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The bit art school forgot to teach you 😅
19 september 2025 · 11 min
🌎✏️ The Illustrator’s Income Atlas - exciting free workshop announcement!
🗓️ 24th Sept | ⏰ 1pm UK | 📍 Online
Let's sit down together and map out your illustration income. You'll leave with a plan (a map, woohooo) you can stick on your wall and use.
Save your spot and SIGN UP HERE! Lees meerhttps://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/atlas
Ok, on with the shownotes 🤓
We’ve taken our Business Course, given it a fresh lick of paint, and made it eeeeven more fun.
It's now called Illustration Business Club...
And the doors open tonight! (19th September 2025).
You don't need your shoulderpads. Just bring yourself and a bit of an open mind to learn how the money-and-business side of illustration works.
In this episode, we talk a bit about why we’re saying goodbye to the word “course” and what this shiny new Illustration Business Club is gonna look like. You're in for a treat - it’s eeeven better.
By the way, if you're already in the Business Course, you don't need to do anything. You'll be inside Illustration Business Club automagically.
Phew!
Lifetime access
Community perks: private Facebook group + co-working every 2 weeks
Nice open chats about pricing, clients, and fees
It'd be lovely to see you in there!
Timestamps, for our timestamp fans.
00:00 Big news: the Business Course has changed
01:00 Why “club” feels right (and way more fun)
02:00 All modules unlocked: learn at your pace
03:00 Community: private group + live calls
04:00 What art school didn’t teach you
05:00 Honest conversations about money + fees
06:00 Adding new income streams
07:00 Pricing insights: Katie & Helen’s two perspectives
08:00 Guest interviews + insider knowledge
08:30 Bonus: live Q&A with copyright lawyers
09:00 How to join the Illustration Business Club
Links mentioned
Join the Illustration Business Club HERE
Sign up for our free income workshop HERE
Come and be our Instagram pals HERE
Byeeee for now!
x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello!
✏️…
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Nice illustrator loneliness & working from home
12 september 2025 · 22 min
🌎✏️ The Illustrator’s Income Atlas - exciting free workshop announcement!
🗓️ 24th Sept | ⏰ 1pm UK | 📍 Online
Let's sit down together and map out your illustration income. You'll leave with a plan (a map, woohooo) you can stick on your wall and use.
Save your spot and SIGN UP HERE! Lees meerhttps://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/atlas
Ok, on with the shownotes 🤓
Why we secretly love working alone (almost all the time)
This week we got a good question from an anonymous listener 'how do I deal with loneliness when working from home?'
Sometimes we love it, sometimes we do not 😅
In this episode we talk about:
Why lots of us illustrators prefer working solo… sometimes
Shared studios vs. doors-that-close
Headphones, boundaries, and avoiding “being watched” energy
Partner-as-studio-mates 👀 Can it work?
Using Zoom to humanise client relationships
Instagram as a “virtual kitchen”
Local micro-communities, Good Ship meet-ups, and regular check-ins
Assuming positive intent ❤️
Rough timestamps, for people who like that sort of thing
00:00 Anonymous listener Q: “How do I deal with loneliness working from home?”
01:00 Tania’s Hong Kong years: craving team vibes
02:30 Partners in the studio: the headphone solution
04:00 Open-plan offices, self-consciousness, and wiggly energy
05:30 The magic of a shut-the-door studio
06:30 Home distractions vs. helpful pottering
07:30 The dream setup: close to home, small, warm, tree view
09:00 Commit to the space: move the “big computer”
10:00 Cloud storage and keeping work in one place
10:30 Instagram as water cooler… or a brain sponge
11:30 Real-world chats that top up your social tank
12:30 Online threads that turn into real communities over time
13:30 Good Ship meet-ups: sketches groups and weekly Zooms
15:00 Why creativity needs privacy and no-one-is-watching energy
16:00 Lonely… but nice lonely (with planned people bits)
16:30 Zoom with clients to reduce email-anxiety and “they hate it” spirals
18:00 How to write and receive feedback… -
Picture Book, Freak Flag, or Business… which one is calling yoooou?
5 september 2025 · 9 min
Which course should I do? 🎨📚 Lees meer
We get asked this aaall the time: “Do I start with the Picture Book Course, Fly Your Freak Flag, or the Business Course?”
There is no wrong order.
Right now the Business Course isn’t open, but…
✨ The Illustration Business Club (our shiny new name for it) opens for enrolment on the 19th of September!We almost dropped the word “business” because we thought it might put illustrators off. When we asked our students though, the answer was a big NO. That word was exactly what motivated them to jump in and learn the nuts and bolts of building a creative career they love (and get paid for).
Hooray! 🎉
In this episode, we chat through how to know which course might be the best place for YOU to start, and how to avoid getting stuck in analysis-mode worrying about making the wrong choice.
Here’s what we cover:
How to know if you have found your creative voice yet
Consistency = a magic ingredient for picture book characters
When does it make sense to start with Fly Your Freak Flag?
...or dive straight into the Picture Book Course
Our creative car vs business car analogy 🚗 🤓
Why the Business Course tends to work best after Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag
Freebies you can try if you're just not sure (Childhood Illustrated, the Colour Workshop, our Character Workshop and more)
The veeeery high-tech decision tree that makes the which-course-should-I-do choice for you 😆
Timestamps
00:00 – The big question: Which course first?
01:00 – Do you know your creative voice?
02:15 – Why consistency matters in picture books
03:00 – Picture Book vs Freak Flag (gut instinct wins)
04:30 – The Business Course (and why not to mix it in too soon)
05:30 – Creative car vs business car analogy
07:00 – What to do if you are not ready yet (hello freebies)
08:30 – The one-hour live illustration masterclass
09:00 – Our decision treeLinks and goodies mentioned
Find Your Creative Voice – Fly Your Freak Flag
The Picture Book Course
The Business…
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PANIIIIC! (or don’t...) 😅 | Summer camp sketchbook week 5
29 augustus 2025 · 10 min
Pssst, this episode was originally published in 2023 and we’re sharing it again as part of our Good Ship Summer Camp series. It’s one of five episodes to help you fly your freak flag this summer. If you’d like to join in properly, there’s a free workbook an' everything! Lees meer
You can download the workbook here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/workbook
Riiiight, pack up your art supplies. It’s the final week of our pretend Good Ship Summer Camp.
This week's topic is panic. Mmmmm. Our favourite. (How to stop doing it.)
In this episode:
Why “no panicking” is our golden rule here at the Good Ship Illustration
Part-time jobs, anti-desperation energy, and creative freedom
Cat metaphors, war artist fantasies, and business meetings 🐈⬛
Why shouting at yourself doesn’t work
Cheesy notes vs reverse psychology for calming down
Creativity and nervous systems (and when to just lie on the floor)
Finding your pace, your people, and your process
Want to join in?
Download the free Summer Camp workbook hereTimestamps:
0:00 – Welcome to week 5: no panicking allowed
1:18 – You can’t force creative growth (sorry)
3:01 – Part-time jobs = creative freedom
4:08 – Don’t fill your portfolio with jobs you don’t want more of
5:05 – Recap of all 5 creative steps
5:44 – Why being kind to yourself actually works
6:06 – Walks, breaks, and giving your brain a breather
7:13 – Live deadlines vs long deadlines
8:03 – Katie's war artist career plan (sort of)
8:31 – Action step: write a cheesy note or one to rebel against
9:18 – Course doors closing soon – but no pressure
9:41 – Byeeeee from Summer Camp!Links mentioned:
📖 Download the free Summer Camp workbook
📚 Find Your Creative Voice – Fly Your Freak Flag course
🎧 Watch an Art Club on Instagram
📺 Watch Art Clubs on YouTubeByeeee for now!
x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Clic…
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Play, OR ELSE 🎲 | Summer camp sketchbook week 4
22 augustus 2025 · 11 min
Pssst, this episode was originally published in 2023 and we’re sharing it again as part of our Good Ship Summer Camp series. It’s one of five episodes to help you fly your freak flag this summer. If you’d like to join in properly, there’s a free workbook an' everything! Lees meer
You can download the workbook here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/workbook
Feeling stuck? Procrastinating wildly? Hiyaaa this week's episode is for you.
PLAY!! It’s not optional. It can trick you into making your best work, and we are going to show you how to sneak it into your creative routine (even when you’re hiding from your sketchbook).
In this episode:
Why play isn’t just fluff, it’s a very necessary illustration fuel
Sneaky ways to outsmart your inner procrastinator
Fake deadlines
Making up your own artist residency (Tania-style)
Colour workshops, art clubs, and triple reverse psychology
Getting into “the zone” via flags, bush digging, or hot chocolate
One treat per timer session 🍫
Want to join in with our summer camp?
Download the free workbook hereTimestamps:
0:00 – Welcome to Day 4: Play, or else!
1:09 – Why play is the secret sauce for good work
3:04 – Fear of starting and how to ease into it
4:15 – Urgency, novelty, and fake deadlines
5:16 – Tania’s Barcelona residency (ahem, made-up)
6:09 – Playing with colour: the colour workshop 🎨
6:42 – Being kind to yourself vs bullying yourself into work
7:08 – Treats, timers, and starting small
8:12 – Getting into the zone (flags, bush digging, Blindboy)
9:31 – Action step: do an art club session with us!
