Balancing Motherhood and Creativity

At the very end of 2020 I had my first baby, Herbie. As a self employed illustrator with book deadlines I’ve had to juggle caring for my son and working since he was very little. A few people on Instagram have asked me how I manage it and I though I’d share my experiences and how I tried to prepare myself and my business. I’ve also asked a few fellow freelance mums who I really admire about their experience. Having a baby is a completely unique experience and it’s different for everybody, but here are some of the things that I’ve done that that have worked for me and some things I wish I’d known before. When I was pregnant I was wondered a lot about how it would work and how other people managed, so hopefully this post is useful for anyone thinking of having a baby or pregnant and wondering how it fits in with a creative career.

Before the Baby Arrived

Passive income

Having a baby is going to impact your finances; the chances are you will have a lot less time to create and sell, or you will have a big childcare bill (if you live in the U.K.), or a bit of both. Before I became pregnant I started building passive income into the heart of my business. For me this means I get royalties from books that I have written, royalties as part of my collaboration with Papier, a license fee every time one of my designs is relicensed by a greetings card company and royalties when people purchase an online course that I have taught. With royalty based earnings there’s often a lot of work upfront and usually an advance fee, and then if the book or course sells well you will have royalties down the line. This worked out great with having a baby as I could do most of the hard work before he was born, and then I had royalties coming in whilst I wasn’t able to work very much. Other sources of passive income might be to write an e-book, license your photography or illustrations on a stock website or create an online course.

Applying for maternity leave early

Maternity allowance for self-employed people is pretty rubbish, around £150 a week, but you might as well apply for it if you’re entitled to it. Allow a lot of time to apply for it. It took me three goes to apply for it because I kept filling in the application form wrong or posting them empty envelopes (!?). Baby brain is no joke. Also rather alarmingly the standard approach is to tell you that you are only getting £27 a week unless you play some national insurance contributions upfront. Again all this takes time so apply nice and early.

When to start maternity leave?

I spent a lot of time thinking about when I should start my maternity leave. Most freelancers I know like to work right up until they go into labour. I decided to start my maternity leave a month before Herbie was due and he was born a month early. I ended up only having one day of maternity leave before he arrived. I think you’ve just got to listen to your gut instinct.

Setting realistic expectations about returning to work

It’s really impossible to know how you’re going to feel after having a baby until you actually have one. I would definitely advise staying vague with clients about when you are going to be returning to work as you just don’t know how you’re going to feel physically or mentally. I definitely thought I’d be in the swing of things, have a routine and be back to work part time by 3 months, this was very much not the case! Herbie and I had a very rocky start that I never could have predicted. Once you actually have a newborn three or four months feels like no time at all. I had to go back to work when Herbie was still very little because I had a book deadline, but it wasn’t something I would’ve chosen to do otherwise.

When the Baby Arrived

Working with a Baby

If you have a full term, healthy baby, lots of support from your partner and family, and you have a really smooth recovery from the birth you might be able to get a bit of work done in the newborn days as they really do sleep a lot. Due to having premature baby born into lockdown this wasn’t how things worked out for me. The way I got work done when Herbie was little was to wear him in a stretchy sling whilst I worked. He had terrible silent reflux, so being held upright helped him have a nice long naps and I got some work done. It is a killer on the shoulders though. I also wrote a lot of emails and typed up my book one-handed during the endless breastfeeding sessions. Also when he got a bit bigger and the weather got a bit warmer my husband was able to take him out in the pram for naps which gave me a bit of time to work.

Working with a Toddler

Now that he’s a toddler I work whilst he naps in the daytime and my husband and I take it in turns taking him out so the other one can get some work done, as we are both freelance. We also have an amazing nanny who takes him two mornings a week. This summer he will be starting nursery which hopefully will be a game changer. You really can’t get any work done while they are awake. Before you have a baby you might have a fantasy that they will be playing peacefully in the background while you work from home, or maybe they will be doing some painting next to you whilst you’re working, in reality it’s just impossible. I remember saying once that we wouldn’t need any childcare because I work from home. How wrong I was! My work needs 100% of my attention and so does Herbie, so I can’t do both at the same time. But it’s true what people say, you do learn to make the most of small pockets of time and become very productive and organised.

