The Good Ship Illustration

We’re here to offer no-nonsense advice for illustrators and image-makers navigating a creative career.
At The Good Ship Illustration, we are all about finding your creative voice, standing out from the crowd, building career-longevity, and being yourself.
We're Helen Stephens, Katie Chappell and Tania Willis - 3 full-time bread-winning (mmm, bread) illustrators working in 3 separate niches of the illustration industry. Between us, we've clocked up over 70 years of experience and illustration wisdom, and we're here to share it!
You’d love your creative work if only you could find more time to do it, make more money, and feel confident with what you make. We believe you DO have what it takes, illustration needn’t be scary, and we’re with you all the way, along with the rest of the crew in our online community.

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Top 10 The Good Ship Illustration Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Good Ship Illustration episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Good Ship Illustration for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Good Ship Illustration episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Your website might be missing this one thing – and nooo, it’s not more portfolio pieces

The Good Ship Illustration

03/14/25 • 19 min

Ahoy! Doors to the Business Course (for illustrators!) are closing TONIGHT! We're going to be having a chat over on Instagram and you're more than welcome to bring your business of illustration questions along. Be lovely to see you there. We're @thegoodshipillustration over on Insta.

p.s. Once the course doors close, they close. We're strict! You've got until 10pm UK time tonight (Friday 14th March 2025)

🚢

This week, we’re talking about one of the best things you can do for your illustration career (but it also just so happens to be something that most illustrators dread and avoid like the plague):

📸 Updating your website bio and getting proper photos!

We cover:
✔️ Why a great photo makes clients trust you
✔️ The biggest mistakes we see illustrators make on their 'About' page
✔️ How to write a bio that actually sounds like you without overthinking it
✔️ And why drawing a wee smiley face instead of uploading a headshot just won’t cut it anymore

If you’ve been putting this off, consider this as your sign to finally get some proper photos and sort yer website oot.

p.s. We’ve got an About Page Bingo guide inside the Illustration Business Course, so if you’re in there, go find it!

Timestamps:

01:00 Why updating your bio & website photos is the best thing you can do
02:15 Katie just had a photoshoot - here’s why it was worth it
03:40 How to find a great branding photographer (and what to ask them)
05:00 Feeling awkward about getting your photo taken? Some tricks to make it easier
06:15 Props, pets & sketchbooks
07:40 The price of a good photographer and why it’s worth the investment
09:10 Writing your bio: The easiest method
10:20 Why your bio should match your audience (formal vs. friendly)
12:00 “Clients don’t actually care about your personal life...” (or do they?)
14:15 How illustrators, live scribers & picture book makers should approach bios differently
16:30 Why illustrators should think like plumbers
17:45 Final push: Just get something on your website today (half arse it now, you can always tweak it later)

Done is better than perfect.

Byeee for now! And merry photoshoot-booking.

If you get some nice new headshots for your about page, do tag us on Instagram so we can admire them. We're nosy!

x Good Ship

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 burnout life raft (for when you're drowning in to-dos)

The Good Ship Illustration

11/22/24 • 28 min

Show Notes

Feeling frazzled & running on illustration fumes? You're definitely not alone!

In this episode, we wade on in to discuss the murky waters of burnout. Don't worry, we've got your life raft right here! We chat about what burnout actually IS, why it seems to be so common amongst illustrators & creatives, and most importantly, what you can do to nip it in the bud, or escape it if you're already knee-deep.

So grab a cuppa, put your feet up, and recharge your batteries with us for a bit.

Timestamps:

00:38 Defining burnout

04:37 💰 What's money got to do with it anyway?

04:54 The Instagram hamster wheel and how to escape it

05:35 Virtual assistants = sanity savers

11:30 "Illustrator's boob" - yep, it's a thing!

What you workin' on, pal? A Good Ship Illustration chat.

The Good Ship Illustration

11/29/24 • 29 min

Show Notes

When we meet up, this is always one of the first things we ask each other. We'd ask you too if you were here!
"What are you working on, then?" is the question that made us want to start The Good Ship Illustration all those yeeeeears ago - we realised how mega different our illustration careers are, even though we're all illustrators.

Grab a cuppa - in this episode, Tania shares her big goal to create a personal map (including residencies, studios, and maybe a little bit of procrastination). Helen's talking about writing stories and why she never wants to write alone again. And Katie takes us through the ups and downs of scaling & right-sizing a creative business.

Plus, we chat about the magic of saying "no".
Nice. See you in there.

