We were lucky to catch up with Juliebeth Delgado recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Juliebeth , thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
My parents have always been hard working. My dad worked two jobs while my mom took care of my sister and me. After years of waiting and planning, my dad finally got the opportunity to open his restaurant a couple years ago. Seeing my dad run not one, but two restaurants on top of events for both of them really pushed me to get myself out there and work hard for my dreams. He has been my number one supporter and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for him.
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 am a full time art teacher and a part time illustrator. When I’m not teaching, I’m planning out the next sticker, tote, or print for my shop (Juliebeth Illustrations.) My illustration style is very cartoony and cute; things that would make people smile or laugh. I love working with different mediums like watercolor, acrylic, or digital. Right now I’m in the process of making a variety of tote bags and tshirts, so stay tuned!
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?
Time management, knowing my audience, and patience. Those three skills really helped me out through this portion of my journey. As a full time art teacher and a full time mom, working as an illustrator and balancing the three has been my biggest challenge. Managing my time and scheduling around work has helped me out tremendously. Working through scheduling with babysitters was a must. Luckily, I am blessed enough to have a lot of support from family and friends to take care of my baby boy while I try to sell my art (Thank you!!). When I began selling at art festivals, part of the challenge was figuring out what people would buy. Totes and stickers ended up being more popular than my prints (though I will have to try framed prints next.) Stickers in particular really took off because people love putting them on everything from water bottles, coolers, etc. Cartoon and video game pieces are taking off right now with Stitch and Pokemon being especially popular with those that grew up with them.
Having patience with the process is tough in the beginning. You’re not always going to have amazing foot traffic with every festival and you’re not always going to have the responses you want on social media. Dedication and not getting caught up in the noise are the keys to growing your audience over time. You will always have your good days and bad days, but at the end of the day as long as you’re doing what you love that’s what matters most.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I start feeling overwhelmed with the workload I take a step back and take a breather for a bit. Sometimes you need to just stop what you’re doing and go do something else you love. My go-tos are reading a book I’ve been interested in or finishing a video game I haven’t yet completed.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @juliebeth_illustrations
- Facebook: Juliebeth Illustrations
- Other: TikTok: Juliebeth Illustrations
