Name, Age, and State: Sara Burrier, 30, Iowa

Job-title: Freelance Illustrator and Art Teacher

Web/blog site URL: http://sarambutcher.etsy.com

Give us your job description in 25 words or less. I create art for manufacturers who sell product in the market place, designing primarily with fairytales in mind. I also teach art locally.

Describe a typical workday. I run my own business as a freelancer, so I get up, make coffee, correspond to emails, and then sit at the drawing table and work for a few hours. After lunch I head to our art museum to teach classes in the afternoon. In the evening I go back to either the computer to list items in my etsy shop, or continue painting art for my agent.

What led you to realize that you wanted to do this type of work? I always saw, in my head, my work in stores. When fairies became big in the 1990s in stores I got pretty excited. I always knew I wanted to draw and paint, but it wasn’t till recently that I actually made the commitment to choose licensed art as a career.

Did you have any heroes or mentors in your industry that you admired? Brian Froud is a big “hero” for many fairy and fantasy artists in my generation. I also look up to Becky Kelly, a dear friend and successful illustrator in the greeting card industry. My dad when it comes to teaching. I grew up watching him teach art.

What type of education or training was required to land your job? Having an art degree is helpful in this field because it shows a degree of commitment. I got a BFA in Illustration, and that has been enough so far. I think self discipline is incredibly important too. Freelancing puts a lot of the work on your shoulders, having to be your own boss with your time. An agent can help, but they’re not your boss.

What do you love most about your job? The freedom of my time. I can arrange my day however I want. Even with my teaching, I get to choose my hours. This allows me to be there for family during the day, friends who need to talk, and be here as much as I can for my husband. It’s a lot to juggle, but with some practice it can be pretty rewarding.

What one part of your job do you wish you could hire someone else to do? Process all of my print orders from etsy and run my etsy shop. Although I like making every package unique, it’s time away from the drawing table.

What advice would you give to teenagers wanting to get into your field of work? Learn how to make a schedule and stick to it, build that discipline. Also make a career choice while still in school and stick to it. Give it everything you have. Make sure you do an internship that is in the field you’re wanting, an internship with a solid company or business.

How does your job allow you to use your God-given gifts? I believe my God-given gift is encouragement and empathy. I strive to show love, grace, hope, strength, and all of the facets of Christ in my work, so that when someone sees it they feel more connected to Him or to themselves.

Do you have any hobbies or off-hours pursuits that teenagers would find of interest? I love to cook! Never thought I would, but it’s so much fun learning about what two foods can mix together. I also really enjoy watching super hero movies.