2024 Is Your Year by Jay Whistler

You may recall that in my 2022 New Year’s post, I mentioned that I am not big on resolutions because they feel…like work. Add in that they rarely succeed because life gets in the way. I also tend to berate myself the first time I mess up, blame my lack of willpower (to exercise, eat better, write every day, etc.) and immediately give up.

 

 

It stands to reason, then, that for my 2023 New Year’s post I am not going to suggest you make a resolution to work on your craft. Instead, I’m going to suggest that you set aside time every week, actually scheduled in the calendar like an appointment, to get your portfolio ready for the next SCBWI Mentorship, or finally get that picture book dummy together. Why? Because in 2024, we will have an illustration mentorship in which you can focus on either/both a dummy and/or your portfolio with your mentor’s guidance.

 

 

While we aren’t ready to spill the name of our mentor just yet, rest assured it is someone you will want to work with! In addition, there will be some changes to the format of the mentorship. A lot of the mentorship will remain in place, but we are adding some extra bonuses for our top three entrants.

 

 

Our goal is to make the mentorship meaningful to everyone who enters, not just to the chosen mentee. Illustrator co-coordinators Katie Eberts and Jen Boehler surveyed our membership. We’ve reached out to other regions with mentorships for their suggestions. We’ve had conversations with co-RAs Jodi McKay and Anita Pazner about our big overhaul plans, and I can tell you that we are all excited about the new and improved mentorship.

 

In addition, we are in the process of creating a shiny new website page for the mentorship. We had a lovely one for the 2023 mentorship, but then HQ created a whole new website, and whelp, there went all our hard work. But we are rebuilding and will have all the info you need ready to go well before registration opens in June.

 

So whether you call it a resolution, goal, mission, sense of purpose, or even a cheese sandwich, you now have at least six months to work on your portfolio and prepare for the new and improved 2024 Illustration Mentorship. Make it your year!

 

 

Jay Whistler is the mentorship coordinator for SCBWI-MI. She promises that no cheese sandwiches were harmed in the writing of this post.