Creative Career Resources

Whether you are a fresh art school graduate or a seasoned professional, everyone needs a little help when it comes to navigating a career in illustration.

Portfolios, pricing, invoices, clients, networking: there is a lot to consider as a freelance illustrator. It is easy to feel overwhelmed, especially when first starting out - but there is no need to panic! There are tons of free resources which hold all of the answers to your burning creative career questions and they are easier to access than ever before.

Below is a list of online platforms to help you navigate the illustration industry in a calm and considered fashion...

Creative Lives in Progress

Creative Lives in Progress is an inclusive creative careers platform on a mission to transform the way emerging talent access, understand and connect with the industry. Their website houses all kinds of useful resources as well as a jobs board full of entry-level opportunities. And they host networking events too!

Website: creativelivesinprogress.com
Instagram: @_creativelives

Our Top Picks: 

The Arena

The Arena is an online community which aims to support, elevate and inspire early-career creatives. They host a brilliant mentoring scheme which is open to creatives of all different disciplines and their website is full of uplifting resources.

Website: thearena.org.uk
Instagram: @thearenauk

Our Top Picks:

The Association of Illustrators

The Association of Illustrators has been championing illustrators and the illustration industry since 1973. Through education and campaigning, they are striving toward a thriving industry which is accessible to all. Their website contains a combination of free-to-access and members-only content, including their Inside Illustration series which delves into a different area of illustration each season.

Website: theaoi.com
Instagram: @theaoi 

Our Top Picks:

Creative Boom

Creative Boom explores the best in creativity and delivers news, inspiration, insight and advice to help creative professionals succeed. 15 years since they first launched, the Creative Boom website is an enormous source of information for illustrators. Whether you have a question about portfolios or self-promotion, they have an in-depth article that covers it.

Website: creativeboom.com
Instagram: @creativeboom

Our Top Picks:

It's Nice That

It’s Nice That is a heavyweight in the design blog world with a vast international audience. Their sister company, If You Could is a creative sector jobs board which also has its own online journal. Between the two sites, there is a wealth of insightful articles exploring topics around the creative working world and how to navigate it.

Websites: itsnicethat.comifyoucouldjobs.com
Instagram: @itsnicethat / @ifyoucouldjobs

Our Top Picks:

Furry Little Peach

YouTube videos can offer just as much insight as a written article. Sydney-based illustrator Sha'an d'Anthes - also known as Furry Little Peach - shares studio vlogs offering a behind-the-scenes look at her working life. Sha'an also runs Peachtober, an annual drawing challenge which is a great way to reignite your creative spark.

YouTube: @furrylittlepeach
Instagram: @furrylittlepeach

Our Top Picks:

Fran Meneses

 Fran Maneses is a Chilean artist who lives and works in New York where she documents her career as an artist on YouTube. Her channel includes videos on everything from her painting process to her experience discovering her queer identity.

YouTube: @FranMeneses
Instagram: @frannerd

Our Top Picks:

The Illustrators Guide

James Hughes set up The Illustrators Guide to help new illustrators develop their careers by sharing everything he knows about the illustration business. As an illustration agent, James has worked with small indie magazines, gigantic global brands and everything in between. He’s now funnelling all of this knowledge into a series of videos to make it easier for the next generation of illustrators.

YouTube: @TheIllustratorsGuide
Instagram: @theillustratorsguide

Our Top Picks:

© Diversifying Illustration CIC - Registered Company Number: 13651546