Timestamps:

00:19 Tania's maps

10:44 What's Helen up to

12:41 Writing with a pal

22:46 Katie's nap goals

26:17 You Are NOT a to-do list! (Good Ship permission to slow down)

Ho ho ho 🎄 pressies for illustrators (love from Ron & Betty Frampton x)

The Good Ship Illustration

12/20/24 • 12 min

What do tiny bowls of crisps, the world’s fanciest pencils, and a mysterious couple called Ron and Betty Frampton have in common? They’re all in this week's Christmassy podcast!

Get ready for festive chaos, creative inspiration, and permission to buy yourself something lovely, courtesy of Ron and Betty.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Who on earth are Ron and Betty Frampton?
01:20 – What’s on our Christmas wishlists? Pencils, paint, and tech setups
04:30 – Christmas bingo, tiny bowls of crisps, and the unwritten rules of bingo culture
08:15 – Why quick, unplanned drawings can sometimes be your best work
10:50 – Helen’s 30-second cut-out reindeer and a carpet fitter
11:50 – Permission to treat yourself this Christmas. Ron and Betty would approve

Links Mentioned:

Find Your Creative Voice Course – Treat yourself to a creative boost Find out more here (and if you join before the end of January 2025, we'll send you some gorgeous stickers in the post. SNAIL MAIL!)

🎄 Merry Christmas and a happy new year from all of us at The Good Ship Illustration 🎄

Hardest Year Ever? An Honest Look at the Illustration Industry in 2024

The Good Ship Illustration

12/27/24 • 20 min

As 2024 winds down, we’ve been hearing all sorts of things - budget cuts, AI fears, and whispers of a downturn. There’s no denying it’s been a tricky year for many illustrators. But is it all doom and gloom? Not necessarily!

Timestamps for you to skip around:
00:20 Special news - The doors are open for Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag!
01:15 What we’ve been hearing from illustrators about the industry.
03:00 Why illustrators are feeling the pinch of budget cuts.
06:30 The world is craving handmade, delightfully wonky work.
09:45 What’s going on with picture books, then?
13:30 Fly your freak flag - this is your moment to shine.
16:00 Licensing, animation, and new media - growing areas to keep an eye on.
18:15 Inclusivity in illustration and what agents are looking for in 2025.
19:50 Why you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket.

🎉 Exciting Announcement

The doors to our Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag course are open!

✨ Enrol whenever you like - no more waiting for us to open the doors.
✨ Join by the end of January 2025 and you'll get:

A Good Ship Illustration sticker pack.
The chance to win a 1:1 mentoring session with us - the 3 captains.

Learn more and join here: Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag

Big goals, no pressure: Planning your creative year with The Good Ship Illustration

The Good Ship Illustration

01/03/25 • 21 min

Is it time 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 2025 goal-setting in a way that works for your brain/energy-levels/life.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Happy New Year! Goal-setting: exciting, overwhelming, or somewhere in between?
01:00 – Join our Planning Party on 16th January (details inside!)
02:30 – Sprinting vs walking: knowing when to slow down and when to push forward
03:45 – Loose goals, intentions, and the value of taking things slowly
04:50 – Why “no plans” can still count as a brilliant plan
07:00 – Visual goal-setting: drawing the year ahead and keeping it in sight
08:15 – Human-sized goals: how to make planning feel manageable and fun
10:00 – Intentions beyond work: making space for life, joy, and connection
16:00 – Ideas for tackling the overwhelm of “too many things to draw”

Links Mentioned:

You're invited to our Planning Party on 16th January!
Sign up for our emails here to get your invite: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/

Why drawing digitally is NAUGHTY 👀 (or is it?)

The Good Ship Illustration

01/31/25 • 17 min

Nahhh. It's not really. That was a naughty title.
Anyway, we got this brilliant and juicy question in our students-only Facebook group for the Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag Course.
🎺 31ST JANUARY = YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GET SOME GOOD SHIP ILLUSTRATION SNAIL-MAIL STICKERS WHEN YOU JOIN!
Don't say we didn't warn you! Sign up here.
Megan said: "I just opened up the Microsoft Surface Pro I bought for digital drawing, and I’m freaking out a little. Not just about the expense, but a sense of cheating or something. Will this kill the joy of drawing on paper? Does anyone combine analogue and digital drawing worlds?"

Topics

Megan’s question: Is digital drawing cheating?
Analogue vs digital: can you mix them?
Why digital tools are lifesavers for fixes, tweaks, and deadlines.
Handmade isn’t about the tool, it’s about you!
The danger of too much choice.
Top tips for keeping your digital work cohesive.
Happy accidents.
Will drawing digitally kill your love of drawing on paper?

