This short video is part of the Skillshare Talks series that shares footage from live conversations with our teacher community.

Join the Skillshare team at our NYC headquarters for a panel discussion featuring five women who have built thriving creative careers - Nic Squirrell, Amarilys Henderson, Claire Picard, Dylan Mierzwinski, and Ohn Mar Win. Through this talk, you will hear how they each turned their passion into a paying job, and their approach to tackling common challenges like income stability, social media, and imposter syndrome. We hope this talk gives you both insights and ideas for pursing your own creative career.

Meet the Panelists:

Nic Squirrell:

Nic Squirrell is a British artist, illustrator and surface pattern designer living in Kent, England. She specialises in digital painting, usually on her iPad, and also loves the spontaneity of watercolour. Her favourite subjects are birds, flowers, and slightly shifty looking creatures, although she enjoys drawing lots of other things too. Nic’s art is licensed on all sorts of products from greetings cards, art prints and phone cases to SVG cutting files, home decor items, luggage and many more. Being naturally curious, she loves exploring new iPad apps and finding ways to simplify her process, and of course enjoys sharing what she has learned by teaching on Skillshare.

Amarilys Henderson:

Amarilys Henderson enjoys bringing the dynamic vibrancy of watercolor strokes to everyday products—from paper to porcelain. Her experience in print design influences much of her surface design work, which found its renaissance in new motherhood and refreshed faith. You’ll find her curled up in her warm studio in snowy Minnesota.

Claire Picard:

Originally from the UK, Claire Picard has a background in fashion and textile design and product range development. Having worked as an embroidery/print designer, a fashion illustrator, and a greetings card designer, Claire spent 20 years living and working also in continental Europe. With a love for design and colour, Claire joined Skillshare as a teacher last year to share her practical knowledge in colour and design theory. She also teaches tried and tested techniques for creative exploration, offering classes to all levels.

Dylan Mierzwinski:

Dylan Mierzwinski ("M" for short), is an illustrator and surface designer living in the Valley of the Sun, Phoenix, Arizona. A top teacher on Skillshare, Dylan is known for her warmth, abilitiy to communicate difficult ideas clearly, and bold and retro botanical illustrations. As a self taught artist, Dylan has enthusiastically grown into her position in the art world as a creative cheerleader, sharer of helpful keyboard shortcuts, and combiner of unexpected colors. She enjoys waving at dogs, quoting Michael Scott, and encouraging people to talk about their feelings (not a joke).

Ohn Mar Win:

Ohn Mar Win is a UK based illustrator best known for her watercolour practice in her sketchbook, often combining them with line work to create various effects. Her great passion is illustrating food, and her work has appeared in cookery books, packaging, and magazines from around the world. Since becoming a Skillshare teacher, Ohn Mar’s views of constantly learning and improving her creative abilities have been reinforced, and hopes this is passed onto her students.

Luz Elena Caballero

Painter and Illustrator

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