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PODCAST

The Good Ship Illustration

The Good Ship Illustration

Welcome to The Good Ship Illustration - the podcast for illustrators who are quietly working away in their sketchbooks thinking… “is it just me?”…it’s not just you!We’re Helen Stephens, Katie Chappell and Tania Willis - three full-time illustrators from three different corners of the industry (and three different age brackets ). We live in the same seaside town in the UK and started having cuppas and chats… and accidentally became illustration agony aunts.Now we record those chats for you! We answer

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All Episodes

22:31

Help! Posting my illustration work makes me cringe 😬

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/10/02

This week it's just Helen and Katie here (helloo - Tania was off in Naples eating pizza for us. We were living vicariously through her.) Let's get stuck in and answer your excellent questions about marketing your illustration work. "I just don't know where to begin!" and overcoming our arch nemesis: cringe. Plus SLOTH FACTS. You're welcome. Timestamps, for the timestamp fans: 00:00 – Time off is good for you, and good for business 01:00 – Helen's short, intense work bursts o...

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27:20

"I hadn't drawn for 21 years" an interview with Jo...

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/09/30

Jo Overend is in da house (ship?) But first, Illustration Business Club is finally OPEN! It's been over a year since we last flung the doors open and we'd love to have you sailing with us! https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/business Jo is an author-illustrator, an OG Good Shipper, and the author and illustrator of Megaduck (her debut picture book with Walker Books) 🐥 When Jo started out, she hadn't drawn for 21 years. She posted her drawings anyway, eeeeven the ones she didn't like, and

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43:52

Do I need loads of followers to get illustration work?

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/09/26

Fancy getting into your business car for a bit? Illustration Business Club doors are open until 9th October 2026, and you get lifetime access, so you can go at your own pace (pudding first, broccoli later). We'd love to have you sailing with us https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/business /// We recorded this podcast LIVE on Instagram on Friday! (So please excuse the audio if it doesn't sound 100%) Anyways, here's the replay. Katie and Helen had a nice 'n' friendly illustration business Q...

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25:37

Marketing *without* social media as an illustrator....

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/09/25

This week, we're back at the kitchen table after the summer holidays, and the doors to Illustration Business Club are officially OPEN! Wahoooo 🎉 A quick catch-up first: Katie trying to not-work for six whole weeks, and Tania's summer spent changing her work on a big museum project. Then there's a nice big juicy question from a listener: can you market yourself without social media if you really hate filming yourself? Timestamps, for the timestamp fans: 00:00 – Doors are open! IBC,...

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50:13

"Your old sketchbook drawings could be earning you...

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/09/18

This week our Tania is speaking to the one and only Margo Tantau (the licensing whisperer). Margo is a good ship Pal, founder of Tantau Studio and you might have heard her on her brilliant podcast Windowsill Chats. Here's a link: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/windowsill-chats/id1529045232 In this chat, Tania and Margo talk about all the important stuff liiiike: What is licensing? How do you get paid? Can you REALLY license work you've already made? Margo even shares her secret w...

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53:26

"You really don't have to go to art school!" An...

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/09/11

This week our Katie is chatting to Carly Kuhn, a US-based illustrator, artist and author who ended up in illustration kindofbyaccident. She grew up in New York wanting to do TV comedy, worked at a Hollywood talent agency, took improv classes at The Groundlings, and started drawing on printer paper nicked from the office, just as something creative to do after work. Then Sarah Jessica Parker reposted one of her drawings (!!) and - you'll have to listen to the episode to find out what happens n...

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42:49

"Nobody can hire you if they can't see you". An...

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/09/04

"Why does promoting my own work feel so cringe?" HIYA WELCOME BACK! We missed you! Summer holidays are all done here in the UK. Hope you had a good rest too. This week our Katie's chatting to Mollie Balshaw, one half of Short Supply: Short Supply is an artist-led creative practice founded by Mollie and Rebekah Balshaw. Since 2019, they have helped artists navigate creative careers through exhibitions, publishing, workshops, mentoring and public conversations. Their work makes the hidden...

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28:59

RIP Hockney & (Art) school's out for summer 🤘 🌴 🍦🩲

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/07/10

What're you doing this summer? Are you having a little rest? This episode is all about taking breaks and we have a wee look at our plans: Helen is in her illustrator hermit cave for July to get the next Salty Dog book finished before the deadline, with a nice August off as her reward. Tania is working on a museum commission for a 'Gossip Wall' in Berwick Museum, with plans to experiment with texture and line for the first time in ages. (Phwoarrrrr.) And Katie's about to have her first prope...

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39:46

No, you *don't* have imposter syndrome - an interview...

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/07/03

What's the point in making all this gorgeous work if you don't have the confidence to share it, eh? EH!? Who better to grill on this subject than Lauren Currie, OBE. Lets gooo: Timestamps, for the timestamp fans: 00:00 – Intro 01:00 – Confidence = the elephant in the room for creatives 02:00 – Lauren on why confidence matters so much, especially for women and marginalised people 05:00 – The shite UN statistic 07:00 – "What would a mediocre middle-aged man do?" 09:00 – ...

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41:09

Help, I’ve forgotten how to draw 🫠

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/06/26

This week's podcast is a sneaky peek into the live Q&A calls we do for our Find Your Creative Voice; Fly Your Freak Flag students. (They happen monthly at the moment.) WHADDA CHAT. In this episode, we talk about: Pursuing boredom The Artists' WayWhy finding your style doesn’t always feel fun and easy and natural (Instagram's lying to yooou) What to do when you have hundreds of project ideas and no clue which one to choose How to handle agent/client feedback without immediat...

