Interview: Nina Cosford
Illustrator Nina Cosford has built a hugely successful freelance career, working with the likes of H&M, TATE, HBO and Google and illustrating over 20 published books so far. Along the way, she had learnt to trust her gut and prioritise her passion for drawing.
We caught up with Nina to find out more about her creative journey…
Hi Nina! Tell us a little bit about what you do…
I am an illustrator which should (and does) involve a lot of drawing but perhaps not quite as much as you'd expect! Being self-employed requires you to wear many hats and play many different roles. Each day is different for me. I have to manage all my own promotion, run an online shop, keep an eye on finances, plan and project my career, negotiate contracts and constantly try to keep up with social media....and that's not even the illustrating part! My favourite element is of course drawing and it's a passion I always work to maintain. It's important to regularly remind yourself why you do what you do
Have you been creative from a young age?
I have been drawing for as long as I could hold a pencil! My Dad is a freelance storyboard and background artist so my drawing and artistic pursuits were always nurtured. I'm not sure how much creativity was even encouraged because it has always been something I have instigated myself. I'm a very visual person. Studying how something looks and trying to capture that is how I have always tried to understand things in the world.
Can you tell us a bit about your experience with creative education?
Although I did go to study Illustration at university, I always felt that common pressure to pursue something more 'academic', especially when I was in my first year and wasn't enjoying the course. I worried that I wouldn't be able to find a strong enough style and questioned my prospects in the arts. Luckily, I listened to my gut and stuck with drawing as it feels so instinctive to me as a mode of communication.
The course was great and prepared up for life after graduation to some extent. We worked on live and commercial briefs but were not given a lot of practical information about licensing or how much to charge for your work - I had to learn that through trial and error.
"
I listened to my gut and
stuck with drawing as it feels so instinctive to me as a mode of communication.
How did you go from leaving university to where you are in your creative career today?
Life was a bit odd after university, as it is after any other anti-climax. There's a huge pressure and build-up to finalising your portfolio and preparing for the degree show and then suddenly the bubble bursts and you are out there in the world. Fortunately, a publisher showed some interest in my work after seeing it at our degree show and this led to my first book contracts. That was so important for my confidence.
The books like to more commissions and I began to use social media a lot for to help increase the visibility of my work. My following grew after a collaborative project with HBO about their TV show GIRLS by Lena Dunham. What started as essentially fan art led to me being commissioned to draw official promotion for the show, make a merchandise range with them and create commemorative illustrations of key moments for a keepsake collection and end-of-series TV documentary. I couldn't believe it!
I always go back to this example of making your own success and turning something you love or are super interested in, into a viable commercial project or collaboration. After that GIRLS project, my online following went up, as did my confidence, and I continued to build on the female narrative that is a huge part of my work today.
What has been your biggest challenge as a freelance illustrator?
Being broke and struggling to pay my tax bills, having many moments / phases of self-doubt and self-criticism, suffering from comparisonitis (comparing oneself to others too much!), being burgled and then having to start a whole new studio from scratch (!), taking on jobs that turn into mammoth projects and end up being mega underpaid and nothing like what I originally signed up for AND the ongoing juggle (sometimes struggle) to wear all the hats and fire on all cylinders whilst feeling the pressures of self-employment and the woes and wonders of social media! Sorry, I couldn't quite pick just one.
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Don't be scared.
Sometimes you have to throw yourself into the deep end.
Finally, what advice would you give to a young person wanting to pursue a similar creative career path?
Don't be scared. There will be offers of work that might seem strange or unfamiliar, but there's only one way to gain experience and that is to try it out. Sometimes you have to throw yourself into the deep end and just take things in your stride; even if that means putting on a fake front. I didn't feel confident, I just told myself I did, and came across as professionally and assertively as I could in my emails.
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