A comment on my last letter brought up the question of the sustainability of a career in illustration. This echoed many observations I've made during my own research, between decreasing rates, inflation, precariousness, stylistic trends changing constantly, it seems hard for many to picture a stable future over several decades as an illustrator.
So I’d like to open the conversation on the topic of quitting illustration: Did you quit or have thought of quitting illustration as a job? if so for what reasons, at what stage of your life, did you fully or partially quit? This is also a question about the future, if you’re an illustrator, what comes up when you think of your job 5, 10, 20 years form now?
I hope you’ll feel comfortable sharing your insights on this important topic that we —in our classic delusional-hustle-culture fashion— tend to avoid.
I'll share my experience too since, in practice, I've quit illustration. After 4 years of full time illustration (bear in mind this was made possible by multiple factors such as living in Montreal, having cheap rent thanks to my landlord being my friend, living with my ex, working for US-based clients and benefiting from a good exchange rate, etc.), I felt a bit burnt out by the constant stress of not knowing if I'd be working the next month, the repeated short deadlines of editorial and the soul-sucking boredom of advertising gigs.
Despite the massive pay-cut that came with going back to school, my quality of life increased by the sheer stability of getting paid undoubtedly every months for the first time in my life. I stopped drawing for a year, literally. I felt the need to take a break from making images because the images, the style, I was producing at the time didn't feel like something I was proud of anymore. Too much noise. After one year of cleanse, I started fieldwork here in NYC and being in contact with so many talented illustrators made me want to draw again, but not like I used to. I found that removing the pressure from being one stylistic thing, from being appealing to client, from making money, enabled me to go in directions I would have never been in as a full time illustrator. It feels good. For the first time in a while I feel excited by the potential my work holds, rather than be satisfied with the thing it can already do.
After the PhD, I consider going back to working as an illustrator, but only part time. I think having more control over my work conditions as an artist is the best way to insure that I feel the most satisfied creatively for a long time.
I've been an illustrator for 25+ years - every year I've thought about quitting. Every year. But to do what? Retrain? I have looked at all the study programs out there with that in mind. It's always been a tough act but I felt I couldn't *do* anything else (like some others have said) and more importantly felt I would die as an employee with obligations to a boss and a company. So I went on. My career has had all sorts of movements - up down and around - and I think that is part of most freelancing. I learned to let go of financial security, and navigate things like a squirrel, putting money away to secure the months ahead where nothing might come in. Sustainable? Not really in a one income household with kids, so we lived "very small" (coop housing, no traveling abroad etc). What kept me afloat through the years, but can lead to burn-out, was always balancing a mix of markets - children's books, editorial, workshops in schools etc - which I know most illustrators do. It's hard. Last year I took up a steady part time job teaching workshops to kids. This year I didn't need to keep doing it. Editorial has completely stopped for me, but I don't miss the pressure! I focus on children's books, a market I made my way in very slowly. Of course that doesn't come with any security either. I'm working on being an author as well, in the hopes of being able to develop a better income in that field that way.
I am lucky to live in Canada which has grants for artists , which I recently started to apply for regularly to help support me through long processes of illustrating children's books. I've been so successful at grant applying that I started to coach other illustrators in the hopes that I could help others tap into that possible income (and have). That is also how I'm finally able to expand to fine arts and hopefully develop a market independently from illustration clients. Grants have stabilized my income greatly . Is it sustainable? I don't know.
I still wonder how I'm going to face older age with no pension or money put away. I think that that is partly the problem when we push along in this career - it is practically impossible to plan our future when we can only make ends meet. I kept thinking "next year might be better". My future is brighter as I am now in a double income household.
I never did quit and at 55 have decided to see where this adventure will lead and stopped thinking about retraining, because opportunities after retraining or finding a new fulfilling job past 50 could be very difficult. I have also diversified in learning new crafts - because it's my dream, but lately I've also been thinking that AI will have a harder time replacing crafts. It's my hope right now!
