The Good Ship Illustration

This week, our Katie is chatting to Carys Wright - a London-based writer and illustrator, hardcore Good Shipper, and all-round excellent example of what can happen when you follow the creative thread, even if your path looks a bit wiggly.Carys went from acting and theatre into illustration, and we chat about how sketchbooking helped her find her creative voice, and what it’s looked like to keep building an illustration career alongside marketing work and baby. (No mean feat!)There’s chat about markets, picture books, digital vs traditional materials and finding your way back to your own weirdness. Mmmm.Timestamps, for the timestamp fans:00:00 – Intro to Carys Wright and her creative journey so far02:00 – Sketchbooks, childhood drawing, and getting back into a regular practice04:30 – From acting and theatre to illustration07:30 – Lockdown, Fly Your Freak Flag, and following the drawing thread properly09:00 – Early illustration jobs, theatre clients, and picture book ambitions10:30 – Mentoring, competitions, and building confidence through deadlines11:30 – Illustrating her first book for the Lord Mayor of London12:30 – Motherhood, maternity leave, and drawing with a baby in the background16:00 – Portfolios, perfectionism, and letting things evolve18:00 – Staying connected to your weirdness while doing client work19:30 – Digital tools, Procreate, and not panicking about how you make the work23:00 – Opening an online shop, doing markets, and live portraits26:00 – Other ways illustrators can work, from events to corporate projects28:00 – AI, humanity, and why weird human imagination still matters30:30 – Wearing lots of creative hats and letting your interests overlap33:00 – Coming to illustration later can actually be a strength35:00 – It’s not too late, you’re not behind, and yes, you should still startLinks mentioned:Carys’ website: https://www.caryswright.com/Carys on Instagram: @carys_adventures_with_a_penCarys’ Substack, Adventures with a Pen: https://adventureswithapen.substack.com/Byeeee for now!x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)p.s. Want to find your creative voice too? Come and fly your freak flag with Good Ship. We'd love to have you sailing with us! Read all about the course here.Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

Nobody is born knowing how to pitch.(Katie here) I've been known to pitch once, hear nothing, and decide 'Oh well. Never mind.' Then never reach out ever again. 😅So you can imagine my SHOCK and INCREDULITY (is that a word?) when Kira told me that she will reach out 7 times to a brand before giving up. Whaaaaaat!?Kira Matthews (aka Kira the Bold), is like confidence in a bottle. She's mastered pitching and landing work with names like Squarespace, Ganni, and lots more. If contacting publishers and/or potential clients makes you do a little bit of sick in your mouth, this episode will definitely help! At the very least you'll feel inspired to send more than one follow up email.In this episode, we chat about:What to do when the work… just stops coming inWhy pitching can feel so scaryThe real reason people don’t hear back. (And nooo, it’s not because they hate you)Why one email is basically just saying helloHow to follow up without being annoying (or feeling like you are)Timestamps:00:00 Meet Kira (Queen of Pitching 👑)01:00 From fashion styling to building a business02:00 When the work disappeared… and what she did next03:00 Learning to pitch (while still being terrified)05:00 Fear doesn’t go away. You just get used to it06:00 The 3-year journey to landing Squarespace08:00 Why most people give up after one email09:00 The stories we tell ourselves about rejection10:00 Why you need to follow up (a lot more than you think)11:00 How to make each email actually count12:00 Applying this to illustration and getting your work seen13:00 Inside Kira’s talent agency experiment15:00 Why smaller creatives need to pitch more, not less17:00 Agents, money, and what’s really going on behind the scenes19:00 Why agents aren’t a magic solution20:00 Sales: the bit everyone wants to avoid23:00 Why follow-up feels rude (but isn’t)24:00 Rejection challenges and building resilience26:00 Rejection = start of the conversation28:00 Momentum, energy, and creating your own opportunities30:00 The actions that actually lead to results31:00 Telling people what you do (important!!)32:00 Katie’s rejection challenge story34:00 Auditing your time and what’s worth it35:00 Kira’s final pep talkLinks & stuff wot we mentionedKira’s website: https://www.kiramatthews.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirathebold/Weekly pitch tips newsletter: https://kirathebold.myflodesk.com/m0elc4qip7The Good Ship Illustration https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/freebies Byeeee for now!x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

