This summer, sunshine gao ’20 participated in our first ever Launch Program with the Highlights Foundation by attending a two-week workshop, Deep Dive into Children’s Book Illustration. The Highlights Foundation positively impacts children by amplifying the voices of storytellers who inform, educate, and inspire children to become their best selves. Gao was one of five MCAD MFA artists who attended this newly funded Launch Program. Please enjoy this short interview: What were some of your goals headed into the workshop? I wanted to explore illustration and working for a younger audience, to see what specific considerations there were for the field, be better prepared for such projects, and to maybe enrich my own non-children's illustration work. What did your average day look like during the workshop? Average day varied, because I was juggling other things like mutual aid and organizing work and was not able to focus as intently on the workshop as I would've liked. In addition, the workshop didn't meet every day. On non-meeting days, I would try to squeeze in some illustration time; on meeting days, it would typically be a Zoom presentation or panel. What were your takeaways about your work, career, or practice? My main takeaway was that I need to have a sharper distinction between illustration and comic work. I can't just draw illustrations like a fancy comic panel, and I already don't think of comic panels as illustrations per se. It's something I've thought about a little bit already, but talking to more actual illustrators help put that in sharper relief. What would you say to a future Launch Program participant who is considering applying? I would say...have specific issues (technical or conceptual or career-focused) that you want to ask about. Have specific questions. The more time you're able to spend on your assignments for the program, the more valuable the feedback you get is going to be. Familiarize yourself with the people in the program, and think of it less as a class with a useful curriculum and more as an opportunity to learn from and question working professionals. For More Information: Website at sunshine-gao.com Instagram: @sunshine.gaoh Categories Alumni Launch Programming