10:22 – Course doors close soon + one-to-one feedback info
11:04 – Last episode of the series tomorrow!Links mentioned:
📖 Download the free workbook
🎨 The Colour Workshop (free)
🎧 Watch an Art Club on Instagram
📺 Watch Art Clubs on YouTube
📚 Find Your Creative Voice – Fly Your Freak Flag course Doors are open right now! Come on iiiiin! Be lovely to have you sailing with us.
🎧 Blindboy PodcastByeeee for now!
x The Good … -
Finding Creative Confidence 🚢 | Summer camp sketchbook week 3
15 augustus 2025 · 21 min
Pssst, this episode was originally published in 2023 and we’re sharing it again as part of our Good Ship Summer Camp series. It’s one of five episodes to help you fly your freak flag this summer. If you’d like to join in properly, there’s a free workbook an' everything! Lees meer
You can download the workbook here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/workbook
Feeling a bit wobbly about your work? You’re not alone. In fact, you’re very much in the club.
In today’s episode, we’re talking about confidence – or the lack of it – and how community, creative voice, and good pals can make all the difference.
In this episode:
The niggly voice that says you’re not good enough (blergh)
Why working alone is tough and how community helps
Creative confidence vs comparison doom scrolls
Why finding your voice removes the pressure to compete
Helen’s career pivot from baby books to bold new work
The bravery of letting your work be fast, weird and you
How to connect with fellow illustrators online (without being creepy)
Want to join in with us?
Download the free workbook hereTimestamps:
0:00 – Hello and welcome to *week* 3!
1:19 – “My work isn’t good enough” – how to quiet the voice
2:19 – Community builds confidence (and sanity)
4:32 – Competition, scarcity mindset, and the Bologna Book Fair
5:30 – Other illustrators are as important as art directors
6:17 – Instagram friendships + the power of being visible
8:37 – What if your style no longer fits who you are?
10:40 – Making a big change in your work (Helen’s story)
13:47 – Why clients want you, not just polish
15:38 – Pricing confidence + permission to go fast
17:23 – You don’t need to draw everything, just the right thing
18:11 – How to connect with other illustrators online
19:19 – A Pia Bramley fangirl moment ❤️
20:00 – Our community (Facebook group, art club, and course space)
20:56 – Your action step: Make illustrator friends, not competitorsLinks mentioned:
📖 Download the free Summer Camp workbook
🖥️ Sketchbooker’s … -
Draw draw draw! ✏️ | Summer camp sketchbook week 2
8 augustus 2025 · 9 min
Pssst, this episode was originally published in 2023 and we’re sharing it again as part of our Good Ship Summer Camp series. It’s one of five episodes to help you fly your freak flag this summer. If you’d like to join in properly, there’s a free workbook an' everything! Lees meer
You can download the workbook here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/workbook
Got limited time to draw? Children hanging off your leg? Perfect. You’re in exactly the right place. 😆
This week's episode is all about actually drawing. Even when you’ve only got a receipt, a half-working pen, and 3 minutes to spare.
In this episode:
Why drawing in a rush can be a superpower
Katie’s eyebrow-threading sketch session
What drawing from life teaches you about your creative voice
Tiny tools, weird surfaces, and packing your pencil case like a pro
The #WalktoSee hashtag and sketchbook magic ✏️
Three-materials challenge, anyone?
Want to join in with us?
Download the free workbook hereTimestamps:
0:00 – Intro + a great listener question
1:01 – Can you find your voice if you have no time?
2:17 – Drawing quickly makes it better (promise)
3:29 – Eyebrow queues and standing sketches
4:12 – The value of drawing from life
5:17 – Pack your pencil case!
6:24 – Drawing on receipts and IKEA pencils
6:54 – Walk to See, and how to join in
7:12 – Three-material challenge tips
7:38 – A wet thing, a dry thing, and something with texture
7:51 – Sketchbooker’s Friend: the robot voice that lives on
8:35 – Action step: keep your drawing tools on you at all times
9:01 – See you tomorrow for Day 3!Links mentioned:
📖 Download the free workbook
🎧 Sketchbooker’s Friend audio guide
🖼 All about the #Walktosee hashtag on Instagram (started by our Helen)
🖍 Find Your Creative Voice – Fly Your Freak Flag course. Doors are open right now! Be lovely to see you in there.Byeeee for now!
x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com
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Bask in your weirdness ☀️ | Summer camp sketchbook week 1
1 augustus 2025 · 12 min
Pssst, this episode was originally published in 2023 and we’re sharing it again as part of our Good Ship Summer Camp series. It’s one of 5 episodes to help you fly your freak flag this summer. If you’d like to join in properly, there’s a free workbook an' everything! Lees meer
You can download the workbook here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/workbook
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What if your creative voice isn't one you actually like? 😬
In today’s episode, we’re chatting about that awkward bit of figuring out your voice as an illustrator, and why the weird stuff you’re secretly obsessed with might actually be the key to your best work.
In this episode:
What to do if your voice feels ick
Why “basking in your weirdness” matters
That Ira Glass quote we always bang on about
Over-art-directing yourself (oops)
Katie’s Eminem phase
Why being a people-pleaser is the worst career strategy
Your homework for this week
Want to join in?
Download the free workbook hereTimestamps:
0:00 – Hello from us!
0:47 – What if you don’t like your creative voice?
2:10 – Art direction, publishers, and breaking out of boxes
3:33 – David Bowie, freak flags and bravery
4:37 – Eminem, rebellion, and tired teenagers
6:01 – People-pleasing vs doing your own thing
8:31 – Future-proofing your illustration career
9:33 – Action step: pay attention to what you really love
10:35 – Come back next week for Day 2!Links mentioned:
🖍 Our course: Find Your Creative Voice: Fly Your Freak Flag
📖 Download the free workbook
🎬 Moonage Daydream documentary (about Bowie)Byeeee for now!
x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Is AI Coming for your job? Illustrators are fighting back! (Part 2) with Chris Haughton
25 juli 2025 · 23 min
This week, we’re back with part 2 of our conversation with the brilliant Chris Haughton – illustrator, author, and passionate copyright advocate. Lees meer
Here's a link to part 1 in case you need to catch up!
In this half of our Chris Haughton special, Chris shares how his first picture book came about, and we also chat about confidence, creative doubt, and why showing up again and again matters.
And then… we go deep on AI.
Copyright, ethics, government policy, and what we illustrators can actually do to protect our work. Chris is off to Parliament soon (!!!) and shares everything he’s learned so far.
In this episode:
How Chris got his first book deal without an agent
Staying confident through rejection and doubt
The terrifying reality of generative AI and what we can do about it
How copyright works (and what’s at risk)
The organisations fighting for our creative rights
Timestamps:
00:00 – How Chris broke into picture books (by accident)
04:00 – Animation, art school, and graphic style
08:00 – Building confidence through volume
10:00 – Words, images, and writing your own stories
14:00 – Why AI is a massive threat to illustrators
17:00 – Who’s fighting back (and how to get involved)
21:00 – Why we need all creatives on board🛟 Links + Resources mentioned in this episode:
The Association of Illustrators (AOI)
Simona's Substack: Against the Box
Chris Haughton's website
Chris' Instagram
✨ If this episode has ye all fired up (us too!) please do share it with your creative pals – and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next!
Bye bye,
x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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“Do I Have to Pick One Style Forever?! (Part 1)” with Chris Haughton
18 juli 2025 · 34 min
How do you make picture books if you secretly hate writing? Can you REALLY just punch holes in a bit of paper and call it a finished illustration?! 👀 Lees meer
This week we’ve got a proper treat for you.
This is part 1 of our chat with illustrator and picture book maker Chris Haughton! (Katie wasn’t there, but Helen and Tania held the fort and asked him all the juicy questions.)
Chris shares his brilliantly wonky career path from graphic design to editorial, picture books and his latest deep dive into the History of Information.
A total freak-flag project that he's been obsessed with for nearly 20 years.
Chris tells Good Ship:
How he ended up with a wildly colourful, unmistakable illustration style, even though he "couldn't do colour"
How 10 years of editorial work shaped his picture book voice
What hiding Mummy Owl in a picture taught him about storytelling
Why your first sketch is usually the best one
Drawing peas and chopsticks with hole-punch confetti (amazin')
🚨 This is just Part 1! Subscribe so you don’t miss Part 2.
Part 2 will be released next week (on Friday 25th July.)
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro from Katie, Helen & Tania
01:00 - Chris introduces himself and how his style evolved
05:30 - The origin of A Bit Lost and hiding things in the background
08:00 - How a greetings card turned into a picture book idea
10:00 - Chris' obsession with the History of Information
14:00 - Drawing as a form of information technology
17:00 - Chris’s brief stint as a live scribe (!!)