This week we're pulling up a chair at Helen's kitchen table to finally spill the beans on Salty. Salty Dog and Pals is the book that started as The Picture Book Course branding and somehow ended up as a 2-book deal with Walker Books.The big question: How do you write a zillion short stories with your pal in 10 sessions flat?We chat about the origins of Salty (and which printmaker Bernard the duck is named after), the brilliant questions from the editors at Walker Books, why Kitty is basically Tania 😆, and the Nissen Hut story that didn't make it into the final draft no matter how hard we trieeed!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-storiesIt'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 – Where did Salty Dog come from? 01:00 – From course mascot to Walker Books character 03:00 – Bernard the duck, and colour palette chat 05:00 – The thumbnail template that started it all 07:00 – The Jarvis format: not a picture book, not a chapter book 09:00 – Writing at the kitchen table: how it worked 11:00 – The Walker Books character questionnaire (we read it out) 13:00 – Who is Bernard, really? (William Hanson + Cameron) 15:00 – Kitty is Tania (reckless, chaotic, beloved) 17:00 – Lindisfarne, upturned boats + Helen's grandparents' Nissan Hut 20:00 – The story that was too violent to make it in 22:00 – Titles first, stories second 24:00 – What the editors actually did (magic, basically) 26:00 – Procreate vs paper + the cover saga 28:00 – Pre-order Salty Dog and Pals + free masterclass! (You can sign up for your free picture book masterclass here.)Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

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-storiesIt'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 ToastCome and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

This week we’re wrapped up in some blankets havin' a proper sofa-chat about Instagram.Specificallyyyy:Should your Instagram be your portfolio?What's the difference between a snazzy website folio and the mad addictive world of social media? We also get into showing your human face, illustrators following illustrators, AI-era credibility, and why you absolutely do not owe the algorithm/tech bros your nervous system.Rough timestamps for our timestamp-fans: 00:00 – Blankets 01:00 – Instagram as a folio: should it be? 03:00 – The golden algorithm years (remember those?) 05:00 – You don’t own Instagram 06:30 – Portfolio pressure vs social sharing 08:00 – The 360° artist: personality, process + presence 10:00 – AI, visibility + being human 12:00 – Showing your face. Do it! 14:00 – Content creator burnout (no fanks) 16:00 – “Held hostage by consistency” rebellion 18:00 – Who is Instagram actually for? 20:00 – Community vs clients 22:00 – Annuals, competitions + the old-school ways 24:00 – Bologna Book Fair chat 26:00 – Books as permanent portfolios 28:00 – Sales pages vs old-school static folios 30:00 – Final takeaway: use Instagram, don’t let it use youCome and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

This week we roll headfirst into the interestin' world of aphantasia.It all started with conversations inside Find Your Creative Voice and The Picture Book Course - when Good Shippers were telling us, “I can’t see ANYTHING in my head.” Which sent us down a rabbit hole of aphantasia, imagination. And does everyone experience it the same way?Nope.In this episode, we chat about:What aphantasia isThe “apple test” 🍎Emotional memory vs visual memoryWhy some creatives need reference and others work 100% from imaginationWhether Google has made our “mind palace” lazyNot being able to picture things can be a creative advantage. We promise.Smells, textures, music and sensory imaginationSynesthesia (colours for days of the week?)Why your wobbly memory-bike drawing might be better than a perfect diagramHow imagination changes from childhood to adulthoodBlind drawing experiments we neeeeed to try at Art ClubTimestamps for our timestamp fans00:00 – Elephantasia? Aphantasia? However you say it…02:00 – The apple spectrum and vivid vs blank imagery03:00 – Reading fiction without mental pictures05:00 – Emotional memory and creepy seaside steps07:00 – Mental collage vs drawing from scratch10:00 – Drawing bikes from memory11:00 – Why aphantasia might make you a better designer14:00 – Idioms, haystacks and giant bears16:00 – Smells, lemons and sensory imagination17:30 – Synesthesia and coloured weekdays20:00 – Wolves, dreams and Google as reference23:00 – Teenage bedrooms and peak memory moments25:00 – Is creativity in your head or your hands?28:00 – Blind Art Club challenge incoming 👀What about you?Can you see the shiny apple? Or is it more of a murky apple-shaped idea?We’d genuinely love to know. Come over to Instagram and tell us how your brain works. We're nosy.Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

