Deadlines... yeah yeah yeahhh, but what about doing illustration stuff just for YOU!?
This week we chat about squishing in personal projects when client work always feels much more urgent.

We are gathering ourselves after a very exciting Illustration Business Club launch.

Phew! Definitely time for fun non-worky projects around here.

(Rough) Timestamps if you want to skip to a certain bit

• 00:00 Question: “How do you make time for personal artwork?”
• 01:00 Why deadlines are easier than self-led projects
• 02:00 Fine art drive vs. illustration mindset
• 03:00 Projects we have managed to finish (and why)
• 05:00 Creativity that doesn’t look like ‘work’
• 07:00 You’re probably doing more than you realise
• 08:00 The power of art clubs + sketching friends
• 09:00 Big projects that turn into ‘scratch records’
• 10:00 Permission to make things simple (or stop entirely)
• 12:00 Sorting hat trick for choosing ideas
• 14:00 Productivity
• 16:00 Parking ideas and bullet journaling
• 18:00 Craft supplies, hoarding, and deferring projects
• 20:00 New paints, new studios, more art clubs
• 21:00 Psssst...you’re probably already doing more than you think

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 🎙

First things first, DOORS CLOSE TONIGHT! We start on Monday.

https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/business

Be lovely to see you in there.

Psssst, this is the lowest the price will ever be, and we're not opening the doors again until September 2026.

🚢🚢🚢

Right. Podcast shownotes.

Yes. Where were we?

Here's a very quick lesson on copyright and licensing before you listen to this episode 🤓

Copyright = you own the work.
Licence = permission your client buys to use the work in specific ways (where, how long, which media, exclusive or not).

Ok, lesson's over. Thanks for coming.

If you'd like to earn more without drawing more, then keep your copyright, license the usage, and price it properly.

It's juicy, not boring. We promise!

Timestamps, if you want to skip ahead to a certain bit

• 00:00 Why giving away copyright is a no-go
• 01:00 Licence basics you can actually use
• 02:30 Picture books: advances, royalties, reversions
• 04:30 Foreign rights & special sales (how the money flows)
• 06:30 Trust, statements, and chasing missing royalties
• 07:30 Licensing agents & exclusivity windows
• 09:00 Advertising uses: above/below the line (cost jumps)
• 10:30 Building a simple “menu” clients can pick from
• 12:00 Case study: the map that earned double via licensing
• 14:00 Live illustration: online use vs print/murals
• 16:30 Excluding branding/merch in your standard licence
• 18:00 Merch options: flat fee vs % royalty
• 20:00 Originals, ownership, and cautionary tales
• 22:00 Why this stuff makes your work pay better

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 🎙

🌎✏️ The Illustrator’s Income Atlas - exciting free workshop announcement!
🗓️ 24th Sept | ⏰ 1pm UK | 📍 Online
Let's sit down together and map out your illustration income. You'll leave with a plan (a map, woohooo) you can stick on your wall and use.
Save your spot and SIGN UP HERE!

https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/atlas

Ok, on with the shownotes 🤓

We’ve taken our Business Course, given it a fresh lick of paint, and made it eeeeven more fun.

It's now called Illustration Business Club...

And the doors open tonight! (19th September 2025).

You don't need your shoulderpads. Just bring yourself and a bit of an open mind to learn how the money-and-business side of illustration works.

In this episode, we talk a bit about why we’re saying goodbye to the word “course” and what this shiny new Illustration Business Club is gonna look like. You're in for a treat - it’s eeeven better.

By the way, if you're already in the Business Course, you don't need to do anything. You'll be inside Illustration Business Club automagically.

Phew!

• Lifetime access
• Community perks: private Facebook group + co-working every 2 weeks
• Nice open chats about pricing, clients, and fees

It'd be lovely to see you in there!

Timestamps, for our timestamp fans.

• 00:00 Big news: the Business Course has changed
• 01:00 Why “club” feels right (and way more fun)
• 02:00 All modules unlocked: learn at your pace
• 03:00 Community: private group + live calls
• 04:00 What art school didn’t teach you
• 05:00 Honest conversations about money + fees
• 06:00 Adding new income streams
• 07:00 Pricing insights: Katie & Helen’s two perspectives
• 08:00 Guest interviews + insider knowledge
• 08:30 Bonus: live Q&A with copyright lawyers
• 09:00 How to join the Illustration Business Club
  
  

Links mentioned

• Join the Illustration Business Club HERE
• Sign up for our free income workshop HERE
• Come and be our Instagram pals HERE

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 🎙

🌎✏️ The Illustrator’s Income Atlas - exciting free workshop announcement!
🗓️ 24th Sept | ⏰ 1pm UK | 📍 Online
Let's sit down together and map out your illustration income. You'll leave with a plan (a map, woohooo) you can stick on your wall and use.
Save your spot and SIGN UP HERE!

https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/atlas

Ok, on with the shownotes 🤓

Why we secretly love working alone (almost all the time)

This week we got a good question from an anonymous listener 'how do I deal with loneliness when working from home?'