21:00 - Publishing headaches when your audience is "everyone"
24:00 - Finding your style vs getting stuck in a style
27:00 - Undo button = illustrator superpower
31:00 - Hole-punched peasLinks an' stuff we mentioned:
Chris Haughton's website: https://chrishaughton.com
The History of Information, Chris Haughton's book
History of Information lectures from UC Berkeley shared here via InfocoBuild
Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag course from The Good Ship Illustration
Katie’s Liv…
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START HERE - Welcome to The Good Ship Illustration Podcast! (Here's our trailer) 🚢🚢🚢
8 juli 2025 · 2 min
Welcome to The Good Ship Illustration - the podcast for illustrators who are quietly working away in their sketchbooks thinking… “is it just me?” Lees meer
…it’s not just you!
We’re Helen Stephens, Katie Chappell and Tania Willis - three full-time illustrators from three different corners of the industry (and three different age brackets ). We live in the same seaside town in the UK and started having cuppas and chats… and accidentally became illustration agony aunts.
Now we record those chats for you! We answer your questions about confidence, tricky clients, pricing your work, creative block, picture books, publishing, and everything in between.
✨ New episodes every Friday. ✨
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and do send us your questions!
P.s. Fancy some freebies? Head to thegoodshipillustration.com for colour workshops, picture book templates, and other treats.
Byeeee for now!
x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)
🚢🚢🚢
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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You don’t have to draw everything (even in picture books)
4 juli 2025 · 15 min
Emily asked us why backgrounds can be so overwhelming. So in this episode, we share lots of low-pressure ideas to make them doable (maybeee even fun). Lees meer
Please enjoy Tania nearly falling asleep under a weighted blanket 🤣
Podcast Episode Highlights:
How to stop overthinking it
Colour tips and some good stuff Chris Haughton taught us
NO ZOOMING IN ALLOWED 😠
John Burningham
Old Lady Baby
(rough) Timestamps:
00:00 – Emily’s question: “Backgrounds scare me – help!”
01:00 – The Chris Haughton breakthrough about colour
03:00 – Tonal tips: how to make your characters stand out
04:00 – Thin lines, wobbly pens, and keeping backgrounds soft
06:00 – The menace of digital zoom 😬
07:00 – Backgrounds = hints, not homework
08:00 – John Burningham, cut-out characters and painterly skies
10:00 – Embracing imperfection and storytelling over polish
11:00 – Blindboy’s advice: fail on purpose
13:00 – Art Club, recycled drawings, and happy accidents
14:00 – Upcoming Art Club news & picture book course teaser
15:00 – Weighted blankets, fancy deodorant, and Aesop air freshener 😌Links & stuff:
The Picture book course details: www.thegoodshipillustration.com/pb
Make sure you're getting our emails for Art Club invites: Scroll to the bottom here
Bye bye bye
x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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💰 How to protect your time, energy and income as an illustrator
27 juni 2025 · 18 min
“Can you just do it for free?” NO.
In this week’s episode, we’re talking about working for free, how to say no without guilt, and why having nice strong boundaries won't ruin your career (we promise). Lees meerTania shares a BRILLIANT script for saying no to unpaid work. Thank you Taniasan, we luv ya.
Other good bits of note:
How to stop feeling bad about saying no to cheeky requests
How charity auctions can be a smarter way to give back
Free pitching: where to draw the line
That time Katie backtracked on a call (and the world didn't end)
What to say when a client demands an answer right nowwww
The biggest myth of all: “If you say no, they’ll never ask again”
Timestamps:
00:00 – Biscuits first. We have our priorities in order 🤣
01:00 – “How do I say no to free work… nicely?”
02:30 – Quotas, boundaries, and rude assumptions
04:00 – Saying no to friends and students
06:00 – Turning FAQs into blog content
07:00 – A better way to support charities (without giving away your time)
08:00 – “I used to worry people wouldn’t like me if I said no…”
10:00 – Paid development work in picture books: what’s normal?
12:00 – The pitch trap and how to avoid it
13:00 – Katie’s mural pricing wobble (and recovery!)
14:00 – The power of taking your time to decide
15:00 – You’re not being too picky. You’re just not people-pleasing anymore!
16:00 – On "playing": why your language mattersOh! While you're here...
You can join the Picture Book course here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/PB
Taraaa,
x Good Ship
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Is this normal in publishing… or am I being taken for a mug?
20 juni 2025 · 22 min
When your project goes a bit pear-shaped you might wonder if that’s just how the illustration industry is. Lees meer
Well, this week we’re talking all about what's good, bad, and normal... and whether there are red flags you should look out for in your illustrator-publisher relationship.
Highlights:
Why it's never okay to get feedback on a Friday and be asked for a full redraw by Monday 🙃
What’s typical in the picture book process (roughs, colour roughs, final art, etc)
When changes are fine… and when they’re totally out of order
How to set better boundaries (and how to stick to them)
Our own early-illustration-career experiences, and what we'd do differently now
Timestamps:
00:00 – Is this normal? A horror story from an illustrator
02:00 – Unrealistic deadlines & being pressured to work weekends
05:00 – When publishers ignore your roughs completely
06:30 – What a healthy picture book workflow looks like
09:00 – Final artwork and why changing it is a big deal
12:00 – Bologna book fair: what gets shown
14:30 – When you can trust your publisher/designer (and when you really can’t)
16:00 – Agents behaving badly
20:00 – Why this doesn’t mean all of publishing is bad!#NotAllPublishers
Links an' that
Our picture book course doors are opening SOON! Keep yer eyes peeled and grab the freeebies here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/PB
Got a question? Send it our way and we might answer it in a future episode!
Bye for now!
x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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“Help! I found my illustration style… and I don’t like it” 😩
13 juni 2025 · 22 min
Have you ever looked at your own work and thought… egh? When you work so hard to find your style* it can feel rubbish to realise you don't even LIKE IT 😅. Lees meer
*We're not big fans of the word style...but we have to use it so you know what we're on about. We have a WHOLE ENTIRE COURSE about finding your creative voice & flying your freak flag.
This episode is allll about not-holding-the-bar-of-soap-too-tight.
It's also about:
What to do when your style feels a bit too safe or mainstream
Why being too “good at drawing” can trap you
How to bring more you into your work
Whether you need to know colour theory to be a proper illustrator
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Lisa's brilliant question: “What if I don’t like my style?”
01:00 – Mainstream, safe, and not-quite-right: spotting the signs
03:00 – Flying your freak flag vs. pleasing the market
05:00 – Chris Haughton’s unusual route into publishing
07:00 – Why being “good at drawing” isn’t always helpful
09:00 – Getting stuck in the gun-for-hire trap
11:00 – Why clients want you, not your many styles
12:00 – Freya asks: do you need to know the colour wheel?
14:00 – Digital colour vs. painty messes
17:00 – How limitations can make your colour sing
20:00 – Create a family of colours (and avoid shouty guests)
21:00 – Final thoughts: soap metaphors & colour play🔗 Links mentioned:
🎨 Our free genius colour workshop – grab it here!
🐘 Emma Tripolone’s fab work (Emma was one of our 1:1 mentoring winners from...
🚢 The Freak Flag course!
📚 Chris Haughton – Good Ship pal, designer and children’s book author-illustrator. We love 'im.
Plus, coming soon we have a Chris-Haughton-treat for your ears. Stay tuned for that.
Byeeee for now!
x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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The joy of not finishing (all) your online courses
6 juni 2025 · 15 min
Quick note before we start:
In this episode we use the words "women" and "creative women" but we know these things don’t just affect women, and not everyone relates to binary gender labels. This chat is based on our lived experience and isn’t meant to exclude anyone. You’re always welcome aboard, however you identify. WE LUV YA. Lees meerxx Good Ship
How many unfinished online courses have you signed up for and then abandoned or forgotten about them?
👀
Yep, us too.
Oh well.
In this episode, we’re talking about why creative women often don’t finish - or even start - the online courses they sign up for.
Before you run away, please know this: it’s not laziness. It’s ✨life✨. And maybe the course still helped by osmosis, even if you only managed to watch one video.
The guilt of not finishing courses (and why it’s rubbish)
How art courses can still be useful EVEN if you just skim them
Community, confidence, and cheerleaders
Why we’ve never ever chased people to “complete” our Good Ship courses
Our 1:1 mentoring competition winners (congratulatioooons Rachael, Emma, Jacqui & Catiebell!)
Bias in picture books
Thoughts on why creative women sign up more than men
Timestamps:
00:00 – Soooo… do you finish your art courses?
01:30 – Skimming, skipping, and still getting value
03:00 – Courses as permission slips and energy boosts
04:00 – Lifetime access = a soft place to land
05:30 – The joy of community (and a few sneaky sales mentions)
07:00 – Meet the new picture book mentees!
08:00 – Why women take more courses (and don’t finish them)
10:00 – Editorial vs picture book world: who gets seen?
13:00 – AI, weird shall illustrations, and missing credits
14:00 – Where are all the obvious places illustrators get seen now?
See you soon!
x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The …
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The curse of "Final Artwork"
30 mei 2025 · 12 min
BE MORE WONKY Lees meer
In this episode:
Why quick sketches usually have more life in 'em than polished pieces
How perfectionism kills creativity
Beware of the pause button (when you're doing graphic recording / live illustration)
What to do when you're scared your work isn’t “worth the money”
Tips for keeping final artwork fresh and loose
Human vs AI: what if the secret is just… being wonky?
