan Shorter recently and have shared our conversation below.
Susan, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Overcome it? I don’t know that I have… now, move forward IN SPITE of it, that I can tell you about. One thing that has really helped me is to get to know the people in my industry AS people. Connecting on social media, going to new conventions, and hanging out afterwards have all allowed me to see my industry heroes as human beings that also struggle with Imposter Syndrome now and again, they have their highs and lows and are just people too. Super talented, hardworking, forces of nature, but at the end of the day… just human. They put the work in to be where they are, and that leads me to advice tip #2 which is to just keep your head down and keep working. If you are worrying so much about the people around you, you are spending energy on something that is not serving you, channel that energy into your work and it will pay off.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I received my BFA from the Herron School of Art in 2004, and did odd jobs until landing a position as a staff Illustrator at Author Solutions in 2007. While I was there I illustrated over 500 Children’s books, as well as did novel covers, medical illustration, map making…pretty much anything and everything a client could want artistically. It was a fast-paced and fun environment, and I learned so much about working in publishing there, so I was sad when fifteen years later, they chose to close the art department here in the States.
But life has a way that when one door closes, another one opens (or that just means that your house is haunted). After Author Solutions and I parted ways, I got a surprise call from the CEO of Soundbooth Theater offering me a position as their new Art Director, and I took it. Working for them has definitely been a learning experience, and very exciting. I love being around people that are passionate about what they do, and do it well.
Other than freelancing for Soundbooth, I have been trying to grow as a fixture in the Fantasy Art community. I have been published in Infected By Art a few times, Showcased at Illuxcon, and had the honor of showing in GenCon’s Art Show in 2023. I am in awe of these people, and they make me want to create better art. I have so many new pieces I can’t wait to get out of my brain and onto the canvas. This year I will be attending the Illustration Master Class in Savannah, GA and learning alongside the very people that inspired me to get into this industry. Sure, I am nervous, but also excited. If you don’t push yourself, you will never know what you can accomplish!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
One, to look outside what seems possible in your neck of the woods. When was growing up, there was no internet connecting us all to potential clients and publishers. It could have been so easy for me to say,”There’s no way a girl in the middle of Indiana can have a thriving career as an artist.” But luckily, my mom took me book stores and galleries, and I met artists in person. I always knew it was possible, I just didn’t know the “how” yet.
Two, never rest on your laurels. I was always the best artist in the room as a kid, so it was easy to not feel like I had to try too hard. Luckily for me, I had teachers that knew I had more in me, and pushed me to see what I was truly capable of. If not for that, I wouldn’t have developed the style I have now (that is still a work in progress). Never stop learning!
And number three is my favorite, “When preparedness meets opportunity.” Do you want a career in illustration? Then look at Illustrators websites, see what a professional portfolio looks like, and apply your observations to your own portfolio. Does a certain company you want to work for prefer digital art? Well, take some tutorials and learn to digitally paint. Do you want to exhibit at big shows? Do some small shows, learn by trial and error what you may need to do a big show, and fine tune your pieces so if you get the call that they want you, you are ready!
Watch Youtube videos, listen to podcasts with the artists you love, write an email asking for advice. There is no direct path to success in this field, but if it is what you love then you owe it to yourself to get out here and dance with us!
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
If I knew it was my last decade, professionally I would throw out any concern I have for creating work for a certain brand or audience, and focus on painting the images I have carried inside me for far too long, the ones that ache to be painted. I would also finish the children’s book I have half written, and write a memoir so that my great nieces and nephews will have an idea what my life was like when they inevitably inherit some of my work. On a more personal level, I wouldn’t sweat my savings and would spend every last dime travelling the world having adventures, and when I was home I would completely encapsulate myself with nature, loved ones, fluffy blankets, animals, books, good wine, and decadent food.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.susanshorter.com
- Instagram: @susan_shorter_art
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SusanShorterArt/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-shorter-4865b935/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@susanshorterart
