The Good Ship Illustration Podcast
Episode: "If you keep showing up, you can't NOT get better" — An Interview with Sandi Hester
Date: October 24, 2025
Host: The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie, & Tania)
Guest: Sandi Hester, Artist and YouTuber

Episode Overview

In this engaging and candid conversation, the Good Ship Illustration hosts chat with Sandi Hester, a professional artist, YouTuber, and teacher who recently relocated from the US to England. The episode delves deeply into the realities of creative life—handling massive personal change, mental challenges, creative block, perfectionism, and the business side of art, especially through sharing Sandi’s experience documenting her journey online.

With warmth, humor, and unflinching honesty, Sandi shares invaluable insights about creativity, the challenges of pursuing art amidst life’s chaos, and the necessity—and joy—of “lowering the bar” to keep showing up and steadily improving.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Moving Continents, Massive Renovations, and Maintaining Creativity

Timestamps: [00:46]–[06:44]

• Sandi reflects on the enormity of moving from the US to the UK, including renovating a 100-year-old house and adapting to everyday differences ("I spent like 20 minutes trying to find olive oil in the grocery store…").
• Despite upheaval, art remained her “restful place”—she kept creating even during illness, surgeries, and hectic periods.
• The act of creating is presented as both refuge and necessity:

  “Painting was the only thing that gave me a real rest… It's life giving for me.” — Sandi Hester [02:08]

The Power—and Pitfalls—of Mental Chatter

Timestamps: [05:17]–[06:44]

• Sandi discusses the mental aspect of creating, especially the "blobbity blob" of negative self-talk.
• She emphasizes that creators often can’t see their work clearly in the moment because of this, advocating to not throw away imperfect work since hindsight offers perspective.

  “You cannot assess and judge very well in the moment.” — Sandi Hester [05:59]

Developing Creative Habits & Overcoming Perfectionism

Timestamps: [06:44]–[09:13]

• Habit and resilience are recurring themes—Sandi did not always create from a place of ease; it took effort to make it second nature.
• She charts her transition from figurative to more experimental work on YouTube, highlighting the vulnerability of sharing imperfect or 'in-progress' stages.
• Ironically, many followers perceived her artistic shifts as drastic improvement, when in fact she was returning to earlier styles with growth from sheer mileage:

  “You can't create as much as I do and not get better.” — Sandi Hester [08:56]

Documenting the Artist’s Life: Being Vulnerable & Building an Audience

Timestamps: [09:13]–[16:14]

• Sandi candidly shares how YouTube became her platform, choosing it over galleries for its broader, more personal reach—and to lower the barrier for buyers.

• Authenticity is non-negotiable: imperfect studios, messy hair, mistakes, and all.

  “I realized, oh, if I'm going to continue doing this, the ceiling has to come down.” — Sandi Hester [11:49]

• Sharing true struggles (health, moves, creative lows) builds connection and trust, and counters the illusory perfection often presented on social media.

• Creating “a boatload of bad art” is shown as essential to making good work.

The Realities of Art as a Business on YouTube

Timestamps: [16:14]–[20:26]

• YouTube is not an instant success or quick cash generator; it’s a “long game” requiring years of consistency and considerable time investment.

  “It is a full time job… The amount of time I put into filming and editing is massive.” — Sandi Hester [15:05]

• Algorithmic consistency is critical: missing regular uploads can impact business and reach for months or years.

• Sandi resists Patreon and other add-ons, prioritizing her own bandwidth and mental health over expansion for its own sake.

Mindset: Lowering the Bar & Embracing Imperfection

Timestamps: [16:23]–[19:49]

• Both the hosts and Sandi champion the value of starting “imperfect and a bit wonky.”

  “We are so happy that we started imperfect and a bit wonky... If it had started out glossy, I don't think we would have been able to last anytime at all.” — Host [16:41]

• Perfectionism is a recurring villain:

  “Perfectionism is such a killer of so much … It's a killer of joy. It's going to stop you from creating.” — Sandi Hester [17:13]

Teaching Art: Process Over Copying

Timestamps: [18:05]–[19:11]

• Sandi’s online classes and YouTube videos prioritize showing her thinking, not just the finished result—demonstrating problem-solving and creative decision-making.

  “Let me teach you how to work through the thought process and the problems of how to solve a painting…” — Sandi Hester [18:46]

• Learning to think as an artist is more valuable than simply following tutorials for the “right” techniques.

Creative Growth is Inevitable—If You Keep Showing Up

Timestamps: [19:49]–[34:08]

• The business side feels “oil and watery” for many artists, but Sandi emphasizes doing the best you can each week, focusing on authenticity and service over slick marketing.

• Improvement is slow, often imperceptible, but guaranteed with persistence:

  “You have no option but to get better and better. If you keep showing up, you'll improve and you might not be able to see it, but it is happening.” — Host [31:08]

• Sandi strongly guards against negative self-talk for herself and in her workshops:

  “That self talk is not allowed in my head or around me.” — Sandi Hester [31:30]

• Mindset is malleable—over time, you can cultivate positive or even neutral mental habits around creative work.

• Drawing, painting, and making art are recast as enjoyable, even playful, pursuits rather than high-stakes performances.

  “If you're going into brain surgery, be petrified. But you're just practicing drawing a face for the first time. Let's just enjoy the pencil going on the page.” — Sandi Hester [32:37]

The Joy and Long Game of Creative Life

Timestamps: [28:22]–[34:52]

• Instead of racing to ‘arrive’ at a certain skill level, savor the adventure and nervous excitement at every stage.
• The “hunt” of a creative life, experimenting and pushing outside the comfort zone, is to be treasured.
• Fame and fortune are elusive and maybe irrelevant; the real reward is lifelong growth and loving the process.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Painting was the only thing that gave me a real rest from that, a break. I forgot all about the pain.” — Sandi Hester [02:08]
• “You cannot assess and judge very well in the moment.” — Sandi Hester [05:59]
• “You can't create as much as I do and not get better.” — Sandi Hester [08:56]
• “I realized, oh, if I'm going to continue doing this, the ceiling has to come down.” — Sandi Hester [11:49]
• “We are so happy that we started imperfect and a bit wonky... If it had started out glossy, I don't think we would have been able to last anytime at all.” — Host [16:41]
• “Perfectionism is such a killer of so much … It's a killer of joy. It's going to stop you from creating.” — Sandi Hester [17:13]
• “Let me teach you how to work through the thought process and the problems…” — Sandi Hester [18:46]
• “You have no option but to get better and better. If you keep showing up, you'll improve and you might not be able to see it, but it is happening.” — Host [31:08]
• “That self talk is not allowed in my head or around me.” — Sandi Hester [31:30]
• “If you're going into brain surgery, be petrified. But you're just practicing drawing a face for the first time. Let's just enjoy the pencil going on the page.” — Sandi Hester [32:37]

Takeaways for Illustrators & Artists

• Creative Consistency: The simple act of showing up guarantees growth—even when it’s invisible day-to-day.
• Mindset Matters: Self-talk shapes your practice more than talent or technique.
• Imperfect is Perfect: Lowering the bar, sharing honestly, and refusing perfectionism are keys to both sustainable art-making and audience connection.
• Process over Product: Share your process, not just your highlights—there’s immense educational value and comfort for others in seeing how the sausage is made.
• Business Meets Art: Doing your honest best in both art and business builds trust, community, and long-term sustainability.

For more from Sandi Hester, find her YouTube channel “Bits of an Artist Life,” her website, Instagram, and Substack (links in the show notes).

Summary prepared for listeners seeking the real, unvarnished story behind a thriving creative practice.