Timestamps, if you're into that kind of thing
00:00 – Can sketches be “the” illustration?
01:00 – The gap between sketch and final art
02:00 – Helen’s owls
05:00 – What kills good work
06:00 – The hourly rate mindset
07:00 – Simple marks 4eva
08:00 – Sketchy = human (and that’s a good thing)
09:00 – Tips for keeping your work feeling fresh
10:00 – Live illustration = brave, imperfect, magic
11:00 – Be more human, more wonky
Byeeee for now!
x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Inside Helen's hermit cave
23 mei 2025 · 10 min
Where does she go? What happens in there? Lees meer
Come and have a wee peek inside Helen’s hermit cave with us.
BUT FIRST - is it true? Do you prefer a podcast when there's a video too? Katie's just been to Australia and chatted to some creatives and they all said that they *ONLY* listen to a podcast if there's a video to go with it.
Whaaat!?
Let us know on Instagram if these rumours are true. You're allowed to slide into our DMs 😆 ❤️ We're @thegoodshipillustration.
Right, podcast stuff.
This episode is all about:
– Shutting the studio door and ignoring WhatsApp
– Recreating rainy caravan holidays to get in the zone
– The magic drawer
– How long it takes to make a picture book (blimmin' ages)
– BoundariesTimestamps, for people who like that sort of thing:
00:00 – Welcome to Helen’s hermit cave
01:00 – Dressing gowns, headphones and comfort telly
02:00 – Childhood holidays
03:00 – How long does it take to make a book?
04:00 – The magic drawer of ideas
05:00 – Making books in your 20s vs. making books now
06:00 – Burnout, insomnia and terrible lighting
07:00 – Early birds vs. night owls
08:00 – Deadlines
09:00 – Salty & Pals picture book sneak peek!
10:00 – Bedtime!Stuff wot we mentioned:
– The Picture Book Course
– Pencil Pals (Our Helen's Substack where there are some lovely sneaky peeks of the Salty Seadog artwork in case you're as excited as we aaaare.)See ya next Friday,
x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Get more illustration work: A pep talk, some tips, and a tiny rant
16 mei 2025 · 19 min
Errrr, how do you find illustration work in 2025? Pitching? Instagram? Postcards? SEO? Lees meer
In this nice an' juicy episode we’re answering the 'Heeelp, how do I find clients as an illustrator?' question.
What works
Why we don’t “hunt” clients 😅
SEO tips to help the right people trip over you
How to be pals with art directors
Pitching can feel YUCK (but it doesn't have to)
Old-skool stuff that still works
SHOW YOUR WORK, PLEASE
Timestamps, for people who like that sort of thing:
00:00 – Listener question: “How do I find clients?”
01:00 – Why “hunting” clients feels weird (and what to do instead)
02:30 – Laying out your stall: making your online presence irresistible
04:30 – SEO tips to help clients find you
05:15 – The rise and fall of illustration directories and annuals
06:45 – Do postcards still work? (Short answer: yes!)
08:10 – Instagram, visibility and staying top of mind
10:00 – DMs and the etiquette of messaging clients
12:00 – What not to do when reaching out
13:30 – Building genuine relationships over time
15:00 – Do you need an agent or gallery?
16:00 – How to sell your own work (without a gallery)
17:00 – Strategic competitions and why they matter
18:00 – Cards, shops and flinging mud (yes, really)Links we mentioned:
World Illustration Awards
Jo Overend
Picture Hooks Mentoring
Good Ship Illustration Courses
Byeeee for now!
x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Residencies and Substack
9 mei 2025 · 31 min
Hiya. This week’s episode of The Good Ship Illustration podcast is all about artist residencies... illustrators are allowed to go on them too! Lees meer
Our Tania’s just returned from her first ever residency (in a chateau, of course. Ooh la laaa) and we wanted to hear about the muscly trees, the chickens, and whether she got the entire chateau to herself.
What a residency actually looks like
How to pick the right one
Drawing for the sake of it. Mmmmm.
Going analogue, trying Procreate, and brush chat
Substack nerves, audio letters, and being “consistent” ...aghhhh.
Timestamps
0:20 – Why we’re talking residencies this week
1:00 – Tania’s chateau residency
3:30 – Types of residencies & picking the right one
5:45 – Drawing slowly, and for fun for the first time in years
7:00 – Procreate adventures + brushes we love
11:00 – Substack fears and starting without pressure
16:00 – Curating your inbox vs. doom scrolling
19:00 – Patreon vs Substack burnout
23:00 – Substack inspiration & our favourite creators
28:50 – Katie nearly drops her mic (again)Links + Mentions:
https://saintpierredemejans.com/en/ <--- the dreamy place Tania stayed)
https://resartis.org/
Brushes we love: Vivian Mildenberger, Joel Stewart, Retro Supply Co
Our fave Substacks: Tara Ford, Garbage Day, Carson Ellis, Bob Shenanigans, and LIANA FINCK! (That's the one Katie couldn't remember)
Tania’s Substack is coming soon… 👀 Maybe. If we bully her enough.
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Live Illustration (Course Closes Tonight!) Q&A
2 mei 2025 · 34 min
Today’s a biiiig day... the doors to our Live Illustration Course are closing tonight! Lees meer
AGH!
In this special live illustration-y episode, we grill Katie with loads of the brilliant live illustration questions you submitted.
Katie also shares some behind-the-scenes stories about v early gigs, navigating some more unusual client requirements (hiya, Apple lawyers!), and why your own values matter just as much as your skills.
Timestamps
00:36 – Is it risky to live illustrate by hand?
03:15 – How to build your live illustration portfolio even before you’ve had a client
05:59 – How Katie got started (and her very first paid-in-sandwiches job)
07:59 – Managing nerves and the fear of making mistakes
10:25 – Is it okay to check references while you’re live illustrating?
12:11 – How much do you need to know beforehand, and what to ask your client
15:24 – Transitioning from "normal" Illustrator to Live Illustrator
17:47 – What happens if you go blank during a live session?
18:51 – How much preparation should you really do before an event?
21:06 – Can you still be a live illustrator if you’re dyslexic?
22:02 – Is live illustration realistic as a side gig?
24:37 – What to ask clients about output expectations
25:41 – Is semi-live illustration allowed?
27:06 – How to set up cameras for live drawing
28:00 – Should you specialise in a niche for live illustration work?
30:04 – What kinds of businesses actually use live illustrators?
32:39 – Final encouragement: fly your freak flag and be yourselfp.s. The doors to the Live Illustration Course close tonight (2nd May)!
If you're thinking about joining, now's the best time!Why though?
This is the lowest price it will ever be - we're doing a special price for this first ever live round of the course
You get lifetime access
You can hop back in for future live rounds, get ALL future course updates and take it at your own pace.
The price *will* go up next time.
Find out more and sign up here: https://www.thegoodshipillustratio…
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“I’m not sure how to price my illustration work. I think I panic and undercharge because I’m worried they’ll change their mind if it’s too much.”
25 april 2025 · 20 min
This week’s podcast question is from Annabelle: Lees meer
“I’m not sure how to price my work. I think I panic and undercharge because I’m worried they’ll change their mind if it’s too much.”
Ooft.
This is a juicy episode. Money, mindset, value, VAT nightmares, and charging what you’re worth.
Bon apetit from your Good Ship pals.
Tuck in.
Timestamps
00:00 – The question: “How do I stop undercharging?”
01:30 – People can feel when you don’t believe in your prices
03:00 – What affects your value: niche, profile, usage, experience
05:00 – Editorial vs publishing vs live illustration: pricing realities
06:30 – Raising your rates to manage your workload
10:00 – Calculate what you need to earn (and start from there)
12:00 – Most illustrators can’t actually work 8 hours a day
14:00 – Self-worth ≠ pricing strategy
16:30 – Add 20% and see what happens
18:00 – TL;DR: You’re probably undercharging
Stuff we mention:
The AOI’s Pricing Calculator
Jessica Hische’s brilliant tool: The Dark Art of Pricing
Our Business Course for Illustrators gives you the pricing confidence (and strategy) that no one teaches you at art school.
→ Join the waiting listFreelancer’s Bible by Alison Grade – super helpful if you like numbers and practical steps
Have a lovely week. And up yer rates.
x Helen, Katie & Tania
The Good Ship IllustrationCome and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Illustrator vs artist: what’s the difference? + Creating your portfolio 🥳
18 april 2025 · 17 min
Thanks for sending in yer juicy questions. Here are the ones we tackle in this week's podcast episode: Lees meer
“How do I build an illustration portfolio if I only have fine art work?”
“What’s the difference between an illustrator and an artist?”
Ahh yes that ol' chestnut. How to pivot from fine art to illustration without losing your mind. We dig into the figuring out what kind of work suits your actual personality. No more trying on other people's uncomfy too-small style jumpers. The illustrator vs artist line is a bit blurry - we get into why that’s actually a good thing. Promise.