Sometimes we love it, sometimes we do not 😅

In this episode we talk about:

• Why lots of us illustrators prefer working solo… sometimes
• Shared studios vs. doors-that-close
• Headphones, boundaries, and avoiding “being watched” energy
• Partner-as-studio-mates 👀 Can it work?
• Using Zoom to humanise client relationships
• Instagram as a “virtual kitchen”
• Local micro-communities, Good Ship meet-ups, and regular check-ins
• Assuming positive intent ❤️

Rough timestamps, for people who like that sort of thing

00:00 Anonymous listener Q: “How do I deal with loneliness working from home?”
01:00 Tania’s Hong Kong years: craving team vibes
02:30 Partners in the studio: the headphone solution
04:00 Open-plan offices, self-consciousness, and wiggly energy
05:30 The magic of a shut-the-door studio
06:30 Home distractions vs. helpful pottering
07:30 The dream setup: close to home, small, warm, tree view
09:00 Commit to the space: move the “big computer”
10:00 Cloud storage and keeping work in one place
10:30 Instagram as water cooler… or a brain sponge
11:30 Real-world chats that top up your social tank
12:30 Online threads that turn into real communities over time
13:30 Good Ship meet-ups: sketches groups and weekly Zooms
15:00 Why creativity needs privacy and no-one-is-watching energy
16:00 Lonely… but nice lonely (with planned people bits)
16:30 Zoom with clients to reduce email-anxiety and “they hate it” spirals
18:00 How to write and receive feedback without spiralling
19:00 The rule that saves sanity: assume positive intent
20:00 Quick answers: studios with doors, small communities, kinder stories

Byeee for now. Let us know if you're coming to the workshop. WE ARE SO EXCITED!! Here's the link again in case you missed it:

https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/atlas

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 🎙

Which course should I do? 🎨📚

We get asked this aaall the time: “Do I start with the Picture Book Course, Fly Your Freak Flag, or the Business Course?”

There is no wrong order.

Right now the Business Course isn’t open, but…
✨ The Illustration Business Club (our shiny new name for it) opens for enrolment on the 19th of September!

We almost dropped the word “business” because we thought it might put illustrators off. When we asked our students though, the answer was a big NO. That word was exactly what motivated them to jump in and learn the nuts and bolts of building a creative career they love (and get paid for).

Hooray! 🎉

In this episode, we chat through how to know which course might be the best place for YOU to start, and how to avoid getting stuck in analysis-mode worrying about making the wrong choice.

Here’s what we cover:

• How to know if you have found your creative voice yet
• Consistency = a magic ingredient for picture book characters
• When does it make sense to start with Fly Your Freak Flag?
• ...or dive straight into the Picture Book Course
• Our creative car vs business car analogy 🚗 🤓
• Why the Business Course tends to work best after Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag
• Freebies you can try if you're just not sure (Childhood Illustrated, the Colour Workshop, our Character Workshop and more)
• The veeeery high-tech decision tree that makes the which-course-should-I-do choice for you 😆

Timestamps
00:00 – The big question: Which course first?
01:00 – Do you know your creative voice?
02:15 – Why consistency matters in picture books
03:00 – Picture Book vs Freak Flag (gut instinct wins)
04:30 – The Business Course (and why not to mix it in too soon)
05:30 – Creative car vs business car analogy
07:00 – What to do if you are not ready yet (hello freebies)
08:30 – The one-hour live illustration masterclass
09:00 – Our decision tree

Links and goodies mentioned

• Find Your Creative Voice – Fly Your Freak Flag
• The Picture Book Course
• The Business Course
• Freebies Page
  (it's a long. Grab a cuppa.)
• Live Illustration Masterclass
• Art Club on Instagram - we're @thegoodshipillustration
  
  

Byeeee for now!

x 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 🎙

Pssst, this episode was originally published in 2023 and we’re sharing it again as part of our Good Ship Summer Camp series. It’s one of five episodes to help you fly your freak flag this summer. If you’d like to join in properly, there’s a free workbook an' everything!

You can download the workbook here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/workbook

Riiiight, pack up your art supplies. It’s the final week of our pretend Good Ship Summer Camp.

This week's topic is panic. Mmmmm. Our favourite. (How to stop doing it.)

In this episode:

• Why “no panicking” is our golden rule here at the Good Ship Illustration
• Part-time jobs, anti-desperation energy, and creative freedom
• Cat metaphors, war artist fantasies, and business meetings 🐈‍⬛
• Why shouting at yourself doesn’t work
• Cheesy notes vs reverse psychology for calming down
• Creativity and nervous systems (and when to just lie on the floor)
• Finding your pace, your people, and your process

Want to join in?
Download the free Summer Camp workbook here

Timestamps:
0:00 – Welcome to week 5: no panicking allowed
1:18 – You can’t force creative growth (sorry)
3:01 – Part-time jobs = creative freedom
4:08 – Don’t fill your portfolio with jobs you don’t want more of
5:05 – Recap of all 5 creative steps
5:44 – Why being kind to yourself actually works
6:06 – Walks, breaks, and giving your brain a breather
7:13 – Live deadlines vs long deadlines
8:03 – Katie's war artist career plan (sort of)
8:31 – Action step: write a cheesy note or one to rebel against
9:18 – Course doors closing soon – but no pressure
9:41 – Byeeeee from Summer Camp!