Permission to play can change EVERYTHING!This week we’re chatting to Anna Mac - artist, printmaker, illustrator, product designer, sleep counsellor, mum of twins, and hardcore Good Shipper who's been sailing with us since 2020.In this episode, we talk about scenic creative routes, why permission to play can change everything, creative voice vs paying the bills, and why sometimes felting a jumper is juuuust what your brain needs.Rough timestamps for our timestamp-fans:00:00 – Intro + course news01:00 – Anna’s background: fine art, printmaking + retail product design03:00 – Social work → creative rediscovery05:00 – Sweden influence + graphic print inspiration06:00 – Lockdown pivot + 100 day project energy07:00 – Finding creative voice even when you’re already “successful”09:00 – Taste is everywhere (home, clothes, environment)11:00 – Confidence, feedback and trusting your own eye13:00 – Agent life + picture book submissions14:00 – Balancing creativity, family life and part-time sleep counselling16:00 – Creative hobbies that are just for you17:00 – Creativity as a way of being (Rick Rubin chat)19:00 – Personal manifestos vs New Year’s resolutions21:00 – Listening to your gut when making work23:00 – Journalling + morning pages (ish, not perfectly)25:00 – Visual diaries and recording life through drawing27:00 – Stories we tell ourselves about who gets to be creative28:00 – Rejection collections + persistence mindset30:00 – Rejection rituals (tea, brownie, gallery trip recommended)31:00 – Creative voice is never “finished”32:00 – Lifetime access + coming back to learning later in lifeStuff mentioned:Anna's website - www.annamacstudio.com Anna's Instagram - @annamacstudioFind Your Creative Voice: Fly Your Freak Flag courseThe Artist’s Way – Julia CameronThe Creative Act – Rick RubinGood Ship Illustration Monthly Numbers Tracker (freebie) - To help you keep on top of your monthly numbers and track progress in your creative career.Byeeee for now!x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Anna is an illustrator who works from her home studio in Perthshire, Scotland.She has a background in fine art and printmaking and spent several years creating design-led product collections for the retail market. Client commissions included heritage retailers and international buyers, and her work has sold in shops and galleries in the UK and abroad.Anna combines printmaking techniques, drawing and collage to produce her work, with a focus on children’s illustration. Anna also loves to work with lino, and she uses this approach to create prints and book covers.Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

Here's the audio replay from our AI workshop last week. There are slides too - the full replay with slides is available to watch HERE (but it goes away today. We're putting the workshop inside Find Your Creative Voice: Fly Your Freak Flag.) There's a PDF handout to download there too. Go grab it before it disappears!https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/aiworkshop The audio isn't perfect, but neither are we 😅🚢 In this episode we cover:Why brands are craving human-made work more than everThe weird, wonky human stuff AI can’t copyCopyright, licensing, and why clients still need real illustratorsHow your life experiences = your creative advantagePrompts to help you find your “brain treasure” ideasWhat you *can* controlTimestamps00:00 Workshop intro + why everyone is panicking about AI 01:00 The good news 04:00 Why companies still need human illustrators 07:00 The “AI ick” and why audiences can feel it too 10:00 The power of personal voice and life experience 12:00 Human prompts to help you mine your own ideas 15:00 Anti-AI backlash in branding and marketing 17:00 Obsessions, hobbies, and niche interests = creative gold 20:00 Why we don’t teach “house style” illustration 23:00 Copyright, campaigns, and protecting creators 26:00 How AI is (and isn’t) affecting different illustration fields 29:00 Advice for grads and early career illustrators 32:00 Radical incrementalism and not fixing everything at once 35:00 Finding community without spending loadsLinks & things mentionedJustice for Creators campaign (their AI report is on there too)Association of Illustrators resourcesCreative Lives in ProgressGood Ship Art Club + freebiesOur full AI workshop replayAaand last but not least... Find your creative voice!Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag - a shiny new live round begins on Monday the 16th Feb. When you join on or before Valentine's Day, our gift to you = an instant download of our mock briefs PDF so you can start your portfolio building straight away, no faffing about and waiting. Read all about it here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/freakflag Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

