Why I Travel So Much

I believe that part of being an Art Director is contributing to the community that you commission art from. A good Art Director goes out of their way to nurture talent, spread education, and mentor artists as much as they can, because in the end it makes our jobs back in the office easier. I want artists to feel like they are collaborating with me on a challenging project that they feel fairly paid for, that they understand the contract terms on, and that they'll be proud to put in their portfolio. To that end I travel to many conventions and seminars and schools throughout the year — holding portfolio reviews, art business bootcamps, seminars, lectures, and panel discussions. Although most art direction happens via email these days, nothing can substitute for getting out there and visiting artists face to face at events. One of the joys of my job is to give an artist their first big book cover commission, after I've given them portfolio reviews and encouragement and watched them develop over years. You can only build those relationships in person.