I found this book through amazon.com's recommendations. I had put it on my wish list for a latter buy. But after reading Illustration Islands recommendation I picked it up from a local store, and boy am I glad that I did. While this book did cover topics that were discussed in some of my various classes at RMCAD, it also touched on topics that were not discussed. I think one of the main reasons I like this book is because the author is able to not only tie it into her own experience but also allow others to tie in their own view points. I liked her chapter on creating a home studio. She had different ideas on storage, and on item's that should be present or at least within arms reach. She also had very good points for and against working at home. I think that it was also helpful that she talked about creating a brand identity to go along with all of your promotional items such as postcards and websites. I will admit that some of the topics I felt that I already knew a lot about. But after reading I still found so much input and ideas not only from Holly DeWolf, but Penelope Dullaghan, Andi Butler, Claudine Hellmuth, and Von R. Glitschka just to name a few. I think one of my favorite chapters was "Handling Problems the Creative Way." She touches on burnout and procrastination, as well as the "Unthinkable Events". It was that section that caught my attention the most. I don't think that it crosses to many illustrator minds that something could happen to them. In the authors experience she had been bit by a dog that almost had taken off one of her fingers. Artists don't normally expect stuff like that to happen, and to have our abilities taken away as well as our income can be down right financially dangerous. The silver lining to all of that is to have insurance as well as to have a plan B to fall back on until if and when you can go back to plan A. I truly do think that this is a book that should be kept withing arms reach, at least to reference everything.
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