Podcast Summary: The Good Ship Illustration - "What Do Illustrators DO All Day? Featuring Keep-Fit Cuppas & Coworking 🤓"
Episode Details
- Title: What Do Illustrators DO All Day? Featuring Keep-Fit Cuppas & Coworking 🤓
- Release Date: November 15, 2024
- Hosts: Helen Stephens, Katie Chappell, and Tania Willis
Introduction In this episode of The Good Ship Illustration, hosts Tanya, Katie, and Gerry delve into the everyday lives of professional illustrators. They explore the varied routines, challenges, and strategies that illustrators employ to maintain productivity and creativity. The conversation provides a candid look into balancing personal life with a flourishing creative career, emphasizing that no two days are alike for illustrators.
Morning Routines: Early Risers and Flexible Starts
Tanya begins by sharing her long-standing habit of waking up early, often around 4-5 AM, a trait rooted in her childhood where she was "the first person awake in the house" ([00:11] Tanya). Despite naturally waking up early, she humorously discusses how menopause affects her sleep patterns, sometimes making her fall back asleep after a brief period of morning activities ([00:56] Tanya).
Katie contrasts Tanya’s early mornings with her own experience during pregnancy, where she used to wake at 4 AM out of necessity. Nowadays, she enjoys the luxury of sleeping until 8 AM, granting her a more relaxed start to the day ([07:58] Katie).
Quote:
"I'm definitely somebody who cannot, cannot function very well after in the evening, but on a morning you can ask me anything." – Tanya ([13:20] Tanya)
Work Habits: Structured Yet Flexible
Tanya elaborates on her daily structure, which includes setting a to-do list each morning, handling urgent emails, and prioritizing tasks based on deadlines. She emphasizes keeping her to-do lists short to avoid stress, aiming to accomplish at least one significant task each day ([05:19] Tanya).
Katie shares her approach to managing her workload, including batching client calls to specific afternoons and setting aside entire days for concentrated work. She also utilizes co-working apps like Groove to maintain accountability and productivity ([10:07] Katie).
Quote:
"I keep my to do list nice and short because I used to have long ones and they used to stress me out too bad." – Tanya ([05:19] Tanya)
Managing Energy and Productivity: Understanding Personal Cycles
The hosts discuss the importance of recognizing and adapting to their natural energy cycles. Katie reveals how her productivity fluctuates with her menstrual cycle, being highly efficient during ovulation and struggling significantly before her period ([09:53] Katie). She highlights the value of tracking these cycles to better manage her workload and expectations.
Tanya adds that her creative peak occurs in the mornings, advising against tasks that drain her energy, such as checking emails early in the day. She strives to reserve her most creative hours for high-energy tasks ([14:07] Tanya).
Quote:
"If I can be bothered, I'll put a bra on underneath but sometimes I just have to hold my boobs because they jump about and at least I'm doing it." – Tanya ([05:19] Tanya)
Co-working and Community: Building Accountability
Katie discusses the benefits of co-working, detailing how virtual co-working sessions help her stay focused and accountable. These sessions involve setting specific work goals and reporting progress, fostering a sense of camaraderie despite the physical distance ([11:02] Katie).
Gerry, reflecting on his first experience with co-working, appreciates the silent accountability it provides, noting that "the silence of knowing you're working side by side digitally" enhances productivity without the pressure of direct oversight ([11:28] Gerry).
Quote:
"It's just, I think it's too much information, but like, depending on where I am in my cycle." – Katie ([11:44] Katie)
Balancing Family and Work: Integrating Personal Responsibilities
The conversation highlights the delicate balance between professional responsibilities and family life. Tanya explains her morning routine of preparing her child for school and managing household tasks before diving into her work ([03:53] Tanya). Katie shares similar challenges, describing the frantic morning rush of getting her child ready while trying to maintain her own productivity ([07:58] Katie).
The hosts emphasize the importance of flexibility and understanding within the household, acknowledging that family dynamics play a significant role in shaping their daily schedules.
Quote:
"Another creativity. I feel like it is work. So if my mind starts following an avenue of another bit of creativity, like make a banner or a flag or sew something, I just do that until the deadline feels much, much more pressing and then I come back to it." – Tanya ([07:17] Tanya)
Evening Routines: Wind Down and Reflect
As the day winds down, Tanya and Katie share their strategies for transitioning from work to relaxation. Tanya prefers eating dinner early to maintain a healthy gap before breakfast and to prevent late-night snacking by her child ([06:09] Tanya). She aims to be asleep by 10 PM to align with her body's early schedule.
Katie describes her evening routine of picking up her child, preparing for bedtime, and winding down with books, ensuring she disconnects from work-related stress ([13:05] Katie). Both hosts highlight the importance of setting boundaries to protect their mental health and ensure quality family time.
Quote:
"But then like ovulation week. I'm a machine. Could do everything. Just plough through the to do list, get it all done, full of energy, I can socialize everything." – Katie ([12:16] Katie)
Conclusion: Embracing Flexibility and Community Support
In wrapping up, the hosts acknowledge that the life of an illustrator is anything but rigid. They encourage listeners to embrace the variability of their schedules, prioritize tasks based on personal energy levels, and seek community support through co-working and online forums.
They invite listeners to share their own daily routines, promoting a sense of solidarity and understanding within the illustrator community. The episode concludes with a light-hearted reminder that it's okay to have unorthodox days, reinforcing the message that every illustrator’s journey is unique.
Quote:
"No more of those horrible CEO Day in the Life things." – Tanya ([18:37] Tanya)
Key Takeaways
- Early Mornings: Many illustrators start their day early to maximize productivity, though personal factors like health can influence wake-up times.
- Flexible Workflows: Illustrators often have varied daily tasks, requiring adaptable routines and prioritization based on deadlines and creative energy.
- Energy Management: Understanding personal energy cycles, including the impact of hormonal changes, is crucial for maintaining consistent productivity.
- Community and Accountability: Virtual co-working sessions and community support systems play a vital role in keeping illustrators motivated and accountable.
- Work-Life Balance: Successfully integrating family responsibilities with professional work requires flexibility, clear boundaries, and supportive household dynamics.
This episode offers a heartfelt and realistic glimpse into the lives of professional illustrators, providing valuable insights and relatable experiences for anyone navigating a creative career.