I'm currently doing very well (I think) in my illustration career but I'm not taking it for granted one bit. It took me almost 15 years to get there and I'm very aware that this situation is flimsy. I'm hoping to ride this wave for as long as I can but my brain hasn't fully processed that this is my full-time job now. In the back of my mind, I am still that struggling artist who might need to take any job to make ends meet. I could revert to being this person at any time. Hopefully I am still doing this job in a decade and more and maybe become a mentor to younger illustrators, but I might also feel sick of this industry and want to take a no-brainer job. At least I'll be satisfied that I've had my creative voice heard and validated at one point :)
I'm kind of quitting (at least the freelance side of it, it stoped being sustainable with financial crisis, post-Brexit market turmoil and AI quickly reshaping the creative market). I have a part time job now - still doing illustration and graphic design, but the beauty of illustration for me was not only doing what I love, but also not being employed, so it's not really sustainable for me on the long run, and I'm thinking of the ways to regroup and reinvent myself. In terms of 5, 10 + years I'm hoping to fully transition into fine art and not working to a brief anymore, working on my own shows full time.
I've been on the fence of quitting illustration for awhile. I had been a fulltime illustrator for 7 years until some health problems compounded and the bills stacked up till it didn't seem viable to do it anymore. The constant lack of clients paying on time, has really added to the stress of not knowing when cashflow will come in, plus, the declining rates of projects has not been easy. From my perspective most 'full-time' illustrators I see have not really disclosed the distribution of their income in talks/workshops they sometimes give, and I was left with a false illusion that one could thrive purely on illustration work but doing many years of this has made me realize its not the case. Alot of people I looked up to actually had half or more than half of their income come from teaching... I wish I had knew this in the beginning (guess I was just naive when listening/paying for these workshops/classes). I got a part time job and the stability has really eased and improved my financial stresses. Still do it part time though! Really love it but I'm not sure its a really sustainable career if you'd like to live a life and thrive, not just survive.
I have been "quiet quitting" (LOL!) for the last year. I left a day job in 2012 to pursue illustration full time (my background/education includes arts administration/marketing and graphic design). I was able to do this living in a 2-income household; it took about 5 years to really get to where my opportunities/income were steady enough. The Pandemic ushered in 3 years of declining income/opportunity, and by the end of 2022 I was incredibly burned out on the hamster wheel of looking for clients and work. I took a part-time job last year with a local arts organization, and am still feeling pretty negative about where the world of illustration is headed, so have really withdrawn from that and hope to be transitioning to something full time by the end of this year.
I'm doing pretty good in the field of illustration for the last 15 years. I complain alot about the struggles to myself, friends and peers but whenever I take a step back and look at other peoples jobs I know I'm very fortunate to work this job and to make a good living from it. In a wierd way I think I'm more happy to be a freelancer as to be an illustrator. Like that's the most important aspect I like about my job. Of course just as long as it's paying the bills + some extras ... At the same time I have a strong feeling I won't be able to do this for the long run. I've had friends quit the field and it seems like it's getting harder and harder to make this a living. Not sure if I can survive in this field for another 15 years or even 5 but that's a motivation to make it count as long as it lasts. At the same time I'm already collecting ideas for Plan B, C or D and keeping my eyes and ears open. So I'm not quitting but I'm planning exits as I can see the iceberg far far ahead. Or is it a fata morgana? Let's see.
I let go of the client illustration arm of my business for the most part. This was voluntary, as I bridged into more Fine Art / drawing. Once I had a little bit of success with selling art directly to an audience of collectors, I kept going down that path. It’s not super consistent but it’s enough to keep going and growing. Surprisingly my main income is from the small community of art collectors who buy my physical and digital art via NFT’s. Seems like this could make a big comeback in the coming years and be integrated into more creative professions. Feeling lucky for every little bit of success in art, and grateful to not have to work 9-5 or pivot every 6 months. Instead I enjoy working an inconsistent schedule and making more or less what I want to make, taking the risk to mint it and put it out there each time... It’s a huge balancing act and not easy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Hi! I transitioned from graphic design to illustration after 20 years of career in 2020. I have a family and we're essentially depending on my income right now. And I'm doing well. However, my situation is unusual. I do contract work for a great company as an in-house illustrator. This has the benefit of a stable income, a specific focus and not having to do constant marketing work, although I lack the freedom of a typical freelancer.