Pssst, while you're here... On Tuesday 10th February 2026 we're running a live workshop! https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/aiworkshop Standing out in a sea of robots: being an illustrator when AI is everywhereThis workshop's perfect for you if you:Call yourself an illustrator, image-maker (or want to)Feel a bit wobbly about AI and what it means for your style and creative workWant to stand out in a sea of slop Know you're brilliant, but struggle to articulate what makes you differentAre ready to stop worrying and start being more unapologetically YOU.Let’s get weirder, eh? 🤖------------------------------------OK! On with the show(notes)!"Unfortunately, I was good at maths."-Tara Tayyebi FardTara is a Persian illustrator, humorist, architect and violinist currently based in Belgium.She grew up reading stories, playing music, keeping a stack of diaries, and offending people by drawing them all fat.Tara spent most of her adult life studying and working in architecture, and has been whining about it ever since. She now holds a masters degree from Amsterdam School of Art, which she happily keeps in the depths of her wardrobe.In 2023, Tara jumped aboard the Good Ship Illustration, rediscovered her love for drawing and gradually started her career as an illustrator. Two years later, she signed with her agent, Lucie at Luddington Creative; working on picture books, doing commissions, live event illustration and making personal work.Tara pivoted to a career in illustration after 10 years of being an architect.In this episode, we chat to Good Shipper Tara about finding her creative voice, why being properly herself is what led to her dream clients, why being unsuccessful can be weirdly freeing, aaaaand **deep breath** how consistency and creative jealousy can be big flashing neon signs to help you figure out what you DO want to do.Rough timestamps for our timestamp-fans:00:00 – Intro + free workshop mention02:00 – Architecture → illustration pivot moment05:00 – Childhood clues + diaries + sketchbooks08:00 – Being annoyed = excellent character research09:00 – 60 weeks of Substack and what that builds10:00 – Illustration loneliness vs illustration community reality12:00 – Making work when the world feels a bit bleak14:00 – Commission hamster wheel vs personal work15:00 – Dream clients happen when you show your actual personality17:00 – The “what you love / what you’re good at / what pays” overlap19:00 – Planning for creative brains (menus > rigid schedules)23:00 – Creative jealousy = useful information, not failure26:00 – The regret test (8-year-old you vs 80-year-old you)27:00 – Can illustrators make money? Also: you can be bad at any career 😌Stuff mentioned:Tara's Substack: https://substack.com/@tarastimeout Tara's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tara.tekentafel Tara's website: https://www.taratayyebifard.com/Good Ship Illustration Monthly Numbers Tracker (freebie) Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

Are you joining in with #WalktoSee?In this episode, we chat about how our Helen's hashtag Walk to See started, how it works, (there are basically no rules 😆), and why monthly prompts are muuch gentler on the brain/energy levels than daily prompts.In this episode: 00:00 What Walk to See is 01:30 The only “rule” 02:30 Why the format changed 03:30 How often you actually need to draw 04:30 January’s prompt 05:30 Interpreting “wet” 06:30 Why daily challenges can be a bit much 07:30 Community stuff 08:30 Being seen on Instagram 09:30 Sharing / being shared 10:30 Drawing in the rain 11:30 Drawing in the dark 13:30 Walk to See GIFs 14:30 How to get a gold star 15:30 Imperfect drawingsHow to join in:Draw something from life <-- that's the only rule!Take a photo.Share it on Instagram using #WalkToSeeWet to join in with February's walk to see!Byeeee for now!x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢✨Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

