The Good Ship Illustration

Welcome to The Good Ship Illustration - the podcast for illustrators who are quietly working away in their sketchbooks thinking… “is it just me?”

…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)

🚢🚢🚢

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119 episodes
Updated July 10

Episodes119

Newest first

Dec 6, 2024 · 19 min
What should you tackle first!? Starting out as an illustrator.
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!?” 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.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Nov 29, 2024 · 29 min
What you workin' on, pal? A Good Ship Illustration chat.
Show Notes 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.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Nov 22, 2024 · 28 min
The burnout life raft (for when you're drowning in to-dos)
Show Notes 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.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Nov 15, 2024 · 19 min
What do illustrators DO all day? Featuring keep-fit cuppas, & coworking 🤓
Are you as nosy as we are? Weyyyy, you're in the right place. 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.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Oct 17, 2024 · 21 min
Should I have 2 websites?” + how many mailers until you see results?
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 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 thoughts p.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.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Oct 16, 2024 · 23 min
Get your illustration work noticed by people who actually want to buy it.
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.) **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.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Oct 15, 2024 · 17 min
Busy? How to handle multiple illustration projects like a pro.
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 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.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Oct 14, 2024 · 20 min
Pricing your illustration work 💸 & how to handle ghost-clients that disappear 👻 Bit of a scary episode. Sorry about that.
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!) 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 like a bit of help with quoting confidently, come and have a look at The Business Course. We’ve got a whole entire module dedicated to the money stuff (the practical bits *and* the mindset stuff.) https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/business Timestamps: 00:06 – Navigating pricing as an illustrator 01:00 – Negotiation tactics and client budgets 03:06 – Understanding the publishing world 10:55 – Dealing with clients ghosting you 14:52 – The Smeg Story 😆 and rejections 15:54 – Business systems and processes 19:37 – Final thoughts and one of our nice traditional awkward Good Ship goodbyes Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Apr 25, 2024 · 12 min
Figuring out your illustration style - how long does it take?
If you’d like to boost your illustration work and dig in to finding your creative voice, you’re in luck! 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.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Apr 24, 2024 · 10 min
Feeling stuck? Creative block be GONE!
This episode is chock full of our very toppest of tips for overcoming creative block. Buckle in 🙂 If you’d like to boost your illustration work and dig in to finding your creative voice, you’re in luck! 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.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Apr 23, 2024 · 11 min
Want to get your illustrations published? Here are Good Ship’s top tips
This episode is JUICY. Here’s a checklist of action items if you want to put it on your studio wall and get some more eyeballs on your work. Reach out to publishers directly by sending samples and requesting meetings to show your folio and get feedback Send out batches of samples at a time Follow up with publishers by sending new samples every 3 months Research publisher websites and publications like The Writer and Artist Yearbook to find calls for submissions that match work Ask other illustrators for recommendations on who provides constructive portfolio reviews (not all portfolio reviews are created equal!) Consider sending thumbnail sketches and illustration samples in addition to dummy books for feedback from publishers If you’d like to boost your illustration work and dig in to finding your creative voice, you’re in luck! 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.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Apr 22, 2024 · 18 min
How to describe your illustration style
In this episode we dig into some juicy questions about describing your own work (aaaargh!) marketing, authenticity, and using your past to find your creative voice. 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.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Mar 29, 2024 · 31 min
Surviving Bologna Children's Book Fair with The Good Ship Illustration
Planning a visit to Bologna Children's Book Fair this year? You're in luck. Our Helen has made you this INCREDIBLE PDF document to accompany this podcast audio guide to the fair. What else is inside the downloadable guide? A Good Ship Illustration lanyard to print out if you'd like to fly your Good Ship Illustration flag and help fellow Good Ship pals spot you while you're wandering around the fair! Details on when and where we're holding our first ever Good Ship Illustration meet up The must-haves you don't want to forget in your Bologna bag (blister plasters, anyone?) If you're going to the fair, we'd LOVE to see you there. Keep an eye out for us! Grab your free guide and lanyard here and read about the meet up dates etc. https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/bologna ✨✨✨✨✨ Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Nov 17, 2023 · 25 min
Picture book Q&A QUICK FIRE 🔥 | Picture book mini series episode #5
