The Artist Alley was already sold out by the time I applied, but there’s an area on the 6th floor of the building called the Daily Market—and it just so happened that when I looked into attending, a few tables were still available. I decided that, despite all my reservations, I wanted to get that experience under my belt. The Daily Market lets you attend on a daily basis instead of committing to all four days (the convention runs from Thursday to Sunday).

Why did I have reservations? Well, first off—Hartford is about 2.5 hours from Brooklyn without traffic. The Daily Market opens at 9 AM and closes at 11 PM every day. There was no way I could drive in the morning and back in the evening—it just wasn’t realistic. So staying overnight became the only option if I wanted to arrive early, set up properly, and be presentable.

I remember when digital illustration started becoming more and more relevant. I was still in school, but I remember that time well—mostly because the same kinds of conversations we're having now about A.I. 'art' (it’s not art) were happening back then about digital illustration and how it disrupted traditional illustration. Of course, the impact we’re seeing today is on a whole other level. What we’re dealing with now is a hundred times more disruptive than what happened twenty years ago.