The final thing I want to say is don’t worry if having a child doesn’t make you the most inspired or creative you’ve ever been straightaway. It might make you feel the least inspired and creative that you’ve ever been. Especially if you had a baby during the pandemic. I feel like for the last year my career has just been in maintenance mode, I have been working steadily, finishing projects that I started before Herbie was born and working with a lot of regular clients, but I haven’t really had the headspace or time to start anything new and exciting until recently. But that’s fine, he’ll only be little once and I’m giving myself grace to work at a slower pace when I need to. One day he’ll need me less and I’ll have more time and when I look back these baby days will have gone by so fast.

Brilliant advice from other creative mums

Lauren Aston - Lauren Aston Designs

Knitwear designer and small business owner

I think my advice would be to where possible prioritise doing the things you love within your business when you go back to work. When I went back to work I spent a lot of time being resentful that I was spending my few work hours doing something like accounts. Obviously sometimes that has to happen, but if you can prioritise work you love then you’ll find your working time a productive and happy time.
Also if you are working from home and someone else is looking after the baby from home and go into another room where you can close the door. Do not let that other person disturb you unless the building is on fire.

Nancy Straughan

Stylist and photographer

The main thing I wish I had known was not to expect that my career would be back on track and exactly the same as it was before as soon as the traditional maternity leave period is over at around 9 - 12 months. As a freelance creative that is absolutely not been the case for me and I wish I had relieved that pressure from myself much earlier. It’s only very recently that I have realised that I only work a couple of days a week so I couldn’t possibly be working as much or earning as much as before I had my daughter, and I wish someone would’ve told me that that’s okay.

Charlotte Wilden - Wilden London

Luxury bespoke bridal design

Even if your income has taken a hit from having children because of childcare, your creativity Is still important for several reasons. So many people encouraged me to quit, because after childcare costs, my financial contribution to the household is low and I should just take care of my child full time to save money.
I disagree. I have a partner who is jointly responsible financially and practically for our child, so it shouldn’t be up to the mother to match and exceed childcare costs with her salary alone. This perspective has helped me a lot and made taken any guilt away that I continue to work, plus I feel the childcare is so amazing for my child’s confidence outside the home which I couldn’t give her by myself.
Creativity makes you YOU, and it makes you happy, and it gives you an escape from everyday frustrations.
I need to be happy and fulfilled to be able to give my best self to my children. I love to involve my daughter in my work too, showing her what I do and making her little dress-up clothes and showing her that I have my own passions and that I work and earn money, to inspire her to follow her dreams too whatever they might be one day. She’s always asking to see my work and telling me how she loves the things I make, which feels extra nice. Motherhood brings all kinds of new experiences and that might just give you a fantastic idea for work.
Practically, it’s good to keep practice of your craft, not only the product that you make, but practicing interacting with customers and staying relevant so that you can fully relaunch when childcare is easier without too much stress and anxiety.

Willa Gebbie

Illustrator

I see a lot of people sharing photos of themselves working or drawing with their baby strapped to them. This was never my experience. Partly because it's basically impossible to do (hello broken back) and partly because it's important for me to be fully present with my kid and with my work. When I was pregnant I noticed that my female peers would share pictures of their new babies on social media but men tended to not mention them much if at all. I was worried that if I spoke about it too much that clients would presume I wasn't taking on as much work. So I chose to keep it quiet. I don't know if it made any difference but it did help me to retain an element of "the old me".

It's hard but as soon as possible learn to trust your partner/grandparent/babysitter enough to leave your child with them and not get involved. Leave the house, go and work in a cafe even if it's just for an hour. Child care is not just for day time. Don't forget to use a baby sitter to go to networking events and meet up with fellow creatives. It's good for your creative mind and soul.