Pssst, if you like this, you'll LOVE our course The Picture Book Course. Climb aboard now while you still can - the doors are closing in a few hours. BE QUICK! https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/PB In this episode we answer a zillion of your brilliant picture book questions. Here's a summary of the key takeaways: Finding stories to illustrate Publishers, and how they pair up writers and illustrators Tips for working with authors How picture book publishers work in general Some live event illustration tips from Katie TIP: When pitching ideas to publishers, don't submit a fully illustrated book. Instead, submit a couple of double-page spreads, and some character development sketches. ANOTHER TIP: When you're just starting out in your illustration career, you can get your work under publishers' noses by creating a digital portfolio and using social media (eg Instagram). Make the most of hashtags and connect with fellow illustrators and publishers in the industry. You never know who's watching! Read all about the Picture Book Course here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/PB Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Nov 16, 2023 · 21 min
Self publishing...is it a scam!? + what dimensions should I make my picture book? | Picture Book mini series episode #4
In this episode of the picture book mini series, we're answering some of your MOST JUICY questions all about: Self-publishing - is it a scam? The correct dimensions for your picture book Invoicing and contracts in the picture book industry. It's all the nitty gritty stuff. We love it! Doors are closing really soon. If you'd like to join The Picture Book Course, now's your time! Here it is: thegoodshipillustration.com/PB Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Nov 15, 2023 · 23 min
How to run AMAZIN' school visits with your picture book | | Picture Book mini series episode #3
Did you know, the doors to our course The Picture Book Course are now open? Come on in! We'd love to have you sailing with us. Read all about it here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/PB What are the big secrets behind successful school visits and events? In this episode, Katie and Tania grill Helen on all the insider bits and VOILA. We talked about Setting boundaries when doing school visits How to structure your time The TOPPEST OF THE TOP TIPS to help children remember your name and connect with you as an author. Being clear about your needs when doing author visits and book festivals. Alternatives to in-person visits. p.s. Tonight over on Instagram we're doing a live Q&A call. This is the best way to get your questions answered on the spot by Helen (Katie will be there too, and Tania is manning the comments/chat box thingie.) See ya there! x Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Nov 14, 2023 · 20 min
Juggling *life* while also creating picture books | Picture Book mini series episode #2
In this episide of The Good Ship Illustration, we share juggling skills. Whether you're juggling babies, mental health, or just... life stuff, hopefully some of these can help! EXCITING NEWS: The Picture Book Course is open right now! Click here to read all about it ---> https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/PB And you can sign up for the Character Workshop here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/cw See ya there! x Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Nov 13, 2023 · 15 min
Can you make a living as a picture book illustrator? | Picture Book mini series episode #1
In this episode of The Good Ship Illustration podcast, we talk all about making a living as a children's book illustrator. EXCITING NEWS: the doors to The Picture Book Course are open right now!! Go go go: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/PB We're running a character workshop on Zoom. You can sign up for it here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/cw (it's free!) AND Our live Q&A is happening on Instagram at 7pm (UK time) on Wednesday. We're @theGoodShipIllustration on Insta. See you there! Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Sep 15, 2023 · 9 min
PANIIIIIC! (or don't...) 🚢 | Find Your Creative Voice Mini-Series #5
The pressure's off; there are no fancy art materials here, and our golden rule is no panicking. Start where you are, use what you have. Be kind to yourself. Today we're wrapping up our 5-part adventure. Thank you SO MUCH for listening along. If you've joined the course, we'll see you in there!! We can't wait to see you discover your creative voice. Also, Art Club is on this Friday if you fancy some stress-free drawing time. It's over on Instagram. ---------- WELCOME to the final part in our 5-part mini-series, all about finding your creative voice. This week we're dropping one episode a day, where we tackle that ol' chestnut: how to find your creative voice. We've answered questions and created actionable steps for each episode. Want a fillable workbook? YOU'RE IN LUCK! We've made one for you to download here. https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/workbook p.s. The doors to our 8-week online course Find Your Creative Voice: Fly Your Freak Flag are now open. We'd love to have you sailing with us. Read all about it here. Doors close for this live round on the 15th of September 2023 and we are STRICT. Don't miss the boat! Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Sep 14, 2023 · 11 min
Play, OR ELSE 🚢 | Find Your Creative Voice Mini-Series #4
How do you get over the fear of starting a new illustration? In this installment of our mini-series we talk all about overcoming procrastination and fear of the blank page. WELCOME to our 5-part mini-series, all about finding your creative voice. This week we're dropping one episode a day, where we tackle that ol' chestnut: how to find your creative voice. We've answered questions, and created actionable steps for each episode. Want a fillable workbook? YOU'RE IN LUCK! We've made one for you to download here. https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/workbook p.s. The doors to our 8-week online course Find Your Creative Voice: Fly Your Freak Flag are now open. We'd love to have you sailing with us. Read all about it here. Doors close for this live round on the 15th of September 2023 and we are STRICT. Don't miss the boat! Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