Other Stuff we mentioned

Our Tania’s Genius Colour Workshop: Join in here
Brush sets for Procreate by Vivian Mildenberger: voila (we're not an affiliate, we just love 'em.)
Find Your Creative Voice - course doors are open, in case you fancy workin' on flapping your freak flag a bit more in 2025.) Click here to see what all the freak flag fuss is all about.

Saying no as an illustrator: dropping projects can boost your career.

The Good Ship Illustration

02/07/25 • 15 min

Juggling too many plates, saying yes to everything, and wondering if it’s time to let something go... It's not a fun place to be. (And all three of us have been there, got the frazzled t-shirt).
In this episode, we share the projects, jobs, and ideas we’ve binned along the way to make room for the shiny new stuff.

We chat about:

Why it’s okay to drop what isn’t working (even when you love parts of it).
Illustrator school visits, online shops, and in-person events.
The power of saying no. NOOOO!
How dropping things helps you focus on what you’re brilliant at.

Links Mentioned

We made you some workshops and resources to help you navigate a creative career: The Good Ship Freebies

Feelin' guilty about not drawing as much lately? [A Good Ship Illustration permission slip]

The Good Ship Illustration

02/28/25 • 13 min

"I'm not drawing as much anymore - Aghhhhh! Is this ok!?"

If you feel like you’re not drawing as much as you “should”, then you’re definitely, absolutely not alone. In this episode, we share our drawing ebbs and flows, why guilt often sneaks in, and how to let yourself off the hook when life gets lifey.

We chat about:

The natural phases of a creative career (and why it’s A-OK not to be drawing all the time).
Why forcing yourself to draw can backfire.
How other creative stuff like sewing or gardening can feed your illustration work.
Finding the balance between illustration, work, and real life.
How to quiet the mean voice in your head.

See you in there!

The Confidence to Fly Your Freak Flag: A guide for illustrators and creatives

The Good Ship Illustration

12/13/24 • 29 min

Here's your early present from Good Ship. Our previously-just-for-paying-students private VIP podcast episode all about building your creative confidence.
We're celebrating that Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag is now open for enrollment all year round! Instant access. You asked, we listened.
EVERYONE who joins during December 2024 & January 2025 will get one of our much-coveted Good Ship sticker badges. Mmmmm.
We're also opening up a rare chance to win 1:1 mentoring with The Good Ship Illustration captains. There are 3 spots up for grabs! When you join, we'll email you all of the details.
Click HERE for all of the course info and to climb aboard.
We'd love to have you sailing with us.
Anyways, what's this podcast episode about?

From early career wobbles to trusting your creative voice, tackling imposter syndrome, and the confidence to charge what you're worth.
Plus, loadsa tips to help you separate your self-worth from your creative work (they're not the same thing!)

Got a question for us to tackle in a future podcast episode? Send it in - we’d love to hear from you!

👉 Submit your questions here

Timestamps:

00:21 Celebrating that Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag is now open for enrollment all year round!
03:00 Why you’re not a “wannabe” illustrator
05:15 Navigating client relationships
07:55 The power of asking clients what they love about your portfolio
10:38 Silencing negative self-talk and spotting unhelpful stories you tell yourself
12:12 Why it’s better to be an indie band than Top of the Pops (for illustrators)
13:13 The magic of “imperfections” and human marks in your work
15:17 Pricing confidence: why your value isn’t tied to your hours
16:18 Gamifying rejection and making it work for you
18:37 Forget the rules: how naivety can be your creative superpower
21:46 Avoiding comparison traps with a creative quarantine
22:35 Why having multiple versions of your work can unlock playfulness
25:34 Tips for breaking big, scary projects into manageable chunks
28:26 Time tricks for staying fresh and playful under pressure
30:00 Why getting older makes everything easier

Links & Resources:

🎓 Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag Course
🎁 Enrol by January 2025 to grab your free badge and the opportunity for 1:1 mentoring.
📅 Join our Planning Party: 16th January 2025, 1:30 PM (UK time).

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FAQ

How many episodes does The Good Ship Illustration have?

The Good Ship Illustration currently has 58 episodes available.

What topics does The Good Ship Illustration cover?

The podcast is about Illustration, Design, Artists, Podcasts and Arts.

What is the most popular episode on The Good Ship Illustration?

The episode title 'Feeling stuck? Creative block be GONE!' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The Good Ship Illustration?

The average episode length on The Good Ship Illustration is 21 minutes.

How often are episodes of The Good Ship Illustration released?

Episodes of The Good Ship Illustration are typically released every 6 days, 23 hours.

When was the first episode of The Good Ship Illustration?

The first episode of The Good Ship Illustration was released on Aug 5, 2020.

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The Good Ship Illustration