Ahhh this ol' chestnut. You know it. We've aaall been there. You sit down...you need to work. But you get absolutely nowt done. Instead, you do absolutely everything else... then panic-work at the last minute, or just never get round to it.You're not alone! Most illustrators we speak to will have their own weird and wonderful tricks to get into work mode.In this episode, we talk about fear, procrastination, perfectionism, and all the daft (+ useful) ways we trick ourselves into starting anyhoo.Rough timestamps for our timestamp-fans:00:00 – Bribery02:00 – Fear & perfectionism03:00 – The 20-minute rule04:00 – Drip drip drip05:00 – Warming up still counts!06:30 – Calling it “the bad version”07:30 – Drafts & sleeping on it08:30 – Why big projects feel terrifying09:30 – HAVE FUN OR ELSE11:00 – Tell the logical bit of your brain to shhhhh12:30 – Tricks for focus that work14:00 – You like drawing, remember? 😅15:00 – Keeping the life in your work16:30 – Spread yourself aboot (don't put too much pressure on one bit of work)17:30 – Your tricks - please share what helps YOU! We are nosy. We want to hear what helps you concentrate and get some creative work done.Byeeee for now!x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢✨Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

Let’s talk about the big hairy thing that no one really wants to talk about… copying.In this episode, we discuss inspiration, and how social media has changed things so much for illustrators. Trying on someone else’s illustration hat for too long can derail your creative career.This one’s especially for you if you’ve ever felt like someone's getting a bit toooo inspired by your work, or you've though“Ach, easy peasy. I could do that style!”(And then felt a bit weird about it.)We talk about:Why illustrators now mostly look at other illustrators for inspiration (and why that’s tricky)How social media has changed taste, trends, and originalityThe danger of trend-based work and being easily replaceableWhat actually makes a personal creative voice memorableWhy copying someone’s style can feel successful… until it doesn’tRebecca Green, ethicsBeing inspired vs copying and where that line really isDon't sand off all of your personality!Typos, wonkiness, we luv 'emA human made the workWhat to do if you think you’ve been copied (or fear you have)Authenticity 4evaByeeee for now!x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢✨Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

Sign up for the 2026 planning party HERE: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/planningparty This is a wee replay from last year (with a new intro to tell you the new dates for our planning party) -------------------Are you raring to set goals, or are you feeling more “no plans, just let me lie down” this year? We chat about:Why some years are for sprinting, and others are for walking.The power of visual goal-setting.How to make goals human-sized, doable, and fun, without freaking yourself out.Here's a Good Ship permission slip to do your 2026 goal-setting in a way that works for your brain/energy-levels/life.Get your space on the 2026 planning party HERE: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/planningparty Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

What a treat of an episode! Today we’re chatting with Good Shipper and picture book author–illustrator Amber Au.Amber talks about how drawing became part of her recovery from an eating disorder and how her therapist encouraged her to send her illustration work to her first ever client. Aaand how - in two whirlwind months - she was suddenly winning awards, signing a three-book deal, and being invited to meet editors at Bologna. Whaaa!?What a blimmin' brilliant reminder to do the things. Even when you don't feel "ready". In this episode we cover:How Amber rediscovered drawing through her food diaryWhy starting with your local community can snowball into big opportunitiesHow to survive mixed feedback Competitions, and finding your peopleBeing a self-taught illustratorDiscipline, rest, and cultural expectationsPicture books, packaging, and branching out into multiple income streamsAmber's Bologna experience… including editors fangirling over her work (!)Rough Timestamps00:00 – Introducing Amber and her illustration journey 01:00 – Awards, exhibitions, and feeling overwhelmed 02:00 – From nutritionist → illustrator → private tutor → illustrator again 03:00 – Using a food diary as a creative lifeline 04:00 – Getting encouraged to approach her first client 05:00 – Community, grassroots beginnings, and early work in Hong Kong 06:00 – Entering competitions and the door-opening magic that followed 07:00 – The leap from self-taught to picture book maker 08:00 – Finding a clear voice without formal training 09:00 – Discipline, rest, and the cultural pressure to always “do more” 10:00 – Blue Tomato beginnings 11:00 – Mixed reviews, conflicting opinions, and staying true to your vision 13:00 – Bologna meetings and signing with Little Tiger 15:00 – Knowing which advice is actually useful 17:00 – Copying as learning vs developing your own voice 18:00 – Style influences: Hong Kong comics, European picture books, texture, mark-making 19:00 – Procreate, iPad life, and her work habits 20:00 – Diversifying income: packaging, food illustration, prints 21:00 – New opportunities, restaurants, markets, and thinking strategically 22:00 – Picture books, nonfiction, and future plans 23:00 – Final encouragement: “You’ll never feel ready. Do it anyway.”Links & things mentionedAmber’s blog: The Pencil BakeryBologna Children’s Book Fair (We're going to be there in 2026 - we've booked a stand! Come and say hello if you're visiting Bologna.)Inkling AgencyLittle Tiger PressBlue Tomato (Amber’s upcoming book)p.s. We have a little rest at this time of year, so the podcast is having a rest too. We'll be back in January! 🎁Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