Honourable mentions:
Fenugreek soup
Dream clients and imaginary briefs
Katie’s two-week job limit
"Just make the kind of work you want to get hired for”
Timestamps
00:25 – Q1: How to turn a fine art practice into an illustration portfolio
01:00 – Making the kind of work you want to be hired for
02:00 – Picking your corner of illustration industry
03:30 – Fine art vs illustration: different goals, same skills
05:00 – Picture book makers: an exception
06:30 – Your personality probs already picked your niche
08:20 – Know what suits your work style (and what definitely doesn’t)
10:00 – Unexpected places you might find your dream illustration job
11:30 – Be a detective: trace the work you love back to the source
12:00 – Q2: What’s the difference between an artist and an illustrator?
13:30 – Do labels even matter anymore?
14:30 – “Artist” vs “Illustrator” – what clients think they’re hiring
15:30 – Choose the title that helps the right people find you
Stuff we mention:
Our Business Course for Illustrators walks you through exactly how to figure out where you fit and how to build a portfolio that attracts the right clients.
→ Read aaaall aboot it hereWant to uncover your weirdness and figure out your unique style?
→ Fly your freak flag with usGot a question for the podcast?
Pop it in the question jar here:
Podcast question formThank you!
x Helen, Katie & Tania
The Good S… -
Illustration trends vs your creative voice PLUS what materials to use
11 april 2025 · 25 min
Two more chunky questions for this week's episode: Lees meer
“How do I choose the right materials and techniques when I love them all?”
“How do I keep up with new tech and trends without hopping on every train and going bananas?”
It's a longer one this week! A podcast title that went in the bin was: Mouldy bingo dabbers: A love story. A moment of silence for that title. It woulda been great, but not very useful or searchable 😆
Alas.
Timestamps
00:00 – “How do I choose the right materials?”
01:00 – You don’t have to pick just one
02:00 – Mixing media
04:15 – Why learning 'the proper way' can sometimes kill your weirdness
06:30 – The gouache phase
07:30 – Storytime: The incredible grasshopper drawings
09:00 – Wrong materials = the right results
10:00 – Drawing with stuff you don’t like
13:15 – Listener question: “How do I keep up with tech & trends without going mad?”
14:00 – Learning Procreate while making a book??
17:00 – Trends are sneaky
19:30 – Don't force yourself into a trend box
22:00 – Are you a fan or trying to be someone else?
24:00 – Going off-grid
Stuff we mention:
Our Find Your Creative Voice: Fly Your Freak Flag course
The doors are open! You can join right now.Want a fun excuse to make stuff without overthinking it?
Try our free Colour WorkshopGot a question for the Good Ship Illustration podcast?
Send it here, go on!
Podcast question formRight, we’re off to draw with things that smell like school. Mmmm.
Bye!
x Tania, Helen & Katie
The Good Ship IllustrationCome and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Perfectionism, CMYK & a shout out to Barry in the cupboard (lovin' your work, Barry)
4 april 2025 · 19 min
This week we’re answering TWO of your excellent questions: Lees meer
“How can I stop overthinking my story and just... FINISH IT???”
“Which is better, RGB or CMYK?”
Here’s what we chat about:
That annoying feeling when you know your story’s missing something but you can’t figure out what
Ask your characters what they eat for breakfast
Magic picture book editors - you don't need to do it all alone!
And... how Helen sent a whole book to print in RGB and no one stopped her (justice for Barry in the cupboard)
This episode is especially for you if you are stuck in perfectionism mode or feel personally attacked by the confusing colour settings in Photoshop/Procreate.
Timestamps:
00:00 - “How can I stop overthinking my story?”
01:15 - When feedback clings to your brain like a wet sock
02:30 - Mild peril
04:15 - Character stuff
06:30 - Asking weird questions = finding the heart of your story
08:00 - Maybe... you’re actually a nonfiction illustrator? Hmm!
09:10 - How to make your agent's life easier AND still move forward
11:00 - QUESTION 2: RGB or CMYK? Which one's better?
11:40 - Sad, sad orange
13:00 - Barry in the cupboard and the mystical RGB loophole
15:10 - Saving your artwork (and your sanity)
Stuff we mention:
Our Picture Book Course is the best place to learn about story arcs, and how to stop overthinking every. single. thing. Join the waiting list here
Our free Colour Workshop will BLOW YER MIND. Download it here
Got a question for us to answer next? Submit it here:
Podcast question formSee ya soon.
x Tania, Helen & Katie
The Good Ship IllustrationCome and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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How to become a paid illustrator (The step-by-step guide! lol)
28 maart 2025 · 17 min
This is something we hear quite a lot, and it's a BIG broad question: How do you actually become an illustrator who makes money. Dear Good Ship Illustration please break it down for me, step by step. Lees meer
No pressure (aaagh 😅)
Alas, there is no tidy step-by-step guide… but in this episode we're doin' our very best to give you a solid direction to head in.
Step 1 = loadsa drawing
Finding your creative voice and confidence
Sharing your brownies
How to balance a job while building your illustration career
A big ol' mistake new illustrators tend to make - not you though. You're cleverer than them.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Where to start
01:30 – THE STEP-BY-STEP PLAN (lol, sorry, there is no plan)
03:20 – Share! Or else!!
05:45 – Job juggling
08:15 – Feeling behind?
(Does anyone ever feel ahead though?? No. Nothing to worry about then.)Taraa for now.
x The Good Ship Illustration
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Should you quit Instagram if you're an illustrator?
21 maart 2025 · 13 min
This week, we’re answering a question from listener Eilidh: Lees meer
"How do you navigate social media? Do you have a strategy or just post willy-nilly?"
Gah. It’s complicated. In this episode of the podcast we chat about:
Do illustrators really need Instagram anymore?
Should you have a strategy, or is it fine to post when you feel like it?
Why social media isn’t our main way of getting work (and what is).
The ONE thing every illustrator should have on their Instagram right now.
Aaand, we discuss why we haven’t abandoned Instagram (even though everyone keeps saying it’s dead), how publishers actually find illustrators, and, y'know, a very important discussion about videos of the King’s Guards horses biting tourists 🐴 chomp.
Timestamps:
00:25 Question: “How do you navigate social media?”
01:00 The old days of Instagram strategies (do they still work?)
02:20 Why everyone is fed up with Instagram… and also fed up with people being fed up with Instagram.
04:10 King’s Guards, AI Jesus & cabin crew chaos.
06:00 Should illustrators jump ship to other platforms like BlueSky, Mastodon, or Threads?
07:45 Does Instagram actually bring in clients?
09:15 What should illustrators post?
10:30 The biggest mistake we keep seeing on illustrators' IG profiles
11:50 What’s more important than social media?
12:40 How publishers find illustrators (and why Instagram still plays a small role).
13:30 A practical idea: Tidying up your Instagram highlights so people can easily find the important stuff
14:20 Final thoughts: Social media is what it is… but please don’t rely on it for all your work!See you next week! And if you need us, we’ll just be over here watching horse videos 😂
x Byeeee
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Your website might be missing this one thing – and nooo, it’s not more portfolio pieces
14 maart 2025 · 19 min
Ahoy! Doors to the Business Course (for illustrators!) are closing TONIGHT! We're going to be having a chat over on Instagram and you're more than welcome to bring your business of illustration questions along. Be lovely to see you there. We're @thegoodshipillustration over on Insta. Lees meer
p.s. Once the course doors close, they close. We're strict! You've got until 10pm UK time tonight (Friday 14th March 2025)
🚢
This week, we’re talking about one of the best things you can do for your illustration career (but it also just so happens to be something that most illustrators dread and avoid like the plague):
📸 Updating your website bio and getting proper photos!
We cover:
✔️ Why a great photo makes clients trust you
✔️ The biggest mistakes we see illustrators make on their 'About' page
✔️ How to write a bio that actually sounds like you without overthinking it
✔️ And why drawing a wee smiley face instead of uploading a headshot just won’t cut it anymoreIf you’ve been putting this off, consider this as your sign to finally get some proper photos and sort yer website oot.
p.s. We’ve got an About Page Bingo guide inside the Illustration Business Course, so if you’re in there, go find it!
Timestamps:
01:00 Why updating your bio & website photos is the best thing you can do
02:15 Katie just had a photoshoot - here’s why it was worth it
03:40 How to find a great branding photographer (and what to ask them)
05:00 Feeling awkward about getting your photo taken? Some tricks to make it easier
06:15 Props, pets & sketchbooks
07:40 The price of a good photographer and why it’s worth the investment
09:10 Writing your bio: The easiest method
10:20 Why your bio should match your audience (formal vs. friendly)
12:00 “Clients don’t actually care about your personal life…” (or do they?)
14:15 How illustrators, live scribers & picture book makers should approach bios differently
16:30 Why illustrators should think like plumbers
17:45 Final push: Just get something on your website tod… -
Is there enough work for illustrators? The truth about illustration jobs in 2025 - a rising tide floats all boats 🚢🚢🚢
7 maart 2025 · 15 min
Doors to the Business Course (for illustrators!) are open TONIGHT! We're going to be having a chat over on Instagram and you're more than welcome to bring your business of illustration questions along. Be lovely to see you there. We're @thegoodshipillustration over on Insta. Lees meer
🚢
This week, we’re diving into the live illustration industry. How much work is actually out there, how to get it, and whether it’s the right fit for you.
We grilled our Katie and found asked her...
Is there really loads of work for illustrators, or has it been a slow year?