Stacie Swift

Illustrator and Author

Parenthood has shown me how resilient I can be and how my work can continue to evolve and adapt in the juggle. I try to remember it’s okay for productivity to look different every day!

How I got started as an Illustrator

I often get asked how I got started as an illustrator, so here is an up-to-date account. This is just my story of how I became an illustrator, it is definitely not a guide on how to become an illustrator. Everybody’s path is different and everyone’s circumstances are are unique. I think my situation was certainly a little bit unusual!

Like most artists and illustrators I have loved drawing and painting since I was little. When I was 13 I left mainstream education due to ill health and didn’t go back to regular education until I was 16. I studied using distance learning and during this time and always kept drawing and creating. I went back to full-time education when I was 16 and did a National Diploma in Art and Design at Suffolk College. At the same time I started my blog and started showing my work online. I was really encouraged by my tutors at college and by the community I found online to keep producing work and sharing it. When I was 17 my work started to attract interest from clients as a result of my blog and I picked up my first job is illustrating greetings cards for Woodmansterne and Moo. I also started my Etsy shop and started selling prints, originals (very underpriced!) and greetings cards. As I wasn’t 18 yet my dad had to help me set it up as I didn’t have my own PayPal account.

After college I went to study a BA in Illustration at Middlesex University in London. Whilst studying at university I continued to produce my own work in my sketchbook, update my blog, run my online shop, and take on occasional professional projects. In my third year at university I was approached by a publisher and asked to illustrate a book called Tea and Cake. I worked on this book alongside my final major project at university and presented some of the work from this book at my degree show. Once I graduated university I continued working on the illustrations for this book and doing freelance illustration jobs. At this point I was working on a mixture of illustrations for greetings cards, magazines, and some branding projects for small businesses and blogs. It would definitely be a mistake to think I was some kind of overnight success. I was working full time as a freelance illustrator at 21, but I’ve been doing professional jobs here and there since I was 17 and gradually growing in experience and confidence. I made all the usual mistakes, undercharging from my work, accepting work without a proper contract etc. I just made these mistakes whilst I was still very young

I’ve been working full time as an illustrator for 10 years now, and in that time a lot of things have changed, but somethings haven’t. I still produce illustrations for magazines, books and greetings cards, I still have an Etsy shop, although it’s currently on a break, and I still find most of my work by putting my illustrations online.  In 2015 I began teaching and I have now taught hundreds of students how to paint with watercolours and gouache. I’ve now written and illustrated my own books, The Joy of Watercolour and Get Started with Gouache, with several other books in the pipeline due for publication 2022. It’s almost 10 years since I left university; I am now 30, writing my fourth book, expecting my first child and feeling just as lucky to be a full-time illustrator as I did when I first started.

I hope that was mildly interesting! For more some actionable career advice check out his blog post.

Keeping a Sketchbook

Sketches from Paris

When I was at university keeping a sketchbook was of utmost importance. We had a sketchbook for each project we worked on and a personal sketchbook. We spent a huge amount of time drawing from life on location, in London and on class trips around the world. When I asked my tutors if I could take a week off school to go to Paris on my own and sketch they said yes. At the time I didn’t quite get the true importance of regular sketching, and sketches seemed like a means to an end, a way of progressing through a project. But when you sketch regularly you build up a personal reference library for yourself, that you can use it for years to come. When I’m starting a project and need reference images or inspiration the first place I go is to my sketchbooks. Whether I need an image of some roof tops, some spring flowers, or a couple walking, I know that I will have a sketch of that somewhere. Of course I could find reference photos online for all of those things, but it’s just so lovely to be able to use my own sketches as reference, to turn the pages of my sketchbook and have all the memories of that time and that project come flooding back.

Sketches from Peru

I fell out of love with sketchbooks for a few years, I think because I’ve always struggled with pencil sketches. I think in terms of colour, texture and shape, not line, so pencil was always a bit limiting for me. When I realised I could just paint straight into my sketchbooks instead of worrying about pencils it reinvigorated my sketchbook practice.