If you're an illustrator with access to the internet and you have eyeballs, you might've seen Lisa Congdon's work. Lisa started blogging her collections and illustrations back in the good ol' days, and even remembers Instagram back when it was good. (Remember that? It was nice, wasn't it?)In this episode, Katie asks Lisa about consistency and how to keep on keepin' on when the world is the way it is. We also meander through topics like ADHD, collections, comparison, agents - whether or not she has one - and last but not least, daily projects that change everythinggg.In this episode we cover:Ceramic mushroom collection 👀The “messy middle” bit of being an illustratorHow consistency has served her wellSurviving financially in the early yearsWhy not being a perfectionist was her secret super powerInstagram in 2025How to know when to work with an agentThe magical domino effect of following excitementSquishing comparison and staying in your own laneVery rough timestamps in case you want to skip to a certain bit00:00 – Welcoming Lisa! How a decade of calendars sparked the consistency conversation 01:00 – Hyperfocus, collecting tigers, cycling five times a week, and going “all in” 02:30 – Early days: Etsy, commissions, pet portraits, and figuring out a style 04:00 – Most illustrators quit 05:30 – ADHD, Capricorn energy, and learning to be organised 07:00 – Posting imperfect work online and why it mattered 08:30 – Sharing finances, getting an agent, and diversifying income streams 10:00 – “A Collection A Day” and the power of daily projects 11:00 – Agents: when they help, when they don’t, and how pricing works 13:00 – The hardest job she’s ever done and how her agent stepped in 14:00 – Instagram then vs. Instagram now 16:00 – Why video doesn’t light her up 18:00 – The comparison trap (yes, even Lisa feels it!) 20:00 – Following your gut over the algorithm 21:00 – The daily project that led to a bestselling book 24:00 – Chronicle Books, chance encounters, and the magic of just...showing up!? 26:00 – The domino effect of doing what excites you 27:00 – Human Design chat 👀 28:00 – Byeee LisaLinks for this episode:Lisa Congdon: https://lisacongdon.comLisa's Books: https://www.chroniclebooks.comFollow Lisa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisacongdonCome and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