What’s this new Illustrator Jobs Board all about? (Live illustration gigs, client budgets, and real-life illustration job opportunities.)
What actually happens in a live illustration session?
How much do clients pay for live scribing, and how can you charge more?
If you’ve wondered about going into live illustration - or just want to see what clients are paying - this episode's for you!
p.s. If you’re curious about Katie’s Live Illustration Jobs Board, you can find it over on Substack here.
Timestamps:
00:25 The big debate: good year / bad year
01:50 Why 2024 was overwhelming
03:15 The Jobs Board experiment
04:40 What kinds of jobs are coming in?
06:00 UK vs. international jobs (and why some illustrators have upped their rates after seeing the budgets).
07:15 What actually happens at a live illustration gig? Is it really 8 hours of solid drawing?
08:30 What do clients want from a live illustrator?
09:40 The most requested topics: AI, data, and… scrubbing data with a sponge?
11:00 How much do clients pay for live illustration?
12:15 The tech side: Do you need to be a tech whiz to do this work?
13:30 Live illustration vs. fashion illustration gigs
14:45 The Jobs Board results so far
15:30 Should you try live illustration? The skills overlap with mapping, editorial, and even school visits
16:50 Katie’s Live Illustration Course is coming soon! (If this episode got you excited, stay tuned 🤓).If you like the sound of …
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Feelin' guilty about not drawing as much lately? [A Good Ship Illustration permission slip]
28 februari 2025 · 14 min
"I'm not drawing as much anymore - Aghhhhh! Is this ok!?" Lees meer
If you feel like you’re not drawing as much as you “should”, then you’re definitely, absolutely not alone. In this episode, we share our drawing ebbs and flows, why guilt often sneaks in, and how to let yourself off the hook when life gets lifey.
We chat about:
The natural phases of a creative career (and why it’s A-OK not to be drawing all the time).
Why forcing yourself to draw can backfire.
How other creative stuff like sewing or gardening can feed your illustration work.
Finding the balance between illustration, work, and real life.
How to quiet the mean voice in your head.
See you in there!
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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What size should your picture book be? (And other silly mistakes to avoid.)
21 februari 2025 · 20 min
🚢 The Picture Book Course closes TONIGHT! Lees meer
In this episode, we’re tackling three of the biggest picture book questions we hear all the time:
1. What size should my picture book be?
2. Do I need kids to write picture books?
3. How do I get my book in front of a publisher? (So that they actually SEE it.)If you’ve been agonising over book dimensions, stressing about margins, or wondering whether your book must be a certain size before a publisher will even look at it, this episode's for you!
Plus, we grill our Helen all about how publishers actually work, find out why your picture book does not need to be fully finished before you pitch it, and learn a sneaky way to speed up your storytelling skills (hint: it involves buying lots of books. Oh no, what a shame. Heh.)
p.s. The Picture Book Course closes TONIGHT! If you're listening on Friday 21st Feb 2025, this is your last chance to hop jump and skip aboard before the doors close.
The world has a your-picture-book-shaped hole in it.
Let's fix that.
It's time!
Click here to read all about the Picture Book Course.
Timestamps:
00:25 Question: “What size should my picture book be?”
01:10 The real answer
02:50 What actually matters more than page size?
04:00 Bookshop logistics: Why your book needs to fit on a shelf.
06:15 Do publishers ever tell you the exact dimensions?
07:05 The BIG mistake
09:10 Why publishers love flexible illustrators.
10:30 The magic of working with an art director
12:05 The storytelling trick we might steal from Sydney Smith (Sydney Smith if you're reading this, it's a joke. 👀)
14:00 Should you apply to publishers, or just self-publish?
15:45 How to find the perfect publisher for your book.
17:10 Second question: “Can you write picture books if you don’t have kids?”
18:00 The surprising list of famous picture book authors who never had children.
19:30 The secret to writing picture books with emotion (even if you’re not around kids every day).
21:00 School visits, nannying, and other sneaky… -
The secret to *actually finishing* your picture book ❤️
14 februari 2025 · 15 min
First things first, we've got to let you know that the doors to the Picture Book Course are FINALLY OPEN AGAIN today! Lees meer
We'll officially fling 'em open tonight at Art Club (7 pm UK time over on Instagram. Our IG username is @thegoodshipillustration.) See you there! 🚢
Right, back to the podcast show notes.
In this episode, we’re answering a brilliant question from Lou, who asks:
"I've got a picture book for adults. Is that a terrible idea?"
The short answer = not necessarily, but it could be a tricky sell to publishers.
The longer answer = this podcast episode! We discuss bookshop logistics, sneaky ways to get an illustrated book into adult sections, and why tweaking your idea just a little bit might make it way easier to get published.
Plus, we talk about what to do when your mind is pinballing between story ideas, and how to anchor your book in a way that makes finishing it muuuuuch more likely.
p.s. The Picture Book Course is OPEN! If you're listening before 21st Feb 2025, the doors are still wide open. Scramble aboard before they close for another year!
Timestamps:
00:25 Question: “Can a picture book for adults work, or should I pivot to kids?”
01:10 The practical problem: Where would it actually go in a bookshop?
02:50 Illustrated fiction for adults: Rare, but not impossible!
04:00 Gift books, philosophy books, and sneaky ways to get into the right section.
06:15 The Charlie Mackesy effect (a rare publishing phenomenon).
07:05 Should you self-publish? A way to test the waters.
08:40 Question 2: “How do I stop my story ideas from fizzling out?”
09:10 The pinball problem: Too many ideas, not enough finished books.
10:00 How we created Salty (and why anchoring your characters makes writing a lot easier).
11:30 A game-changing tip: Make a “character questionnaire” to build stronger stories.
13:45 Reminder: The Picture Book Course is open for one week only!We’ll be back next Friday with more questions and one last reminder before the course doors close.
J…
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Saying no as an illustrator: dropping projects can boost your career.
7 februari 2025 · 15 min
Juggling too many plates, saying yes to everything, and wondering if it’s time to let something go... It's not a fun place to be. (And all three of us have been there, got the frazzled t-shirt). Lees meer
In this episode, we share the projects, jobs, and ideas we’ve binned along the way to make room for the shiny new stuff.
We chat about:
Why it’s okay to drop what isn’t working (even when you love parts of it).
Illustrator school visits, online shops, and in-person events.
The power of saying no. NOOOO!
How dropping things helps you focus on what you’re brilliant at.
Links Mentioned
We made you some workshops and resources to help you navigate a creative career: The Good Ship Freebies
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Why drawing digitally is NAUGHTY 👀 (or is it?)
31 januari 2025 · 17 min
Nahhh. It's not really. That was a naughty title. Lees meer
Anyway, we got this brilliant and juicy question in our students-only Facebook group for the Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag Course.
🎺 31ST JANUARY = YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GET SOME GOOD SHIP ILLUSTRATION SNAIL-MAIL STICKERS WHEN YOU JOIN!
Don't say we didn't warn you! Sign up here.Megan said: "I just opened up the Microsoft Surface Pro I bought for digital drawing, and I’m freaking out a little. Not just about the expense, but a sense of cheating or something. Will this kill the joy of drawing on paper? Does anyone combine analogue and digital drawing worlds?"
Topics
Megan’s question: Is digital drawing cheating?
Analogue vs digital: can you mix them?
Why digital tools are lifesavers for fixes, tweaks, and deadlines.
Handmade isn’t about the tool, it’s about you!
The danger of too much choice.
Top tips for keeping your digital work cohesive.
Happy accidents.
Will drawing digitally kill your love of drawing on paper?
Other Stuff we mentioned
Our Tania’s Genius Colour Workshop: Join in here
Brush sets for Procreate by Vivian Mildenberger: voila (we're not an affiliate, we just love 'em.)
Find Your Creative Voice - course doors are open, in case you fancy workin' on flapping your freak flag a bit more in 2025.) Click here to see what all the freak flag fuss is all about.
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Can you be an illustrator with children and a job?
24 januari 2025 · 11 min
Chelsea asked us: "Would love some advice goal-wise for those of us still holding part-time jobs and two small kids under five, trying to transition to an illustration career. Is it even possible? I'm feeling impatient and a bit trapped." Lees meer
We chat about:
Why “slow and steady” beats high-pressure goals.
Low-pressure ways to carve out creative time (even with little ones around).
How parenting can inspire your creative work.
The importance of being kind to yourself and how to keep drawing.
Why editorial illustration might not be the best fit right now.
Links Mentioned
Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag Course doors are open!
Check out Polly Dunbar’s lovely illustrations: Polly Dunbar on Instagram
Freebies for illustrators on our website: The Good Ship Illustration Freebies
p.s. Good Ship Illustration News
Our course, Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag doors are now open and if you clamber aboard before the end of January we'll send you some exciting snail mail (a brand new Good Ship sticker pack!!) 💛Read all about it here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/freakflag
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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What tech do you use as an illustrator? Featuring Helen's 25 year-old Epson scanner that WILL NOT DIE
17 januari 2025 · 21 min
At The Good Ship Illustration, we love keeping it simple. You don’t need the fanciest gear or the latest tech to be an illustrator. Our Helen’s 25-year-old scanner has survived being dropped multiple times and it’s still goin' strong. Lees meer
This week on the podcast, we’re sharing the tech setups we actually use to get our illustration work done.