A sketchbook should be whatever you need it to be, it can be full of pencil sketches, notes, doodles, paint swatches, paintings both finished and half completed. Sketchbook is a place to record experiences and ideas.

Sketches from Mallorca

Sketches from Tuscany

Sketchbooks I like:

For watercolours – Hanhemule Watercolour Book

For gouache: Moleksine Art

For pencil sketches - Moleksine Cahier

Fabriano Bouquet Collection of 7

Finding your Style

I often get questions from people about finding their style, and yesterday I had a really great question. Somebody asked me how she could learn from me, but not just make replicas of what I teach and really make the drawings and paintings her own. I thought this was a great question, so I thought I would share my answer here in case it’s useful to anybody else.

Just for fun I have included some examples of my work from as early as 2006 up to last year. As you can see my style has changed hugely over this time as I’ve experimented with materials and my drawing skills have improved.

Personal work completed whilst I was at sixth form College

It is definitely tricky when you’re starting out for your work not to look too much like the illustrators that you admire.

Personal work completed whilst I was at sixth form college

My first piece of advice for finding own style is to draw from life. Set up a still life and sketch it, paint a vase of flowers, sketch your pet, try a self portrait. Drawing from life is really important to develop your drawing skills and to help you find your style.

Personal work completed while I was at university

The other thing is it’s important not to just be taking inspiration from contemporary illustrators. Create work inspired by your favourite films, or the books that you love. Look at illustration throughout history. Look at fine art, set design, photography. Try to find really broad sources of inspiration that represent your interests, and that will help you find your style.

Work from my final year of university

I hope that was helpful! Have you found your style, or are you still finding it?

Recent work from my sketchbook

Confessions of a Workaholic

I asked on Instagram if anyone would be interested in blog post about how I, a former workaholic, learned to embrace work life balance. The answer was a resounding ‘Yes’. So many creative freelancers have relentless working practices that end up harming them mentally or physically. I was one of them. In the last four years I’ve been suffering with wrist problems, which I have learnt to manage but not cure. I’ve tried physiotherapy, medication, steroid injections, wrist supports etc, but the thing that’s made the biggest difference is taking breaks and sorting out my life work balance.

When I left uni I was a total workaholic. Going straight from university to full-time freelancing I had no structure in my life, I worked seven days a week, often working until 11 o’clock at night. After about four years of doing this it all caught up with me. After one particularly big project with a rush deadline I started getting shooting pains in my wrist and arm, and it all went downhill from there. At my worst just holding a knife and fork or brushing my teeth was a struggle. I could only draw about 10 minutes a day.

I really had no choice but to find a way of working that was sustainable for me physically, emotionally and financially. This is how I changed my habits and moulded my career into something that was no longer actively harming me.

Take breaks

I think everyone who is creative knows that feeling when everything is going right and you just want to keep working, but it’s so important to take regular breaks. I take little breaks throughout the day, and then stop work at about 6 and have a lazy relaxed evening. Some people find the Pomodoro technique helpful, which gets you to take a five minute break every 25 minutes, but personally I prefer to listen to my body and take a break once I feel my mind wandering all my wrist getting achey.

Be more productive

For me working very productively in a short period of time is how I manage to do most the things I want to do despite my wrist condition. It’s much better for me, my work and my wrist if I have a really productive few hours of work, rather than working all day and not getting much done. My usual work day is two or three hours of drawing and painting, and about two hours of admin (emails, invoicing, social media etc.) It’s so much better to work in a really focused way without distractions for a few hours, then enjoy total relaxation without worrying about work, rather than being distracted by other stuff when you’re working, then being distracted by work when you’re supposed to be relaxing.

