Thank you for sharing Lizzy! I've been drafting a post about money in the illustration world for a couple of weeks now, trying to find the right words and perspectives. I live and work in the Netherlands, and would have to make at least 24 books a year to be able to pay my basic bills. Prices for editorial work and books haven't changed since I started in 2009.
Like any illustrator, I do many other jobs as I know publishing is not going to get me anywhere. I told a publisher that I couldn't illustrate a book they offered, because I was out of savings (I actually live on savings when illustrating a book because it doesn't even cover my bills).
That said, I am still hopeful. I've been trying out new ways to make money: Substack seemed like a good idea, but that's not working, to be honest. Teaching has proven to be a good way to pay bills for me, and actually selling my work directly to people is not too bad! I've been doing more commercial work which pays better, and all this combined will keep the heating on for a while longer. I do fear for the future of books and artists, and I hope something will change.
Please rest assured - life is as annoyingly financially shackled way outside London! I think staying put is best. Also Thanks for the share. It’s financially hard at the moment - but somehow we don’t talk about this real struggle and the constant feeling of compromise which can accompany us because of this. Like you say, good to monitor it and not make excuses, still. I appreciated the honesty here. Also, get the photographer in! The space you have is great. It’s what real studios look like.
It's getting harder and harder to be an illustrator and while it makes me very sad and anxious about the future, in a way I'm reassured to see that there are so many of us going through the same thing and that it's not just me that's the problem (although it might be easier if it was a personal problem, at least maybe there'd be a solution?). Thanks for sharing your struggles, it helps so much to be able to support each other!
Great piece, thank you for sharing. The point about the expectations about the aesthetic of the ‘artist in the studio’ photoshoot is really telling of this dissonance between what artists can afford and what they have to perform.
I just wrote about the studio life of illustrators here in Brooklyn, which is also marked by intense work and not enough money. Thank you for your transparency it’s important!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Lizzie, it's great to see such an honest & transparent post. Money is always a tricky subject and most people avoid talking about it unless it's to say how well things are going.
Regarding the studios, the ones shown by many artists online feel a bit dishonest. I'm not sure where (or why) this trend started, the artist “posing” almost like a model, and presenting their studio like a perfect place.
Making art is a messy process in most cases. Ian Sidaway often posts videos of his studio on Instagram, and it's very small and far from tidy, but it has so much charm and you can see how well it's been used for years. It feels far more authentic than the studios were everything is clean and there are lots of nicely framed pictures on the walls, with big plants and other details that make it look like something out of a magazine photoshoot.
And of course, David Hockney has messy and charming studios as well — you can see he's actually working long hours there, unlike other famous artists whose studios look more like a gallery than a studio. Or maybe that's it, people try to make their studio look like a gallery, thinking their art would sell better. Who knows.
You're lucky your friends are all still here :D Mine have all moved out (mostly due to not being able to afford to live here once they started families), so I guess I will just have to move out too. I will always and forever miss it but it's unsustainable.
Having somewhere to call home and somewhere to be creative in is a dream for many. So it’s pleasing to see what you’ve made possible for yourself. Keep on keeping on.
Thank you for sharing Lizzy! I've been drafting a post about money in the illustration world for a couple of weeks now, trying to find the right words and perspectives. I live and work in the Netherlands, and would have to make at least 24 books a year to be able to pay my basic bills. Prices for editorial work and books haven't changed since I started in 2009.
Like any illustrator, I do many other jobs as I know publishing is not going to get me anywhere. I told a publisher that I couldn't illustrate a book they offered, because I was out of savings (I actually live on savings when illustrating a book because it doesn't even cover my bills).
That said, I am still hopeful. I've been trying out new ways to make money: Substack seemed like a good idea, but that's not working, to be honest. Teaching has proven to be a good way to pay bills for me, and actually selling my work directly to people is not too bad! I've been doing more commercial work which pays better, and all this combined will keep the heating on for a while longer. I do fear for the future of books and artists, and I hope something will change.
Please rest assured - life is as annoyingly financially shackled way outside London! I think staying put is best. Also Thanks for the share. It’s financially hard at the moment - but somehow we don’t talk about this real struggle and the constant feeling of compromise which can accompany us because of this. Like you say, good to monitor it and not make excuses, still. I appreciated the honesty here. Also, get the photographer in! The space you have is great. It’s what real studios look like.
It's getting harder and harder to be an illustrator and while it makes me very sad and anxious about the future, in a way I'm reassured to see that there are so many of us going through the same thing and that it's not just me that's the problem (although it might be easier if it was a personal problem, at least maybe there'd be a solution?). Thanks for sharing your struggles, it helps so much to be able to support each other!
Great piece, thank you for sharing. The point about the expectations about the aesthetic of the ‘artist in the studio’ photoshoot is really telling of this dissonance between what artists can afford and what they have to perform.
I just wrote about the studio life of illustrators here in Brooklyn, which is also marked by intense work and not enough money. Thank you for your transparency it’s important!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Lizzie, it's great to see such an honest & transparent post. Money is always a tricky subject and most people avoid talking about it unless it's to say how well things are going.
Regarding the studios, the ones shown by many artists online feel a bit dishonest. I'm not sure where (or why) this trend started, the artist “posing” almost like a model, and presenting their studio like a perfect place.
Making art is a messy process in most cases. Ian Sidaway often posts videos of his studio on Instagram, and it's very small and far from tidy, but it has so much charm and you can see how well it's been used for years. It feels far more authentic than the studios were everything is clean and there are lots of nicely framed pictures on the walls, with big plants and other details that make it look like something out of a magazine photoshoot.
And of course, David Hockney has messy and charming studios as well — you can see he's actually working long hours there, unlike other famous artists whose studios look more like a gallery than a studio. Or maybe that's it, people try to make their studio look like a gallery, thinking their art would sell better. Who knows.
You're lucky your friends are all still here :D Mine have all moved out (mostly due to not being able to afford to live here once they started families), so I guess I will just have to move out too. I will always and forever miss it but it's unsustainable.
Having somewhere to call home and somewhere to be creative in is a dream for many. So it’s pleasing to see what you’ve made possible for yourself. Keep on keeping on.