In this episode, our Tania chats with multi award-winning illustrator Jill Calder about 30+ years of illustration, and how she’s explored pretty much the entire “illustration atlas” without losing herself along the way.Stuff we cover:Staying recognisably Jill across 30+ years of illustrationMoving from editorial to corporate to heritage workBuilding a career with both illustration and hand letteringBig, bonkers corporate jobs (including handwriting as other people!)Making the leap into children’s books later in her careerThe reality of nonfiction vs fiction picture books (time, fees, and headspace)Colour palettes, maps and Google Earth “walks” for picture atlasesWorking with Jackie Kay on Coorie Doon and handling deeply emotional textBringing wild, playful colour to I Love You Every ColorKeeping energy and looseness in final artworkWhat Jill’s working on now – including a brand new picture book with Gecko PressRough Timestamps00:00 – Tania introduces Jill and why she’s a Good Ship favourite02:30 – Early days: art school, editorial work and the 90s newspaper scene05:00 – “By chance, someone took a risk on me…” – moving into design & corporate jobs07:30 – Becoming “the handwriting person”11:30 – The wildest job ever15:00 – Champagne, iPads and the very fancy side of ad agency work16:30 – Exhibition days, analogue work and why looseness matters18:00 – Stumbling into children’s nonfiction with Robert the Bruce21:00 – Picture atlases, strict colour palettes and Google Earth walks22:30 – Nonfiction vs fiction picture books – fees, length and workload26:00 – Collaborating with Jackie Kay on Coorie Doon and illustrating big feelings29:30 – I Love You Every Colour – an illustrator’s dream text31:30 – Two very different books in one year: soft dreamland vs riot of colour33:30 – Handling emotion, light and character across spreads34:30 – New project: Cass and the Beast for Gecko Press35:30 – Keeping rough energy in final artwork (and managing the stress of it!)37:00 – Where Jill pops up inside Good Ship courses and Facebook groupsStuff we mentionedJill Calder – illustration, lettering and booksFind Your Creative Voice – Fly Your Freak Flag (Good Ship course)The Picture Book Course (Good Ship course)Robert the Bruce – nonfiction picture bookCoorie Doon – written by Jackie Kay, illustrated by Jill CalderI Love You Every Colour – written by Carolyn Rose, illustrated by Jill CalderUpcoming: Cass and the Beast – written by Clare Mabey, illustrated by Jill Calder (Gecko Press)Byeeee for now!x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

Y'know when you feel like your work is neeearly there… but it's missing a lil something-something? This podcast episode is all about that. Overcoming that.How the heck do you put more humanness into your work?🧠 What we talk about in this one“Accomplished” isn’t the same as “alive”How generic styles can creep in without us noticingThe danger of trying to look like “a picture book illustrator”Why you need to make work that freaks you out a tiny bit 🤪The power of real memories and emotionsIdeas that stick: why some stories stay with usHow character, tension, and contradiction shape good storytellingLetting your real obsessions lead the way 🐌Yessss, research in bookshops is absolutely definitely part of the job🕰️ Timestamps00:00 – Aaccomplished work with no heart 01:00 – “Picture book style” stereotypes and why they’re dangerous 02:00 – Generic vs personal: how to tell the difference 03:00 – Making work that stops an art director mid-scroll 04:00 – Emotion in drawings (and penguins) 05:00 – True stories - using your real life 06:00 – The Nissen Hut 07:30 – Sticky ideas 09:00 – Plots built on tiny universal moments 10:00 – A “Smile in the Mind” 11:00 – Writing craft: thesis / antithesis / synthesis 13:00 – Character dynamics and why Bernard is… Bernard 🦆 14:00 – Films to study (hello, Groundhog Day) 15:00 – How Helen learned to write 16:00 – Why sitting in a bookshop absolutely counts as work 17:00 – Picture books now vs the 90s 18:00 – Jill Calder, Libby VanderPloeg, and holding onto your voice 20:00 – Don’t perform 21:00 – Honesty wins🔗 Stuff & People Wot We MentionedA Smile in the Mind - Tania's design book recommendation by Beryl McAlhone & David StuartMade to Stick (the kidney-harvesting myth book Katie mentioned!) - Chip & Dan HeathGroundhog Day - filmJill Calder: https://jillcalder.comLibby VanderPloeg: https://libbyvanderploeg.comEmily Howorth-Booth’s writing workshops that Helen lovesGood Ship Illustration courses: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.comCome and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