I doubt I could survive doing editorial illustration work in today's industry. I have no idea where current affairs are taking us. I will continue drawing and illustrating in 5, 10, 20 years, but I don't think it will be possible to sustain my activity as a professional. It's possible that I will eventually be forced to alternate visual identity work or product design with illustration jobs. I know very few illustrators who can survive by illustrating alone, and they are usually at extremely above-average quote levels.
Like many of our friends around here, I would love to get to a point where I can make a living from more artistic and personal work, not necessarily linked to visual communication.
So interesting - thank you! I am in fine art (& have a job). I had been thinking maybe it would be easier to make consistent income with illustration over fine art... Thanks for saving me from ever trying to get into this field!
I don't to illustration full-time and if I did, I don't think it would be sustainable. I specialise in data design and do data graphics, design reports, teach workshops *and* illustrate. Illustrations make up about 10-20% of my income. Even with licensing agreements, selling stock images, etc. I don't see a way to make it as a full time illustrator, so I don't spend much time looking for illustration clients. I get better returns on my time looking for the data work.
Quitting is something I think about often, but maybe not in a serious way — more like, am I really going to be able to earn money from illustration forever? I'm in a double income household, but I do currently earn enough money that I could live by myself if I moved to a less expensive city. But will I always be earning this much from my art?
The other thing I worry about is that, even if I did want to quit, I wouldn't actually be able to *do* anything else. I've been doing this for 9 years. I'm good at it and I enjoy it. Can I really see myself pivoting or retraining and entering another career?
This is a great topic, and one that should be talked about between illustrators a lot more, so thank you for this! I’ve been working in Kidlit illustration full-time for a decade, and share many of the ups and downs of everyone here. I’ve been lucky in that my book contracts have been steady through this time, which has been helped by the fact that I do two types of styles for books; 1) Bright and joyful picture books. 2) Historical picture books & middle grade fiction. A pro of book illustration (vs. editorial or adv) is that the schedules are much longer for each project (around 1 year for picture books, depending on the project). I have to keep at least 6 months living expenses plus an emergency fund saved, because I can easily go 6 months without getting paid. Other than “living off of illustration”, there’s also the topic of sustainability in creative energy. Hustling for ALL client work might be the main source creative burnout, I think? A big goal I’m pivoting towards is figuring out how to do more personal work with low stakes, but that has potential to make into prints to sell independently. So I’m hoping to stay full-time for as long as I’m able, but hoping to supplement eventually with doing and selling more personal art. Just as people might feel envious of full-time artists, I sometimes envy those with a steady “other” job who do art for fun. The grass is always greener! Illustration work needs to be so tailored to each illustrator’s life and needs, and takes a lot of trial and error. And I’m wishing the best for all trying to work it out. 🧡
Hi all! I’m also an illustrator unsure about the future but positive that things might work out hopefully. I have been making a living for the last years mostly from illustration although I also took some projects in graphic design and animation. I’m making ends meet but I would like to increase my income in the future. In the beginning of my career I wanted to work in editorial illustration but I am now switching gears towards book illustrations as I think there might be more jobs there and also I will enjoy more. Not sure, it will be sustainable for 5, 10, 20 years but I would like to keep working in something related. I’m open to exploring making videos on YouTube, teaching, etc to support the household.
What a great question to ask to redefine that WHY.
As for me, I also work as a brand designer, strategist, and UI/UX, and due to projects, it has been hard to fully commit to my personal illustration series. However, I have found that those pause moments increased my desire to tell stories in images. Even if I always doodle and create, more intentional illustration projects do need that pause and reflection time.
Quitting illustration is not my plan. I use illustration in my work, and I do enjoy having illustrations as my "fil rouge." Even if I don't have a specific illustration brief from clients, I don't think of quitting. What I think of is using that superpower to publish projects, books under my name, and why not under a collective of illustrators?
I think our future lies also in that positioning. Not depending on clients only but creating our ecosystem and economy. A great example is Mike Lowery, I just discovered his art and world of pieces, products, and services. It demands building a solid brand and having a strong focus, for sure, but it is exciting to witness that capacity available to each one of us.
