Lenaland

Marley Dias is like a lot of 11-year-olds: She loves getting lost in a book.

But the books she was reading at school were starting to get on her nerves. She enjoyed Where The Red Fern Grows and the Shiloh series, but those classics, found in so many elementary school classrooms, “were all about white boys or dogs … or white boys and their dogs,” Marley says.

Black girls, like Marley, were almost never the main character.

Last fall, Marley decided to do something about it. She set a goal of collecting 1,000 books about black girls by the beginning of February, and #1000blackgirlbooks was born.

She has far exceeded her goal, with almost 4,000 books and counting. Now, she wants to set up a black girl book club and pressure school districts to change what books are assigned to students. Morning Edition’s David Greene spoke with Marley about her campaign and how she’s handled her success.

Where’s The Color In Kids’ Lit? Ask The Girl With 1,000 Books (And Counting)

Roadshow Q&A: Lena Podesta

With the Call for Applications for ROADSHOW: AUSTIN, marketplace and portfolio show at ICON9 now open, we’re interviewing some of the many artists who exhibited at ICON8′s Roadshow: Portland. Today we’d like to introduce Lena Podesta.

Tell us about your Roadshow experience, did you find it enjoyable?

I had so much fun at the Roadshow! I had never exhibited at a conference before so it was a ton of work leading up: printing stuff, putting together products, designing the table, etc… As a first timer, I found the length of the Roadshow quite manageable and loved the camaraderie between exhibitors. My husband, Zack Rau and I shared a table and it was really great to be able to share the whole experience with him.

Did you find an enthusiastic audience for your work and make some useful contacts during Roadshow?

Everyone was really sweet and it was rewarding to share and talk about my work with peers and potential clients. I met so many illustrators that night and loved seeing the types of products that other people had created. I don’t know that the Roadshow led directly to a job, but I do know that my work was much more visible than if I had elected not to exhibit.

What products you were selling and what were you most popular items on the night?

I had a lot of prints for sale, some greeting cards, postcards, and magnets. The prints were my most popular item, and not necessarily the images that I thought would sell best.

Can you give people some tips for success when presenting their work and selling at Roadshow?

I wish that I had more useful/ dimensional products with my images on them. The more creative you can get with the types of items you’re offering, the more you’ll stand out and the better your table will look. There were some really wonderful ceramic pieces at Roadshow:Portland at ICON8, for example, and Apak Studio, right next to me had all sorts of cool stuff, including puzzles. If you have a unique skill, share that too. I didn’t highlight any of my animation work, but I wish that I had. Oh yeah, and make sure you have something “free” you can give away.

Illustrators have become much more entrepreneurial, creating their own markets, connecting directly and selling to fans of their work. Why do you think do think there has been this shift?

Hmmm, well I think the internet has certainly helped that. It’s easier than ever to connect with people via social media, both with fans, and other artists who inspire us to take charge of our businesses. Online shops are so simple to set up and can help with marketing and by producing product on demand.

Do you feel it’s important for illustrators to get involved with their industry?

No doubt! As illustrators, we spend a lot of time working alone and in our own heads. Listening to other people speak about their approach to the craft at ICON8 really blew everything wide open for me. I came away feeling so inspired and refreshed and wishing every week could be an ICON week.

What was your first ‘real’ illustration job?

Oh gosh, I’ve been slowly plugging away at this for so long, not sure if I remember. My dad paid me to draw a logo for his solar company ages ago. And I did some drawings for the titles of a student film about a goth girl working in a chip shop. I got a little stipend for that, I think.

What do you do for fun?

I draw. But also, I like hiking and swimming and cooking and eating meals with family and friends, and making my oldest son do art projects or stop motion with me.

What are you currently working on right now?

I’m illustrating my first picture book and am so pumped about it! Baby Dragon, Baby Dragon (by Melissa Marr and Nancy Paulsen Books). I’m also working on raising another tiny human… born in September of 2015.

Sketchbook or no sketchbook?

Hell yeah, sketchbook! But my sketchbook is not the pretty, show off to your friends kind. I wish it was. My sketchbook is filled with all sorts of bad drawings and messy sketches. It’s how I work out my ideas and get rid of the bad stuff.

Who or what inspires you?

Other illustrators and artists, for sure. But right now, my biggest inspiration is my husband and two kids. Especially my older son who is so weird and creative in that beautiful, uncensored, non sequitur way that only a five year old can be. I steal all my best ideas from him.

Check out Lena’s work: www.lenapodesta.com

Twitter: @lenapodesta

Apply now for ROADSHOW: AUSTIN, marketplace and portfolio show at ICON9 The Illustration Conference, July 7, 2016 in Austin, Tx. Extended Deadline March 8th, 2016.