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 😅.

*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.com

p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

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.

xx 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.com

p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

BE MORE WONKY

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.com

p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

Where does she go? What happens in there?

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)
– Boundaries

Timestamps, 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.com

p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

Errrr, how do you find illustration work in 2025? Pitching? Instagram? Postcards? SEO?

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.com

p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

Hiya. This week’s episode of The Good Ship Illustration podcast is all about artist residencies... illustrators are allowed to go on them too!

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.com

p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

Today’s a biiiig day... the doors to our Live Illustration Course are closing tonight!

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 yourself

p.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?

1. This is the lowest price it will ever be - we're doing a special price for this first ever live round of the course
2. You get lifetime access
3. 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.thegoodshipillustration.com/lic

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 🎙

This week’s podcast question is from Annabelle:

“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 list
• Freelancer’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 Illustration

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 🎙