Rest properly

As I mentioned above it’s important to stop every day life stuff seeping into your working time and distracting you. It’s equally important to stop work stuff seeping into your relaxing time and stopping you from properly resting. I don’t reply to emails in the evenings or on weekends, and I’ve set my iPhone so the access to social media is restricted late in the evening. You don’t need to be on 24/7. Just because someone has emailed you at 10 pm doesn’t mean you need to reply to them straight away. Proper rest is so important. When I’ve been really busy and everything gets on top of me I have days where I cannot get out of bed and end up sleeping most of the day. That’s fine, I let my body have the rest needs and start afresh the next day. If you don’t listen to your body and let it have the rest it needs it will eventually make the decision for you and force you to stop, which is never fun.

Change your mind set

For most of my life I felt incredibly guilty about wasting time or being unproductive. The only way to silence that nagging voice of guilt was to work incessantly. Then I injured my wrist which meant I feel guilty about working and hurting my wrist, but still guilty about not working and being unproductive. It was a no-win situation and I had to change my mindset, recognising rest as something that is productive and good for me. I needed to realise that going for a walk in the park was good because exercise and sunshine are both good for me, going for a coffee with my husband is good because quality time is an investment in our relationship, having an evening watching TV is good because sometimes your mind and body just need a rest. Everything and everybody needs to recharge at some point, and reframing downtime as something positive that was ultimately going to aid my productivity helps me feel less guilty about it.

Sometimes good enough is good enough

There are times when you do need to do your very best and give something 100% of your time and effort, but there are other times when okay is okay. You don’t have to be the best at everything all the time. I’ve never gotten around to setting up my own online shop, I just use etsy because it’s convenient, and that’s fine. I’m really bad at sending out newsletters, they take me so long to write that I’ve kind of given up. Not the end of the world. Until two years ago I was still using a Hotmail email address for all my business, I still got plenty of work. There will always be a long list of things that I could do to improve my work, my business etc but it’s all fine and I’m doing fine. Don’t need to beat myself up about not being perfect in every single way.

Charge more

There can be many reasons why we overwork. Sometimes it’s fear of failure or guilt around being unproductive, and sometimes we just need the money. Raising your prices and charging more for what you do gives you the freedom to say no to work when your schedule is already full. Charge more, work less might not sound very realistic but it’s exactly what I’ve done. When I started my career I was working all hours and earning very little. Through gradually raising my prices, getting better at negotiating, and learning to say no I’ve managed to earn a really good income and achieve a really good work life balance.

Redefine success

If your idea of success is being constantly in demand and working all the time then I think it might be worth tweaking that definition. My idea of success is to do what I love every day, make a good living, have lots of time to spend with my friends and family, get to travel to new countries, to enjoy the city that I’m living in, and do work that fulfils me and inspires others to be creative.

What does success look like to you?

Why it Doesn't Pay to Work for Free

Working for free has been a big issue for a long time in the illustration industry, but I really feel it's becoming a bit of a problem at the moment. You would assume that as you become more established and successful as an illustrator people would stop asking you to work for free in exchange for exposure, but what actually happens is you simply get bigger brands and clients asking for free work . The way I see it there are two types of clients that ask you to work for free. There are smaller clients that aren't making much money and assume that because they are working for free that you should too. This only works if you truly believe in what they're doing and actively want to collaborate. Just because their business isn't financially successful doesn't mean you should have to work for free as well.

The second type of client that asks you to work for free are the big businesses and well known brands. These clients are household names and they assume their reputation and influence means they  don't actually need to pay anybody creative. They can just pay you in exposure and you will happily work for free so that you can put the work in your portfolio and name them as a client on your website. Unfortunately this isn't really a good idea and too many illustrators fall for it. There have been times I've worked for free earlier in my career and regretted it.

Just to make it clear I'm not having a go at new illustrators that are currently doing work for free. I've done it myself, I know how tempting it can be! I just wanted to share my experiences with the benefit of hindsight. Also all the photos used in this post are of me doing paid work, not free work. I just thought a post without any photos would be very boring. 

Live illustration for SisterMAG

Maybe they'll like me if I work for free 

A client that asks you to work for free will never respect you. You might expect them to be extra nice to make up for the fact that they are not paying you, but actually these clients are usually the worst since they don't value you or your time. My experience has always been the better paid the job, the better you are treated by the client. This is particularly relevant when you're working at events, teaching workshops or doing live illustration. A client checking to see if you need anything or offering you a drink makes a big difference when you're working flat out for hours.