Katie tells us about her iPad obsession, the magic of cloud storage, and why a second screen is a game-changer when she remembers to switch it on.
Helen sings the praises of her indestructible Epson scanner, her return to good old-fashioned paper workflows, and where she stashes all that paper.
Tania shares her decades of Photoshop muscle memory, her love-hate relationship with Wacom, and her dream tech collaboration.
Dear Apple, if you’re listening, please call us about the maxi pad™ (an extra-giant iPad for picture book illustrators) 😅
Listen to the episode for:
CMYK vs. RGB in Procreate, and whether publishers have a preference.
Our ongoing battle with storing work.
Why we’re convinced illustrators need a bigger iPad (yep, it's the maxi pad again).Timestamps:
00:20 🎉 Find Your Creative Voice is open all year!
03:10 Katie’s tech setup: giant iPads, Procreate hacks, and Dropbox magic.
06:30 Helen’s trusty scanner and her glorious return to traditional workflows.
09:45 Tania’s Photoshop loyalty, Wacom woes, and dream tech.
13:00 CMYK vs. RGB in Procreate—how does it really work for publishers?
16:30 Why illustrators need an oversized iPad.
19:30 Our tips for archiving your creative work.x Your Good Ship pals 🚢✨
Pssst… Exciting news! 🎉
Our course Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag is now open for enrollment all year round! Join anytime and get instant access.
🌟 December & January Bonus: Everyone who hops aboard gets a shiny Good Ship sticker badge. Plus, three lucky new members will win 1:1 mentoring with the captains.Climb aboard HERE.
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipill… -
Help! I’m shy. Do I really have to go to book fairs to start my illustration career?
10 januari 2025 · 15 min
Ahoy! 🚢 Lees meer
In this episode, we’re answering a brilliant question from listener Cat, who wrote: “Help! I’m shy. Do I really have to go to book fairs to start my illustration career?”
The short answer = nope.
The longer answer = this 15-minute podcast episode. Grab a cuppa and we'll see you in there!
p.s. Freak Flag course doors are now open! If you join before the end of January 2025 we'll send you a Good Ship sticker badge in the post an' everything. Come on in and find your creative voice :)
Timestamps:
00:25 🎉 Listener question: “Do I have to go to book fairs to succeed as an illustrator?”
01:15 Why being shy isn’t a disadvantage in the illustration world.
02:10 Starting from home: Your portfolio, website, and Instagram.
03:42 Why book fairs aren’t essential for finding work (and what they’re really like).
05:18 Building your portfolio: Focus on six pieces you’re proud of.
06:30 Social media tips for introverts: Finding the platform that feels good for you.
08:15 Dealing with negative comments.
09:43 Why “marketing” is just sharing what you’re already excited about.
12:05 Building confidence.
13:16 Freak Flag is open! Join us for stickers, mentoring, and creative breakthroughs.Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Big goals, no pressure: Planning your creative year with The Good Ship Illustration
3 januari 2025 · 22 min
Is it time to set goals, or are you feeling more “no plans, just let me lie down” this year? Lees meer
We chat about:
Why some years are for sprinting, and others are for walking.
The power of visual goal-setting.
How to make goals human-sized, doable, and fun, without freaking yourself out.
Here's a Good Ship permission slip to do your 2025 goal-setting in a way that works for your brain/energy-levels/life.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Happy New Year! Goal-setting: exciting, overwhelming, or somewhere in between?
01:00 – Join our Planning Party on 16th January (details inside!)
02:30 – Sprinting vs walking: knowing when to slow down and when to push forward
03:45 – Loose goals, intentions, and the value of taking things slowly
04:50 – Why “no plans” can still count as a brilliant plan
07:00 – Visual goal-setting: drawing the year ahead and keeping it in sight
08:15 – Human-sized goals: how to make planning feel manageable and fun
10:00 – Intentions beyond work: making space for life, joy, and connection
16:00 – Ideas for tackling the overwhelm of “too many things to draw”Links Mentioned:
You're invited to our Planning Party on 16th January!
Sign up for our emails here to get your invite: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Hardest Year Ever? An Honest Look at the Illustration Industry in 2024
27 december 2024 · 21 min
As 2024 winds down, we’ve been hearing all sorts of things - budget cuts, AI fears, and whispers of a downturn. There’s no denying it’s been a tricky year for many illustrators. But is it all doom and gloom? Not necessarily! Lees meer
Timestamps for you to skip around:
00:20 Special news - The doors are open for Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag!
01:15 What we’ve been hearing from illustrators about the industry.
03:00 Why illustrators are feeling the pinch of budget cuts.
06:30 The world is craving handmade, delightfully wonky work.
09:45 What’s going on with picture books, then?
13:30 Fly your freak flag - this is your moment to shine.
16:00 Licensing, animation, and new media - growing areas to keep an eye on.
18:15 Inclusivity in illustration and what agents are looking for in 2025.
19:50 Why you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket.🎉 Exciting Announcement
The doors to our Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag course are open!
✨ Enrol whenever you like - no more waiting for us to open the doors.
✨ Join by the end of January 2025 and you'll get:A Good Ship Illustration sticker pack.
The chance to win a 1:1 mentoring session with us - the 3 captains.
Learn more and join here: Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Ho ho ho 🎄 pressies for illustrators (love from Ron & Betty Frampton x)
20 december 2024 · 13 min
What do tiny bowls of crisps, the world’s fanciest pencils, and a mysterious couple called Ron and Betty Frampton have in common? They’re all in this week's Christmassy podcast! Lees meer
Get ready for festive chaos, creative inspiration, and permission to buy yourself something lovely, courtesy of Ron and Betty.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Who on earth are Ron and Betty Frampton?
01:20 – What’s on our Christmas wishlists? Pencils, paint, and tech setups
04:30 – Christmas bingo, tiny bowls of crisps, and the unwritten rules of bingo culture
08:15 – Why quick, unplanned drawings can sometimes be your best work
10:50 – Helen’s 30-second cut-out reindeer and a carpet fitter
11:50 – Permission to treat yourself this Christmas. Ron and Betty would approveLinks Mentioned:
Find Your Creative Voice Course – Treat yourself to a creative boost Find out more here (and if you join before the end of January 2025, we'll send you some gorgeous stickers in the post. SNAIL MAIL!)
🎄 Merry Christmas and a happy new year from all of us at The Good Ship Illustration 🎄
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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The Confidence to Fly Your Freak Flag: A guide for illustrators and creatives
13 december 2024 · 29 min
Here's your early present from Good Ship. Our previously-just-for-paying-students private VIP podcast episode all about building your creative confidence. Lees meer
We're celebrating that Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag is now open for enrollment all year round! Instant access. You asked, we listened.
EVERYONE who joins during December 2024 & January 2025 will get one of our much-coveted Good Ship sticker badges. Mmmmm.
We're also opening up a rare chance to win 1:1 mentoring with The Good Ship Illustration captains. There are 3 spots up for grabs! When you join, we'll email you all of the details.
Click HERE for all of the course info and to climb aboard.
We'd love to have you sailing with us.Anyways, what's this podcast episode about?
From early career wobbles to trusting your creative voice, tackling imposter syndrome, and the confidence to charge what you're worth.
Plus, loadsa tips to help you separate your self-worth from your creative work (they're not the same thing!)
Got a question for us to tackle in a future podcast episode? Send it in - we’d love to hear from you!
👉 Submit your questions here
Timestamps:
00:21 Celebrating that Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag is now open for enrollment all year round!
03:00 Why you’re not a “wannabe” illustrator
05:15 Navigating client relationships
07:55 The power of asking clients what they love about your portfolio
10:38 Silencing negative self-talk and spotting unhelpful stories you tell yourself
12:12 Why it’s better to be an indie band than Top of the Pops (for illustrators)
13:13 The magic of “imperfections” and human marks in your work
15:17 Pricing confidence: why your value isn’t tied to your hours
16:18 Gamifying rejection and making it work for you
18:37 Forget the rules: how naivety can be your creative superpower
21:46 Avoiding comparison traps with a creative quarantine
22:35 Why having multiple versions of your work can unlock playfulness
25:34 Tips for breaking big, scary pr… -
What should you tackle first!? Starting out as an illustrator.
6 december 2024 · 19 min
When you’re starting your illustration career, there is so much advice out there, so in this episode, we're untangling the nice juicy question of “Where do I even start!?” Lees meer
We share a bit about how we've each learned to hop in and out of our business & creativity cars over the years. Plus, we'll dish out some wisdom nuggets on balancing creative bursts with the less exciting bits of building your freelance illustration career.
Come and say hello, we're friendly! Have you got a question you'd like us to tackle on a future podcast episode?
Please send it in!
Click here to send in your podcast questions!
Timestamps:
00:31 Taming the overwhelm gremlin (aka Your To-Do List)
03:25 Website? Social media? LinkedIn? 🤯
04:48 Building a portfolio (without stressing yourself out)
14:08 The juggle is real: business vs. creativity
16:18 Sharing your work and being picky about it
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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What you workin' on, pal? A Good Ship Illustration chat.