Links mentioned:
📖 Download the free Summer Camp workbook
📚 Find Your Creative Voice – Fly Your Freak Flag course
🎧 Watch an Art Club on Instagram
📺 Watch Art Clubs on YouTube

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 🎙

Pssst, this episode was originally published in 2023 and we’re sharing it again as part of our Good Ship Summer Camp series. It’s one of five episodes to help you fly your freak flag this summer. If you’d like to join in properly, there’s a free workbook an' everything!

You can download the workbook here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/workbook

Feeling stuck? Procrastinating wildly? Hiyaaa this week's episode is for you.

PLAY!! It’s not optional. It can trick you into making your best work, and we are going to show you how to sneak it into your creative routine (even when you’re hiding from your sketchbook).

In this episode:

• Why play isn’t just fluff, it’s a very necessary illustration fuel
• Sneaky ways to outsmart your inner procrastinator
• Fake deadlines
• Making up your own artist residency (Tania-style)
• Colour workshops, art clubs, and triple reverse psychology
• Getting into “the zone” via flags, bush digging, or hot chocolate
• One treat per timer session 🍫

Want to join in with our summer camp?
Download the free workbook here

Timestamps:
0:00 – Welcome to Day 4: Play, or else!
1:09 – Why play is the secret sauce for good work
3:04 – Fear of starting and how to ease into it
4:15 – Urgency, novelty, and fake deadlines
5:16 – Tania’s Barcelona residency (ahem, made-up)
6:09 – Playing with colour: the colour workshop 🎨
6:42 – Being kind to yourself vs bullying yourself into work
7:08 – Treats, timers, and starting small
8:12 – Getting into the zone (flags, bush digging, Blindboy)
9:31 – Action step: do an art club session with us!
10:22 – Course doors close soon + one-to-one feedback info
11:04 – Last episode of the series tomorrow!

Links mentioned:
📖 Download the free workbook
🎨 The Colour Workshop (free)
🎧 Watch an Art Club on Instagram
📺 Watch Art Clubs on YouTube
📚 Find Your Creative Voice – Fly Your Freak Flag course Doors are open right now! Come on iiiiin! Be lovely to have you sailing with us.
🎧 Blindboy Podcast

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 🎙

Pssst, this episode was originally published in 2023 and we’re sharing it again as part of our Good Ship Summer Camp series. It’s one of five episodes to help you fly your freak flag this summer. If you’d like to join in properly, there’s a free workbook an' everything!

You can download the workbook here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/workbook

Feeling a bit wobbly about your work? You’re not alone. In fact, you’re very much in the club.

In today’s episode, we’re talking about confidence – or the lack of it – and how community, creative voice, and good pals can make all the difference.

In this episode:

• The niggly voice that says you’re not good enough (blergh)
• Why working alone is tough and how community helps
• Creative confidence vs comparison doom scrolls
• Why finding your voice removes the pressure to compete
• Helen’s career pivot from baby books to bold new work
• The bravery of letting your work be fast, weird and you
• How to connect with fellow illustrators online (without being creepy)

Want to join in with us?
Download the free workbook here

Timestamps:
0:00 – Hello and welcome to *week* 3!
1:19 – “My work isn’t good enough” – how to quiet the voice
2:19 – Community builds confidence (and sanity)
4:32 – Competition, scarcity mindset, and the Bologna Book Fair
5:30 – Other illustrators are as important as art directors
6:17 – Instagram friendships + the power of being visible
8:37 – What if your style no longer fits who you are?
10:40 – Making a big change in your work (Helen’s story)
13:47 – Why clients want you, not just polish
15:38 – Pricing confidence + permission to go fast
17:23 – You don’t need to draw everything, just the right thing
18:11 – How to connect with other illustrators online
19:19 – A Pia Bramley fangirl moment ❤️
20:00 – Our community (Facebook group, art club, and course space)
20:56 – Your action step: Make illustrator friends, not competitors

Links mentioned:
📖 Download the free Summer Camp workbook
🖥️ Sketchbooker’s Friend Facebook Group - the free group is no longer active (you get ushered into a secret students-only group when you join any of our courses), but we do still have a Facebook page! And we love hanging out on Instagram.
📚 Our course: Find Your Creative Voice – Fly Your Freak Flag
🖋 Pia Bramley on Instagram
🎨 Molly Fairhurst on Instagram

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 🎙