I finally got to attend the ICON illustration conference, after wanting to go for over ten years.

This year’s conference was held in Minneapolis at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, which is right next to MCAD (Minneapolis College of Art and Design).

I went with my cousin Linda who is also an artist, which was the highlight of the week, spending time together, talking about art, looking at art, making art and shopping for art supplies.

I prepped the inside cover of a new A3 sketchbook, a larger size than the A4 I normally work in, with the intention of using one sketchbook to take notes and do workshop drawing exercises and doodles.

We attended several hands-on workshops, learned about SEO and how to improve our websites, practiced costume figure drawing, did a variety of silly drawing in a few zines, and learned about how to pitch an idea to a publisher. Each one was so informative and energizing!

I also made a few new friends and exchanged business cards and postcards. Here’s a small variety of the cards I handed out.

I am looking forward to attending again, even though it’s not until 2026 since the conference is held every other year.

In the meantime, I am full of creative energy and look forward to more artsy getaways.