This week on The Good Ship Illustration Podcast, we’re chatting all things experiments - we get particularly excited about FAILED experiments. In the words of that there Bob Ross, "we don't make mistakes, we just have happy accidents". 😆Behind the scenes, Helen gave Tania a haircut just before we recorded this episode. Can you hear Tania's new hair?Timestamps for our timestamp fans: 00:00 – Mmmm new ideas 01:00 – Katie’s “scaling the business” experiment that didn’t work 02:00 – Undoing things that aren’t fun anymore 03:00 – Helen’s new plan 05:00 – Tania’s in the boot of the car 06:00 – Helen’s failed online school visits experiment 08:00 – Moving from digital art back to paper 09:00 – Helen’s Substack paywall experiment (inspired by Blindboy)12:00 – The birth of The Good Ship Illustration 🚢 13:00 – Haircuts 14:00 – Art Club’s accidental success 15:00 – Why experiments matter (and how to run one properly) 18:00 – Creative defiance and why being told what to do ruins everything 😂 20:00 – From accidental experiments to a whole careerLinks & Stuff We Mentioned:The Good Ship Illustration on Instagram (the Art Club replays are here!)The Picture Book Course Sticker snail mail bonus ends 21st November 🎟️Byeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

First, before we jump into the show notes, here's the link to sign up to the Picture Book Pitching Masterclass we've got happening soon! 🗓️ When: 17th of November at 1 pm UK time💰 Cost: Freeeee🚢 RSVP here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/pbpm How do illustrators actually get their picture books published? And what really goes on at Bologna Children’s Book Fair? This episode is all about pitching, portfolios, publishers, and… how we each pronounce the word plaster? 😅Here’s what we cover:Bologna Book Fair! ✈️How to submit to the Bologna Illustrator Exhibition (deadline alert! They extended it to the 6th November! Sorry, we said the wrong date in this episode, but do let us know if you managed to submit something so we can high-five you.)The Picture Book Pitching Masterclass with Helen and Jane Porter 🎓 https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/pbpm How to pitch your book ideasOvercoming the terror of sharing your work 😬Building resilience to rejectionThe “myth of being discovered”Our excitin' Bologna Book Fair plans...🕑 Timestamps 00:00 – Bologna excitement (and confusion) 01:00 – What really happens at the fair 02:00 – Snail mail sticker packs & upcoming Picture Book Masterclass 03:00 – Helen’s no-rules pitching philosophy 06:00 – Regional accent chaos: “masterclass” vs “plaster” 07:00 – Getting seen by publishers (and why Instagram still matters) 08:00 – Facing the fear of rejection 10:00 – Mindset hacks: why what others think is none of your business 12:00 – Myths about being “discovered” 13:00 – Good Ship’s Bologna stand & plans for 2026 15:00 – Why every illustrator should go at least once 16:00 – Global publishing inspiration 🌍 17:00 – Dreaming up a “Gone Fishing” Good Ship stallLinks we mentioned:The Picture Book CourseFree Picture Book Pitching Masterclass – 17 November, 1pm UK timeBologna Children’s Book FairByeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

This week we’re interviewing another creative for the podcast. Hooray!Catherine Rayner is an award-winning author and illustrator based in Edinburgh, whose books have sold over two million copies and been translated into 35 languages. She’s written and illustrated 25 picture books and collaborated with legends like Julia Donaldson, Michael Morpurgo, and Michael Bond. Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal (and shortlisted six more times!), Catherine also paints, runs a greetings card and babywear range, and can usually be found in her studio surrounded by ink, animals, and Post-it notes.Phew.In this chat, Katie asks Catherine about:What an average week in the studio looks likePlanning everything using a wall calendar and Post-it notes Working with Julia DonaldsonShort deadlines and thriving on a wee bit of panicBeing a mum and illustrator at the same timeInstagram, rejection, keeping your creative confidence aliveA pep talk for newer illustratorsRough timestamps for our timestamp fans: 00:00 – Meet Catherine! 03:00 – Post-it notes, assistants, and studio life in Edinburgh 10:00 – Julia Donaldson, ear-cleaning(!?) + friendship 17:00 – Jason Donovan and creative boldness 20:00 – 100 rejections, persistence, and finding your people 23:00 – Instagram tips and why numbers don’t matter 29:00 – Motherhood, burnout, and how it really gets easier 36:00 – Catherine’s parting wordsLinks mentionedCatherine Rayner’s websiteFollow Catherine on InstagramByeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