One of the things that was impressed upon me by an illustrator at the SCBWI NY conference some years ago, was that illustrators need to have a consistent style so that the editor has a clear vision of what he/she is contracting for and so that they remember the artist. It makes a lot of sense. This person suggested that if you really worked in more than one style, you should have two separate portfolios even under different names. At least until you are established. It makes sense, but it also made me realize that I am probably not an illustrator or very professional. Each different medium inspires me in a different way with very different results.
At the last Prairie Writer's Day Conference, we got a similar message about our writing. Stick with what you do best. Don't dabble, or at least accept that not everything you do is going to be submission material. I think it is useful to consider this. Not that it will stop me trying new things because I think, in the end, those experiments in writing improve what you do. It is helpful to limit oneself and focus on strengths.
Even Van Gogh had an off day--actually he had a lot of them. It is only the aberration that is the art market that says, "He is a genius, therefore anything he touches has a value put to it."
