Meet Emma Shaw | Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emma Shaw and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emma, how do you think about risk?
The wonderful thing about taking risks is that it’s never too late to start. The most rewarding experiences of my life were born out of decisions that, at the time, felt incredibly intimidating. In the past, my actions were almost always informed by fear. I wanted to travel, pursue a creative career, and experience life in a new city, yet I would dismiss opportunities that brought me closer to achieving these goals. In retrospect, I lacked trust in myself; I wanted to mitigate the risk of failure and, by extension, disappointment. In reality, I was causing myself more harm in the long run. When I decided to apply to an MFA program, leave my full-time job, and move to a different state, I was confident that the potential risks were outweighed by the inevitable benefits. Three years later, I graduated with a Master’s degree in Illustration, spent a month in Europe as an artist-in-resident at the historical Chateau d’Orquevaux in Orquevaux, France, visited one of my closest friends from graduate school in Lithuania, and began to work as a freelance illustrator. I never would have arrived at this moment, both personally and professionally, had I allowed fear to dictate my path.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a professional illustrator who specializes in both digital and traditional illustration. Over the past several years, I have developed a signature style that prioritizes whimsy, exaggerated features, and elements of fantastical realism. Growing up, I had somewhat of a tumultuous relationship with art; although I was inspired to draw as a child, I struggled with perfectionism and sought to depict my subjects as accurately as possible. Today, I enjoy breaking the rules more than I feel inclined to follow them. I often refer to one of my favorite books: Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried,” a collection of semi-autobiographic short stories based upon the author’s experiences as an American soldier in the Vietnam war. O’Brien, who once described the fictional truth as being more honest than factual truth, intentionally blurs the line between fiction and nonfiction in an effort to evoke his emotional reality. I am certainly no Tim O’Brien, but I appreciate his insight and try to approach my illustration with a similar mentality.

Considering how many images we are inundated with each day, it can be hard to stand out. I have noticed that people often gravitate towards my reportage and traditional sketches. When drawing traditionally, I use colored inks, pens, and other permanent mediums. I love to look back on the decisions I made while sketching: maybe I left out someone’s eye, or I chose to fill in the area around an object instead of outlining the shape itself. It all comes with diligent practice. It was hard to overcome the idea that every drawing has to be perfect, but I eventually did so by returning to school and surrounding myself with incredibly talented people. I became a better and more fearless artist, as well as a happier person, after abandoning the pretense of perfection. Although I am excited to be collaborating with clients as a freelance illustrator, I am most proud of my individual growth.

If your friend was visiting Atlanta, where would you take them?
My friends and I love to sketch in coffee shops, go on long hikes, and enjoy a night out. I have one friend in particular who always wants to visit as many bookstores as possible. My perfect itinerary would involve a morning at the Read Shop by the Merchant for books, coffee, and drawing, followed by a day at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Last, we would head to Tuza Tacos for margaritas. If there was time for a road trip, I would love to drive to Tybee Beach. One of my favorite memories includes watching the sunset at Tybee with a group of my closest friends following our graduation.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have been blessed with a strong, long-standing support system of incredible friends and family. My parents have always encouraged my older sister and me to pursue our respective passions, and my family is filled with a diversity of artists who led by example. Watching my sister pursue her career as a dancer was particularly inspiring. She has always been ambitious and decisive, even when we were younger, and I very much wanted to embody those attributes as well. Above all else, my sister taught me that an integral part of working hard and finding success is having the wherewithal to make decisions.

Website: https://eshoshanna.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eshoshanna/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/eshoshanna

Image Credits
Jordan Tiberio (Personal Photo) Emma Shaw (All Additional Photos)