Rather than quitting, I would say owning our rights and transitioning to building our brands and communities. If drawing is part of your voice, it is hard to let go of it. We may need to redefine what it means to us and work from there.
Quitting is not for me. With or without clients, illustration prevails for me. But I do know that my other client's work helps. Hopefully, creating book projects will help prepare a new leading role as an illustrator.
I'll share my experience too since, in practice, I've quit illustration. After 4 years of full time illustration (bear in mind this was made possible by multiple factors such as living in Montreal, having cheap rent thanks to my landlord being my friend, living with my ex, working for US-based clients and benefiting from a good exchange rate, etc.), I felt a bit burnt out by the constant stress of not knowing if I'd be working the next month, the repeated short deadlines of editorial and the soul-sucking boredom of advertising gigs.
Despite the massive pay-cut that came with going back to school, my quality of life increased by the sheer stability of getting paid undoubtedly every months for the first time in my life. I stopped drawing for a year, literally. I felt the need to take a break from making images because the images, the style, I was producing at the time didn't feel like something I was proud of anymore. Too much noise. After one year of cleanse, I started fieldwork here in NYC and being in contact with so many talented illustrators made me want to draw again, but not like I used to. I found that removing the pressure from being one stylistic thing, from being appealing to client, from making money, enabled me to go in directions I would have never been in as a full time illustrator. It feels good. For the first time in a while I feel excited by the potential my work holds, rather than be satisfied with the thing it can already do.
After the PhD, I consider going back to working as an illustrator, but only part time. I think having more control over my work conditions as an artist is the best way to insure that I feel the most satisfied creatively for a long time.
I've been an illustrator for 25+ years - every year I've thought about quitting. Every year. But to do what? Retrain? I have looked at all the study programs out there with that in mind. It's always been a tough act but I felt I couldn't *do* anything else (like some others have said) and more importantly felt I would die as an employee with obligations to a boss and a company. So I went on. My career has had all sorts of movements - up down and around - and I think that is part of most freelancing. I learned to let go of financial security, and navigate things like a squirrel, putting money away to secure the months ahead where nothing might come in. Sustainable? Not really in a one income household with kids, so we lived "very small" (coop housing, no traveling abroad etc). What kept me afloat through the years, but can lead to burn-out, was always balancing a mix of markets - children's books, editorial, workshops in schools etc - which I know most illustrators do. It's hard. Last year I took up a steady part time job teaching workshops to kids. This year I didn't need to keep doing it. Editorial has completely stopped for me, but I don't miss the pressure! I focus on children's books, a market I made my way in very slowly. Of course that doesn't come with any security either. I'm working on being an author as well, in the hopes of being able to develop a better income in that field that way.
I am lucky to live in Canada which has grants for artists , which I recently started to apply for regularly to help support me through long processes of illustrating children's books. I've been so successful at grant applying that I started to coach other illustrators in the hopes that I could help others tap into that possible income (and have). That is also how I'm finally able to expand to fine arts and hopefully develop a market independently from illustration clients. Grants have stabilized my income greatly . Is it sustainable? I don't know.
I still wonder how I'm going to face older age with no pension or money put away. I think that that is partly the problem when we push along in this career - it is practically impossible to plan our future when we can only make ends meet. I kept thinking "next year might be better". My future is brighter as I am now in a double income household.
I never did quit and at 55 have decided to see where this adventure will lead and stopped thinking about retraining, because opportunities after retraining or finding a new fulfilling job past 50 could be very difficult. I have also diversified in learning new crafts - because it's my dream, but lately I've also been thinking that AI will have a harder time replacing crafts. It's my hope right now!
