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.
Read MoreI 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 the circumstances are are unique. I think my situation was certainly a little bit unusual!
Read MoreWhen 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. 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.
Read MoreI 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.
Read MoreSo many creative freelancers have relentless working practices that end up harming them mentally or physically. I was one of them. 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.
Read MoreWorking 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. Here are the reasons why I think it doesn't pay to work for free.
Read MoreOver 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.
Read MoreGraduation 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.
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