Live illustration for The Betty Collective

Maybe they'll pay me next time

I've fallen for that one before. The client has run out of budget this time but surely they'll pay me next time? The truth is that if you've agreed to work for free once, and you've done good work for the client, there is no reason why they would start paying you in the future. If having no budget worked out well for them last time why would they change it in the future? The exception to this is small independent magazines who sometimes will start paying contributors as they grow.

Running a workshop for Pinterest

But it would be great exposure

Generally my feeling is a company too small to be able to afford to pay you won't be able to offer much exposure, and a company big enough to offer huge amounts of exposure should be making enough money to pay you properly. Free work only leads to more free work. The best exposure that I have received has been as a result of paying work. Additionally a lot of the brands that contact me and offer me exposure have less followers on social media than I do!

Live illustration for Betty Magazine

But I don't need to make money from my illustrations I'm just doing it for fun

That's your choice, but ultimately it's bad for the industry. If clients can always find somebody to do the work for free they will keep asking for free work and keep allocating zero budget to illustration. There have been times when I have given a client a quote and they have come back to me saying 'this person is willing to do it for free, why can't you'? When you agree to work for free it's not always apparent the knock on affect you have on other people.

Running a workshop for Etsy

Is it ever okay to work for free? In certain circumstances yes, for  example for family, charity or causes that you really believe in. There are also some occasions when you can offer to work for free and make a calculated decision about how it will benefit you. For example the first time I ever did live illustration over two years ago at The Bloggers Market I offered live portraits for free in exchange for a tweet or Instagram. This was completely my decision and I wasn't pressured into it, also it wasn't a big business, it was run by girls my age. I had never done live illustration before and I didn't feel that I could charge a client for it until I knew I could actually do the job. The event went really well and it was so popular that it attracted the attention of the venue (The Hoxton Hotel) who immediately booked me for several of their upcoming parties (paid) and corporate events, which then lead to even more paid work live illustrating.

What do you do if a company asks you to work for free? You can politely explain why you don't work for free or you can just not reply at all. If you'd like to work with them in the future I would recommend sending back a polite email, but otherwise don't give it anymore of your time. 

What do you think? Would you work for free? Have you worked for free and regretted it?

A Few Wise Words

Over on Instagram I shared some of my top tips as part of #MarchMeetTheMarker. They were just a few nuggets of wisdom I have cleaned in my 5 1/2 years of freelancing. It was one of my most popular ever Instagram post, so I thought I would share it again here. Obviously I am a freelance illustrator, but I think this advice could apply to any freelance creative.

Value yourself
If you don't nobody else will. When I first started illustrating I completely undercharged, and I think it's something that every artist and Illustrator does when you start out. Confidence and charging what you are worth go hand-in-hand, so make sure you value yourself and the work that you do. Don't buy into the 'starving artist' myth. For a while I told myself that I was lucky to be doing what I love for a living so it didn't matter but I wasn't making much money. That attitude will stop you from ever earning much money; if you don't expect to be paid well then you won't. When I realised that I worked very hard and that my work was of value and I had every right to be paid well for what I did, I started asking for more money and getting it.

Trust your instincts
I have learnt again and again to always trust my instincts. So many times when something hasn't felt right a project has gone wrong or things haven't worked out. Trust your instincts about what is a good opportunity and who are the right people to work with. When I first started freelancing I assumed that every opportunity was a good opportunity but sometimes that just isn't case. In fact any email that starts with the word 'great opportunity' is usually a request for you to work for free! One of the things I love about freelancing is that I don't have to say yes to everything. The more my career develops the more I have the freedom to say no and to only do the jobs I really want to do.