I'm currently doing very well (I think) in my illustration career but I'm not taking it for granted one bit. It took me almost 15 years to get there and I'm very aware that this situation is flimsy. I'm hoping to ride this wave for as long as I can but my brain hasn't fully processed that this is my full-time job now. In the back of my mind, I am still that struggling artist who might need to take any job to make ends meet. I could revert to being this person at any time. Hopefully I am still doing this job in a decade and more and maybe become a mentor to younger illustrators, but I might also feel sick of this industry and want to take a no-brainer job. At least I'll be satisfied that I've had my creative voice heard and validated at one point :)
I'm kind of quitting (at least the freelance side of it, it stoped being sustainable with financial crisis, post-Brexit market turmoil and AI quickly reshaping the creative market). I have a part time job now - still doing illustration and graphic design, but the beauty of illustration for me was not only doing what I love, but also not being employed, so it's not really sustainable for me on the long run, and I'm thinking of the ways to regroup and reinvent myself. In terms of 5, 10 + years I'm hoping to fully transition into fine art and not working to a brief anymore, working on my own shows full time.
I've been on the fence of quitting illustration for awhile. I had been a fulltime illustrator for 7 years until some health problems compounded and the bills stacked up till it didn't seem viable to do it anymore. The constant lack of clients paying on time, has really added to the stress of not knowing when cashflow will come in, plus, the declining rates of projects has not been easy. From my perspective most 'full-time' illustrators I see have not really disclosed the distribution of their income in talks/workshops they sometimes give, and I was left with a false illusion that one could thrive purely on illustration work but doing many years of this has made me realize its not the case. Alot of people I looked up to actually had half or more than half of their income come from teaching... I wish I had knew this in the beginning (guess I was just naive when listening/paying for these workshops/classes). I got a part time job and the stability has really eased and improved my financial stresses. Still do it part time though! Really love it but I'm not sure its a really sustainable career if you'd like to live a life and thrive, not just survive.
I have been "quiet quitting" (LOL!) for the last year. I left a day job in 2012 to pursue illustration full time (my background/education includes arts administration/marketing and graphic design). I was able to do this living in a 2-income household; it took about 5 years to really get to where my opportunities/income were steady enough. The Pandemic ushered in 3 years of declining income/opportunity, and by the end of 2022 I was incredibly burned out on the hamster wheel of looking for clients and work. I took a part-time job last year with a local arts organization, and am still feeling pretty negative about where the world of illustration is headed, so have really withdrawn from that and hope to be transitioning to something full time by the end of this year.
I'm doing pretty good in the field of illustration for the last 15 years. I complain alot about the struggles to myself, friends and peers but whenever I take a step back and look at other peoples jobs I know I'm very fortunate to work this job and to make a good living from it. In a wierd way I think I'm more happy to be a freelancer as to be an illustrator. Like that's the most important aspect I like about my job. Of course just as long as it's paying the bills + some extras ... At the same time I have a strong feeling I won't be able to do this for the long run. I've had friends quit the field and it seems like it's getting harder and harder to make this a living. Not sure if I can survive in this field for another 15 years or even 5 but that's a motivation to make it count as long as it lasts. At the same time I'm already collecting ideas for Plan B, C or D and keeping my eyes and ears open. So I'm not quitting but I'm planning exits as I can see the iceberg far far ahead. Or is it a fata morgana? Let's see.
I let go of the client illustration arm of my business for the most part. This was voluntary, as I bridged into more Fine Art / drawing. Once I had a little bit of success with selling art directly to an audience of collectors, I kept going down that path. It’s not super consistent but it’s enough to keep going and growing. Surprisingly my main income is from the small community of art collectors who buy my physical and digital art via NFT’s. Seems like this could make a big comeback in the coming years and be integrated into more creative professions. Feeling lucky for every little bit of success in art, and grateful to not have to work 9-5 or pivot every 6 months. Instead I enjoy working an inconsistent schedule and making more or less what I want to make, taking the risk to mint it and put it out there each time... It’s a huge balancing act and not easy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Hi! I transitioned from graphic design to illustration after 20 years of career in 2020. I have a family and we're essentially depending on my income right now. And I'm doing well. However, my situation is unusual. I do contract work for a great company as an in-house illustrator. This has the benefit of a stable income, a specific focus and not having to do constant marketing work, although I lack the freedom of a typical freelancer.
I doubt I could survive doing editorial illustration work in today's industry. I have no idea where current affairs are taking us. I will continue drawing and illustrating in 5, 10, 20 years, but I don't think it will be possible to sustain my activity as a professional. It's possible that I will eventually be forced to alternate visual identity work or product design with illustration jobs. I know very few illustrators who can survive by illustrating alone, and they are usually at extremely above-average quote levels.