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28:08

"I spent ages on the detailed stuff...but they liked...

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/06/19

This week our Katie is chatting to Alice Bowsher, who's work she would like to bite (In a good way. The same way you want to bite very cute babies. Is it called cuteness aggression?) Anyways, there's chat about creative career paths, Glastonbury bags, cardboard bedrooms, Walker Books, baby board books, and the very very important role of biscuits. Mmmm. Timestamps, for the timestamp fans: 00:00 – Intro to Alice 02:00 – From fine art to graphics to illustration 04:00 – The YCN internship, sign...

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35:19

And the award for Best Stand at Bologna Children's...

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/06/12

This week, we're STIIIIIILL talking about Bologna Children's Book Fair (for the last time, we promise 😅) - this episode was supposed to come out as soon as we got home, but the technology gremlins have been fighting with us every step of the way. BACK OFF, GREMLINS. You'll hear at the very end that we went on talking for three whole blimmin' episodes before we realised the microphones had conked out. We chat about having a stand and exhibiting for the very first time, our Best-Sta...

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33:57

"Help! I love my rough illustrations and panic on the...

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/06/05

It's all fun and games until someone mentions FINAL ARTWORK. (Arghhhh) Sound familiar? Thought so. So we get stuck into Inky's question: how do you get out of your own way and switch off the overthinking brains? All three of us wrestle with this in different ways. Also mentioned: expensive paper + a shared fantasy about buying a tiny round Father Ted caravan to draw in. Pour yourself a decaf tea and get comfy. 🫖 Timestamps, for the timestamp fans: 00:00 – The question from "Inky" ...

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25:08

⚠️ Illustration scams to watch out for

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/05/29

Ooft, this is a good one. This week we're discussing illustration scams We've all had them land in our inboxes, we see 'em in the Good Ship community (too) regularly, and TBH you need to know what to look out for. 👀 Plus: Salty Dog is in actual bookshops and the Waterstones staff read it and couldn't stop laughing. Weyyy! 🎉 Timestamps, if you like that sort of thing: 00:00 – Why we're talking about scams (community posts, industry warnings, and everyone's inbox) 01:30 – The Mr. Takeshi email

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20:16

'They keep asking me to tone it down.' Flying your...

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/05/22

This week we're answering a brilliant voice message from @shanaramadesigns. Shana asks about Russian illustrator Victoria Semikina: how does someone learn to draw in that gloriously exaggerated, expressive way? And why, when she does it, does everyone love it, but when Shana tries it, art directors ask her to tone it down? NO FAIR. Happy listening :) And hellooo to Victoria - we've been chatting this week and there *might* be a special video coming to the Freak Flag course from her. EEEE! Wat...

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33:51

"I used to cry in the toilets before every job (and...

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/05/15

This week, our Katie's chatting with Helen and Tania about her favouritest thing and specialism/niche: live illustration. What's it like to arrive at a fancy corporate event with an iPad (or a board and some paint), when someone says "ok, draw everything"? It's a proper deep-dive into the live illustration world, from the adrenalinny (new word) thrill of drawing in real time, including the crying-in-toilets. Is AI a threat to graphic recorders? Spoiler: being a human is, somehow, now a ...

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34:21

You don't have to pick just one thing - an interview...

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/05/08

This week, our Katie is chatting to Nicola Allan, an artist, writer and consulting astrologer based in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. After 12 years working as a lawyer, Nicola pivoted to illustration and has since built a brand that weaves together everything she loves: The Wild Way. Nicola's a brilliant example of what happens when you stop trying to choose between the things you're drawn to and just bring them aaaall along for the ride. We chat about slowly switching from a regular job to illust...

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10:22

This illustrator got a book deal lead on DAY ONE of...

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/05/01

Here's part two of our Bologna interviews. Thank you so much for listening, and if you managed to come and find us at Bologna Children’s Book Fair, thank you. We had so much fun meeting everybody, and we’re hoping to do that again one day because it was cool. Okay, see you soon. Enjoy listening to these brave people 🚢🚢🚢 ⏱️ Timestamps for our timestamp fans Lauren 00:00 – Part 2 hiya 00:40 – Lauren: flew in from Chicago for her first Bologna 01:20 – Corporate job, layoff, creative reset

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15:58

Brave Good Shippers at Bologna - we shoved a...

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/04/24

Interview #1 is with Paulina Zawiska and Kate Osmond. Interview #2 is with Lorna Burt (begins at 05:30) Bon apetit! We just announced the winners of our iPad giveaway and art supply shop vouchers - come and celebrate the winners with us over on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thegoodshipillustration/ Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome to Bologna (the audio isn't perfect but neither are we 🤪) 00:30 – Paulina’s third time… still overwhelmed 01:30 – The illustrator wall and compariso...

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46:21

Helen Stephens chats to Prof. Martin Salisbury - Is...

The Good Ship Illustration ·

2026/04/13

Ever worried your work looks a bit too much like somebody else’s? 😬 This one’s for youuuu. In this episode, our Helen chats with the brilliant Martin Salisbury about plagiarism. The temptation to borrow a bit too heavily when you’re surrounded by endless beautiful work online is real. Hopefully this conversation helps you fly your own freak flag :) Timestamps: 00:00 Hello Martin Salisbury 01:00 Instagram has changed creative influence 03:00 Art school before the internet 04:00 Drawing from

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