This week we're dragging ourselves away from our hypothetical gardens and custom urn businesses (lol) to have a proper sofa-chat about the big question: what would you do if you weren't an illustrator?

Specifically: Is your identity too wrapped up in your work? What happens when things go quiet on the work front?

COMMUNITY IS MAGIC. 

That is all. 

Happy listening.

p.s. Salty Dog & Pals (Helen & Katie's new picture book) is now available to pre-order and will be in shops from May. To say thank you, all pre-orders get access to a picture book MASTERCLASS. 

You can sign up for your free picture book masterclass here: 

https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/salty-dog-and-pals-the-storm-other-stories

It's instant access, so no need to wait.

(And if you've already pre-ordered, thank you!)

Rough timestamps for our timestamp-fans:

00:00 – What would you do if you weren't an illustrator? 

01:00 – Tania's custom urn business plan (trademark pending) 

03:00 – Katie's nanny agency pivot 

05:00 – The famine panic spiral ("day three with no enquiries: my life is over") 

06:00 – Identity and rejection: when your work IS you 

08:00 – Service illustration vs the author-illustrator beast 

10:00 – Picture book advances, royalties + why multiple income streams matter 

12:00 – Artist dates and keeping your ideas fed 

15:00 – The real deal: what makes author-illustration different 

16:00 – Katie & Helen's picture book Salty Dog & Pals (!!!) + the Walker Books Irish jig 

18:00 – Live illustration: when the job you loved becomes just a job 

20:00 – Community as salvation 

22:00 – Good Ship origin story + the Christmas fair era 

24:00 – Isolation is corrosive (and what to do about it) 

25:00 – Finding your people: local groups, Instagram communities + Pencils on Toast

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 🎙