Veterinary Illustration Career Path aka Tales From the Cryptorchid
Doctor, superhero and career path… oh my…
Halloween always brings out the nostalgia of childhood for me. It represents time in your life when imagination is not hemmed in by a particular career path. You could dream BIG and put yourself into any possible role – a doctor, a nurse, a firefighter, a superhero – anything was possible, you simply had to BELIEVE. As a child, those dreams felt as real as the costume I decked myself out in to bravely face the dark and seek my sugary treasures.
Fast forward several years and take a look at what has changed. Most of those childhood dreams have been abandoned for more practical things. The costumes donned to project me out into the world are long gone, but not forgotten. They make me think of that age-old question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”. Every kid is asked this question numerous times during their childhood. Gradually answers changed over the years, as I realized that I would never become some of those things I aspired to be. Yet, some of those answers persevered into adulthood, and I set and achieved goals to reach them as I matured.
On the career path to what?
How does that happen? When I was a child, I loved both art and animals. My love of animals developed into a strong affinity for biology and related sciences. Artistic expression was the place I went to simply be myself, enjoying the simple pleasure of creativity and curiosity. Those two things could not be more opposite. Becoming a veterinarian seemed an obvious career path, but my lack of social skills made it very hard to immerse myself in that world.
I spent most of my school years diligently studying biology, but maintaining a consistent connection with my artistic side, which resulted in a bachelor of science in Biology with a double major in Fine Arts from Bridgewater State College (now Bridgewater State University). My two passions finally resulted in a Master of Fine Arts degree in medical illustration from Rochester Institute of Technology, which I then pushed a little further and specialized in veterinary illustration for my thesis project.
Sometimes I look back and wonder, what if I had taken a different path? What if Biology and animals had won out and I had become a vet? I have several veterinary clients, and I am always intrigued by what they are doing. That glimpse into the veterinary world sometimes rekindles that tug of the other path I could have taken, and for a moment I ponder trading in my laptop and Wacom tablet for a stethoscope and coveralls.
Being grateful for the career path you’ve chosen
The more I think about it, the more I realize I am right where I want to be. I get to be in the presence of animals and some wonderful veterinarians and learn about the procedures they are doing so that I can help them teach future generations of vets, who will continue to help animals. In some ways, I virtually became a vet, because I have to learn and understand what they do in order to illustrate it correctly. Ultimately I have to admit, I would rather be illustrating the back end of a horse than donning a shoulder-length exam glove and being shoulder deep in it. Another benefit is my subjects lifespans are indefinite, they persist in pixels and are not susceptible to the sometimes tenuous hold on life. I don’t plan on trading in my Wacom tablet anytime soon.
In closing, as Halloween arrives, I invite you to stop for a moment and look back. What does your path look like? How can you help younger generations find their way, and explore career paths they never thought possible? Think of ways you can help foster and encourage those around you. You never know where that may take them, or yourself.
– Keep up the good work, and draw on the future.
Wendy
