How to feel good as an illustrator

A monthly question answered by Illoguild

How to feel good as an illustrator

My first thought when I read the question of the month from Illoguild was..'when do I feel bad?' 

A lot of those negative emotions might stem from perceiving myself to not be making ‘enough progress’ in the areas of skillset vs taste or money.  (If these are even good measures to hold yourself against.)

So let's look at all the fun things you can do to keep the dream alive and moving forwards.

1. Keep a list of outcomes, rather than specific products because there are many ways to get to goal when it is written as..'be proficient enough with gouache to paint any realistic animal' rather than..'fill my portfolio with x number of peices from 20 different obscure angles'. The outcome is to master a skill and feel comfortable with the medium rather than fulfil a tedious and less than useful list. Make sure your outcomes are related to your 'Why' and if you don't yet know your 'Why'..keep reading. 

2. Count reading, writing, sewing, cooking, gardening and all of your other creative pursuits as a useful and valid path towards making better illustrations. In my mind it is different jigsaw pieces of the programme plan called 'transitioning to a creative career' and therefore I am also an artist when darning my socks and sowing vegetable seeds by the lunar calendar.

3. Don't just rely on likes and shares from social media but fill your cup with compliments from friends and family who already like, know and trust you and might say 'You are so talented', 'I would love a cushion printed in that repeat' or 'that series of work seemed your most authentic self'. I guarantee they mean it and these comments should be treasured. 

(3b. If a child you know tells someone else you are an artist, you have basically made it, as far as I am concerned. Make that child a gift and really manifest their joy on reciept of the gift. It will turn out to be your best work.)

4. Accept that turning up to your daily practice is the definition of success. Even if what you create that day is total pants (technical term). You will have learned something or let an emotion go. Lean in to bad drawings. I tend to cover them up with paint and go again and the paper doesn't feel wasted. Austin Kleon explains 'there is no finish line'. This is a way of life.

5. Reward yourself for completing hard tasks which have nothing to do with your ambition but are necessary evils. For example, each time I finish a non-creative 6 month work contract, I head straight to my favourite Stationers in London to buy beautiful Japanese printing paper and fine watercolour sheets. Sometimes it is a £5 purchase that says 'Good for you, now go and sketch for a few evenings'. 

6. Look back through all those sketchbooks and realise what a huge body of work you are collecting. Each year I count them up and create some stats. It feels great to make a list of all the steps taken over 12 months to get closer to goal. 

7. Talking of stats, I keep a weekly progress note on my phone every Monday. I do it for my paid work for The Management and started a similar exercise for MYOAS. It involves 3 bullet points...progress, planned and ah-ha's. They make for fascinating reading after 52 weeks. As Jane Austen wrote for Gwendolen in the Importance of Being Ernest ' I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train'.

8. Pay for a review… I like SCBWI. Even if it is harsh, you will likely come away with some gems and a new direction.  

9. Meet up with other artists in real life and if possible, take an in-person course. It could be pottery, weaving, screen printing, calligraphy or furniture restoration. It will all inform your process. This year I have booked tickets to the Bologna Book Fair and cannot wait to be immersed in all the possibility and enthusiasm. 

10. If you are an introvert, read or listen to a copy of 'Quiet'. It is rather validating and stems the voices of ‘Must’. Give yourself permission to create by the seasons and spend time being interospective. By the end of it you might just have found your ‘Why'.