Take a risk and make things happen 
I've been very lucky that some incredible opportunities have come my way, but I've also learnt that I can't just sit around waiting for my dream job to come along. I've got to go out and make things happen myself. I find it so scary putting myself forward for things and contacting people, but when it all works out and I secure the project of my dreams it's the best feeling ever. Putting yourself out there can mean blogging, updating social media regularly, emailing at directors and editors or doing mail outs. It's important to find what works for you.

Top Tips for Recent Graduates

Graduation is always a scary time, and after the degree show comes down it’s easy to feel a little bit lost. Here are 10 little nuggets of advice to hopefully get you through this transition period.

1. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it

When I was preparing for my degree show a lot of people were saying things like ‘well obviously I don’t expect to work as an illustrator’ and ‘everyone knows there’s no work in the illustration industry’. These things aren’t true. It’s not easy but it’s not impossible, and somebody’s got to take the photos, design the clothes and draw the pictures we all enjoy, so why shouldn’t you be the one to do it. I have made my living solely as a freelance illustrator since graduating 5 years a go. (update: I’ve now been freelancing full time for 8 years and I’ve just bought a flat in London. Nothing is impossible)

2. Stay passionate and keep producing work

If you’re passionate about your, work prove it. Don’t put down your sketchbook for 6 months after graduating. Keep writing/drawing/taking photos and producing new work. A portfolio with nothing but uni work in it doesn’t look great. I update my website every time I complete a new project.

3. Get a website

This is essential, and something that really should be sorted out before your degree show. A web address on a business card that leads to a blank page doesn’t leave a great impression. Making a simple but effective website doesn’t need to be expensive or difficult. Squarespace, Cargo, and WordPress are all great platforms. In the 21st century your website is your CV, so keep it updated. Also make you you use own your own domain name. You can buy yours at 123reg or godaddy. I currently use Squarespace for my website and blog: it's easy to update and comes up well in Google searches. A very large percentage of my customers are also readers of my blog, so for me this is one of the most important aspects of my online presence.

4. Look out for graduate opportunities

There is a relatively short time span when you are classed as a graduate, not just a student or a run of the mill freelancer. Take advantage of graduate schemes and awards while you can. Lots of big website and agencies like It’s Nice That run graduate showcases that guarantee a lot of exposure. This is something I really wish I had known about when I graduated.

5. Make the most of student discounts

You probably have about a month left of your student discount. Now is the time to join the Association of Illustrators and take advantage of your Apple student discount. Another thing to be aware of is once you’re are no longer a student you have to start paying council tax straight away, potentially making the last month of your tenancy agreement an expensive one.

6. Get a part time job

Working full time in your chosen career field is always the ideal, but sometimes you need a part time job to pay the rent before you get there. I would advise a part time not full time job so you still have the time and energy to devote to your work, but you know what will work for you. Look out for studio assistant job where you can learn from a successful artist as well as earning money.

7. Set up an online shop

Setting up a simple online shop somewhere like Etsy can help you start making an income from your artwork straight away. Whether you’re freelancing or working a day job it’s always nice to have another stream of income. Selling something like prints or greetings cards is fairly low risk as the minimum orders aren’t huge and they sell well. I recommend Printed.com. Doing craft markets is also a great way of making an income form your work and getting yourself out there.

8. Use social media

I can’t see why you wouldn’t want to utilise this amazing (free!) platform. Social media is a great way for clients to find you, as well as building an audience, interacting with like minded people, getting your work out there and finding a community. The platforms I get most work from is Instagram. As a highly visual platform it makes sense to use it was an illustrator. I also use  Pinterest, have a newsletter and I blog.

9. Keep your options open

When I first graduated with a degree in Illustration I thought I might do some drawings for greetings cards and magazines. I never imaged that I would draw live at big events, that I would teach hundreds of students brush lettering and watercolours, that I would be whisked off to France with Stylist Magazine and that I would write books. My career has developed in ways I could have never imagined. Be open to trying new things.

10. Don’t give up

To be honest the only person that can put an end to your dreams is you. Success never comes overnight. It takes years of hard work to build a career in the creative industries.