29 november 2024 · 30 min
Show Notes Lees meer
When we meet up, this is always one of the first things we ask each other. We'd ask you too if you were here!
"What are you working on, then?" is the question that made us want to start The Good Ship Illustration all those yeeeeears ago - we realised how mega different our illustration careers are, even though we're all illustrators.
Grab a cuppa - in this episode, Tania shares her big goal to create a personal map (including residencies, studios, and maybe a little bit of procrastination). Helen's talking about writing stories and why she never wants to write alone again. And Katie takes us through the ups and downs of scaling & right-sizing a creative business.
Plus, we chat about the magic of saying "no".
Nice. See you in there.
Timestamps:
00:19 Tania's maps
10:44 What's Helen up to
12:41 Writing with a pal
22:46 Katie's nap goals
26:17 You Are NOT a to-do list! (Good Ship permission to slow down)
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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The burnout life raft (for when you're drowning in to-dos)
22 november 2024 · 29 min
Show Notes Lees meer
Feeling frazzled & running on illustration fumes? You're definitely not alone!
In this episode, we wade on in to discuss the murky waters of burnout. Don't worry, we've got your life raft right here! We chat about what burnout actually IS, why it seems to be so common amongst illustrators & creatives, and most importantly, what you can do to nip it in the bud, or escape it if you're already knee-deep.
So grab a cuppa, put your feet up, and recharge your batteries with us for a bit.
Timestamps:
00:38 Defining burnout
04:37 💰 What's money got to do with it anyway?
04:54 The Instagram hamster wheel and how to escape it
05:35 Virtual assistants = sanity savers
11:30 "Illustrator's boob" - yep, it's a thing!
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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What do illustrators DO all day? Featuring keep-fit cuppas, & coworking 🤓
15 november 2024 · 19 min
Are you as nosy as we are? Weyyyy, you're in the right place. Lees meer
In this episode, we talk about our daily routines as illustrators. What do we DO all day?
We discuss morning routines, our creative processes (or lack thereof), and the importance of deciding when to eat dinner.
When we said we'd love to hear about your day-in-the-life, we mean it! Come over to Instagram and say hello / tag us in your daily routine posts :) We're @thegoodshipillustration on there.
Timestamps:
00:18 Tell us about your day, then
01:46 Morning routines
04:02 Keep-fit cups of tea
05:37 Daily work and to-do lists
07:57 Balancing work and toddler-wrangling
14:32 Tania = the night owl
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Should I have 2 websites?” + how many mailers until you see results?
17 oktober 2024 · 21 min
Firstly, if you like this episode, you’ll LOVE The Business Course! Doors are open for enrollment until the 18th of October 2024. Be quick! Lees meer
You can read all about The Business Course here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/business
If you do miss the boat 😩 and the doors have already closed by the time you're listening to this, you can jump into our free ‘Get into Your Business Car' challenge here in the meantime:
https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/businesscar(Once those Business Course doors close, they’re closed. We’re strict.)
Show Notes
As soon as we start talking about marketing for illustrators, we (almost always) get the question, 'Should I have a separate Instagram account for my illustration work?'
See also: Do I need more than one website? Do I need more than one newsletter?
In this episode we're answering that burning question, plus lots more all about the rollercoaster that is sharing your illustration work online.
Your online presence does NOT have to be shiny and polished. We're all about done-is-better-than-perfect, and we hope this episode gives you the firm-but-tender Good Ship kick up the bum you need to start sharing your stuff more consistently, whatever consistency means to you.
Timestamps
00:00 – Intro and today’s big question
00:36 – One account or two?
01:25 – The “doorway method” for your website
04:38 – Juggling different styles in one space
05:38 – Why adding a personal touch is key
10:18 – Tweaking your marketing so that you get noticed
19:52 – Wrapping it all up with some final thoughtsp.s. it's NOT all about social media. We talk about offline options that are super effective too.
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Get your illustration work noticed by people who actually want to buy it.
16 oktober 2024 · 24 min
Firstly, if you like this episode, you’ll LOVE The Business Course! Doors are open for enrollment until the 18th of October 2024. Be quick! Lees meer
You can read all about The Business Course here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/business
If you do miss the boat 😩 and the doors have already closed by the time you’re listening to this, you can join the waiting list for a future round. You can get stuck into our free ‘Get into Your Business Car’ challenge here in the meantime: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/businesscar
(Once those doors close, they’re closed. We’re strict.)
**Shownotes:**
Yes yes, there is a HUGE amount of joy to be had in the creative side of illustration.
But when your work is both a joy to make, and sells well, too? That's a whole new level of good stuff.
In this episode, we talk all about selling your work! All 3 of us have run online shops at some point in our illustration careers, and we dig into the things that worked for us to get our work seen and, most importantly, sold.
We're not shy about talking about pricing and the perils (+ good bits) of managing an online shop and in this episode you can expect
🚢 Social media marketing for illustrators running a product-based business
🚢 Building an email newsletter audience
🚢 Selling your illustrations & illustrated products at fairs
🚢 Running an online shop & more 🤩See you in there!
x Helen, Katie & Tania
Timestamps:
00:00 Hello!
00:59 Running an online shop: what's it like? What works well?
03:15 Marketing strategies 🤓 for online shops
04:38 Pre-selling - your new secret superpower (so that you don't end up living in a house full of unsold products.)
07:37 Postage challenges
09:46 Selling to other shops and wholesale
13:28 Pricing strategies and stuff to consider
20:36 In-Person Markets and Pop-Up Shops
23:17 👋🏻 Byee!
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to su…
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Busy? How to handle multiple illustration projects like a pro.
15 oktober 2024 · 17 min
Firstly, if you like this episode, you’ll LOVE The Business Course! Doors are open for enrollment until the 18th of October 2024. Be quick! Lees meer
You can read all about The Business Course here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/business
If you do miss the boat 😩 and the doors have already closed by the time you’re listening to this, you can join the waiting list for a future round. You can get stuck into our free ‘Get into Your Business Car’ challenge here in the meantime: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/businesscar
(Once those doors close, they’re closed. We’re strict.)
**Show Notes: **
In today’s business podcast **puffs up shoulder pads** we had a good chat about the fine art of juggling when you have more than one illustration project on the go.
Setting boundaries and managing expectations came up a LOT. Clear communication and smart scheduling are biggies, especially when it comes to working with publishers and keeping yourself sane & your deadlines on track. We also touch on negotiating rush fees and the importance of having a dedicated schedule for client feedback so you don’t get stuck in one of those endless revision loops of doom! 😩
Plus, we grilled Helen on the nitty-gritty of working in the publishing world.
Behoooold, the timestamps!
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction and Listener Questions
00:22 – Managing Multiple Projects and Avoiding Burnout
01:00 – Scheduling and Client Communication
05:53 – Setting Boundaries and Handling Rush Jobs
07:43 – Client Feedback and Project Management
10:58 – Publishing Industry Insights
16:42 – A nice awkward Good Ship goodbye 👋
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Pricing your illustration work 💸 & how to handle ghost-clients that disappear 👻 Bit of a scary episode. Sorry about that.
14 oktober 2024 · 20 min
Welcome aboard the Good Ship Illustration podcast! In this spooky, scary episode, we tackle one of the trickiest areas for illustrators: pricing and negotiations. (Aaaagh!) Lees meer
Firstly, if you like this episode, you’ll LOVE The Business Course! Doors are open for enrollment until the 18th of October 2024. Be quick!
You can read all about The Business Course here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/business
If you do miss the boat 😩 and the doors have already closed by the time you’re listening to this, you can join the waiting list for a future round. You can get stuck into our free ‘Get into Your Business Car’ challenge here in the meantime: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/businesscar
(Once those doors close, they’re closed. We’re strict.)
**Show Notes:**
In this episode, we dusted off the crumbs from our Greggs Vegan sausage rolls (v good lunch Helen, thank you) and settled into Tania’s living room for a thorough no-holds-barred chat about MONEY STUFF.
One of our favourite things to talk about is how different the money/pricing stuff can be in different markets, and different bits of the illustration industry.
We put the world to rights and covered everything from knowing what’s ‘normal’ in the industry, to how to negotiate fees for different types of projects. Budgets can really vary depending on the market. We also bang on about the importance of charging what you’re worth. (And we’ll carry on doing that until the starving artist myth is where it belongs → in the bin.)
Ghosting from clients? It happens to the best of us. We share some tips in this episode on how to deal with it, and why it’s important not to take the silence personally.
Katie gets excited about how much she loves using automation to manage the behind the scenes stuff in her business. And to wrap things up, we remind you to think of yourself as a business, not just a creative. Your creativity brings HUGE value to your clients. Don’t forget it.
Charge your worth.
If you’d lik…
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Figuring out your illustration style - how long does it take?
25 april 2024 · 13 min
If you’d like to boost your illustration work and dig in to finding your creative voice, you’re in luck! Lees meer
Doors are NOW OPEN for our course, Find Your Creative Voice: Fly Your Freak Flag. Just so you know, this the last time to join at the current price. We’d love to have you sailing with us!
You can learn more here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/freakflag
Come and say hello!
✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