Like many of our friends around here, I would love to get to a point where I can make a living from more artistic and personal work, not necessarily linked to visual communication.
So interesting - thank you! I am in fine art (& have a job). I had been thinking maybe it would be easier to make consistent income with illustration over fine art... Thanks for saving me from ever trying to get into this field!
I don't to illustration full-time and if I did, I don't think it would be sustainable. I specialise in data design and do data graphics, design reports, teach workshops *and* illustrate. Illustrations make up about 10-20% of my income. Even with licensing agreements, selling stock images, etc. I don't see a way to make it as a full time illustrator, so I don't spend much time looking for illustration clients. I get better returns on my time looking for the data work.
Quitting is something I think about often, but maybe not in a serious way — more like, am I really going to be able to earn money from illustration forever? I'm in a double income household, but I do currently earn enough money that I could live by myself if I moved to a less expensive city. But will I always be earning this much from my art?
The other thing I worry about is that, even if I did want to quit, I wouldn't actually be able to *do* anything else. I've been doing this for 9 years. I'm good at it and I enjoy it. Can I really see myself pivoting or retraining and entering another career?
This is a great topic, and one that should be talked about between illustrators a lot more, so thank you for this! I’ve been working in Kidlit illustration full-time for a decade, and share many of the ups and downs of everyone here. I’ve been lucky in that my book contracts have been steady through this time, which has been helped by the fact that I do two types of styles for books; 1) Bright and joyful picture books. 2) Historical picture books & middle grade fiction. A pro of book illustration (vs. editorial or adv) is that the schedules are much longer for each project (around 1 year for picture books, depending on the project). I have to keep at least 6 months living expenses plus an emergency fund saved, because I can easily go 6 months without getting paid. Other than “living off of illustration”, there’s also the topic of sustainability in creative energy. Hustling for ALL client work might be the main source creative burnout, I think? A big goal I’m pivoting towards is figuring out how to do more personal work with low stakes, but that has potential to make into prints to sell independently. So I’m hoping to stay full-time for as long as I’m able, but hoping to supplement eventually with doing and selling more personal art. Just as people might feel envious of full-time artists, I sometimes envy those with a steady “other” job who do art for fun. The grass is always greener! Illustration work needs to be so tailored to each illustrator’s life and needs, and takes a lot of trial and error. And I’m wishing the best for all trying to work it out. 🧡
Hi all! I’m also an illustrator unsure about the future but positive that things might work out hopefully. I have been making a living for the last years mostly from illustration although I also took some projects in graphic design and animation. I’m making ends meet but I would like to increase my income in the future. In the beginning of my career I wanted to work in editorial illustration but I am now switching gears towards book illustrations as I think there might be more jobs there and also I will enjoy more. Not sure, it will be sustainable for 5, 10, 20 years but I would like to keep working in something related. I’m open to exploring making videos on YouTube, teaching, etc to support the household.
What a great question to ask to redefine that WHY.
As for me, I also work as a brand designer, strategist, and UI/UX, and due to projects, it has been hard to fully commit to my personal illustration series. However, I have found that those pause moments increased my desire to tell stories in images. Even if I always doodle and create, more intentional illustration projects do need that pause and reflection time.
Quitting illustration is not my plan. I use illustration in my work, and I do enjoy having illustrations as my "fil rouge." Even if I don't have a specific illustration brief from clients, I don't think of quitting. What I think of is using that superpower to publish projects, books under my name, and why not under a collective of illustrators?
I think our future lies also in that positioning. Not depending on clients only but creating our ecosystem and economy. A great example is Mike Lowery, I just discovered his art and world of pieces, products, and services. It demands building a solid brand and having a strong focus, for sure, but it is exciting to witness that capacity available to each one of us.
Rather than quitting, I would say owning our rights and transitioning to building our brands and communities. If drawing is part of your voice, it is hard to let go of it. We may need to redefine what it means to us and work from there.
Quitting is not for me. With or without clients, illustration prevails for me. But I do know that my other client's work helps. Hopefully, creating book projects will help prepare a new leading role as an illustrator.