The Good Ship Illustration

Episode: Picture Book, Freak Flag, or Business… which one is calling yoooou?
Date: September 5, 2025
Hosts: Helen Stephens, Katie Chappell, and Tania Willis

Episode Overview

In this episode, the Good Ship Illustration crew—Helen, Katie, and Tania—discuss one of their most common questions: “Which course should I do first?” The hosts guide listeners through the process of choosing between their key courses: Picture Book, Find Your Creative Voice/Freak Flag, and Business. They emphasize that there is no “right” order and encourage listeners to trust their excitement and instincts. The episode is a supportive, comforting discussion for illustrators at any stage—whether you’re aiming to create a picture book, developing your style, seeking business skills, or just playing with creative exploration.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Choosing a Course: There’s No Single Right Path

• The hosts acknowledge that many are unsure where to start, and while they attempted to create a “flowchart,” their advice boils down to: follow your excitement and gut feeling.
• Jo explains that if you “really want to make a picture book but you don't know your visual language yet, you're probably best doing the Find Your Creative Voice course first.” (00:49)
• If you know your voice and are ready, jump into Picture Book: “If you sleep on it and in the morning you're still really excited, it's a good sign that it's the right choice.” – Sarah (02:16)
• Liz shares a story about someone who started the Picture Book course, realized they needed to work on Freak Flag first, but found value in bouncing between both thanks to lifetime access (02:43).

2. Understanding “Visual Voice” and Consistency

• Maintaining character consistency in picture books requires a clear creative voice or style, even though “style” is a word the hosts try to avoid but sometimes can’t (01:29).
• Jo: “If you're going to look at a character that you can recreate across a picture book, you need to know how to do that consistently so that they stay the same, basically, and you don't lose control of your character.” (01:29)

3. Course “Repeaters” and Paths Beyond Picture Books

• Some students remain in the creative exploration phase—doing “Find Your Creative Voice” multiple times, deepening consistency and understanding of their own style (03:08).
• Jo: “Lots of people... appear saying, oh, I'm doing it for the fourth time. It's so nice to jump back in. ...it intensifies your sense of consistency and your creative voice.” (03:08)
• This course can also be a springboard to editorial, live, or design illustration.

4. The Business Course: Timing Matters

• Hosts caution against jumping into business before developing one’s creative foundations:
  Jo: “If you're doing that kind of vulnerable creative work of finding your own voice, don't think about the audience and the business and the client before that, because it will compromise your work...” (04:20)
• There’s a metaphor of the “creative car” and “business car”—you switch between periods of creative focus and business focus.
• Some participants, especially career-changers, explore the Business course early to understand the industry, but might find themselves unprepared without a portfolio (05:39).

5. Free Resources and “No-Wrong-Choice” Reassurance

• The website is “absolutely packed with freebies”—mini versions of each course, workshops, and open days so that potential students can taste-test before committing (06:29).
• Freebies include:
  • Thumbnail sketches for picture books
  • “Childhood Illustrated” exercise
  • Character and color workshops (06:57)
  • Live illustration masterclass (07:50)
  • Art Club sessions on Instagram (08:07)
• Sarah: “A lot of people are worried about wasting...they’re going to make the wrong choice. And basically this video is like, there’s no wrong option. Whatever feels most exciting is the right choice.” (07:12)

6. The High-Tech “Decision Tree”

• The hosts humorously reference their “very high tech” decision tree:
  • Sarah: “Do you want to do the picture book course? Yes. ...do the picture book course. And if it's not, do the freak flag course. Okay. The end.” (08:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jo (01:29): “If you're going to look at a character that you can recreate across a picture book, you need to know how to do that consistently so that they stay the same, basically, and you don't lose control of your character.”
• Sarah (02:16): “If you sleep on it and in the morning you’re still really excited, it’s a good sign that it’s the right choice.”
• Liz (02:43): “We’re telling you that there’s a correct order, but there’s not really. It’s whatever is exciting you most of the time, isn’t it?”
• Jo (03:08): “Lots of people... appear saying, oh, I'm doing it for the fourth time. It's so nice to jump back in. ...it intensifies your sense of consistency and your creative voice.”
• Jo (04:20): “If you're doing that kind of vulnerable creative work of finding your own voice, don't think about the audience and the business and the client before that, because it will compromise your work...”
• Liz (04:47): “We always think of it as being in your business car for a little while and then you get out and you're in your creative car... hiding in your studio, not looking on your website or anything.”
• Sarah (07:12): “There’s no wrong option. Whatever feels most exciting is the right choice. And it might be that it’s just freebies and they’ll still be your friend. We don’t care, really.”
• Sarah (08:30): “Do you want to do the picture book course? Yes. ...do the picture book course. And if it’s not, do the freak flag course. Okay. The end.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:49 — Which Course to Take First & Knowing Your Creative Voice
• 01:29 — Consistency in Style/Voice in Picture Books
• 02:16 — Trusting Your Gut on Course Choice
• 02:43 — Story of a Student Using Both Courses
• 03:08 — Repeat Students & Course Iteration
• 03:55 — When to Move to Business
• 04:20 — Separating Creative and Business Mindsets
• 05:20 — Business Car / Creative Car Metaphor
• 06:29 — Freebies and Tasters
• 07:12 — Reassurance about Making the Right Choice
• 08:30 — High-Tech Decision Tree

Summary Takeaways

• There’s truly no wrong place to start on The Good Ship—follow what lights you up, and you’ll find your way.
• The creative journey is not linear; revisit courses, explore new areas, and make use of the wide array of free resources.
• The hosts are warm, understanding, and encourage creative risk and fun above all, with a strong message: “Whatever feels most exciting is the right choice.” (Sarah, 07:12)

For more resources and to access freebies, visit thegoodshipillustration.com.