The Illustrators' Survey 2020
What is The Illustrator’s Survey?
How the illustration industry is doing
These results are from the 3rd Annual Illustrators’ Survey, set up by Ben O’Brien AKA Bentheillustrator.
It’s an overview of the illustration industry as a whole, where we are, and where we could be doing better. I have always enjoyed participating in the survey and reading the results, so it was WUNDERBAR to be invited onto this year’s survey committee.
Let’s get into it!
Definitely have a look at the official survey results at the link at the bottom of this post. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.
We’re Proud to be Illustrators
Yes we are. I think this has been the same every year. Drawing pictures for a living is a great thing. Hooray for that.
Diversity in illustration is Improving (but there’s still room for improvement)
Yes it is! And I’m glad the survey acknowledged that while we’re improving…there’s still a way to go. I have noticed I’m being asked more and more often by art directors and project managers to include diversity when drawing people. It’s briliant that commissioners are catching on, and it’s also our job as image-makers to draw what the world is really like.
We’re Forever Learning and Improving Our Creative Work and Our Businesses
And so we should. It’s one of the perks of being self employed, being your own boss means you can send yourself on drawing trips and buy yourself courses and keep learning and growing as much as you like.
Illustrators Need to Charge More
(Cheap is not a compliment)
Ok here we go. *Rolls sleeves up.* I might swear.
The Association of Illustrators would like all full time illustrators to be earning minimum of £20,000. According to this year’s illustrators’ survey 55% of full time illustrators are earning under £20k. More than half.
I would also like to add that £20k isn’t that ambitious. Aim higher! Fuck earning minimum wage to do something highly skilled that you have probably spent years practicing. Life is too short to scrape by and worry about putting the heating on. You could go and work in a bloody office and earn more than £20k and you’d get a company pension and see other humans every day etc.
Raise your rates. Get a part time job if that means you can say no to poorly paid illustration gigs. There’s this stigma around having a part time job. Ignore it. A part time job can be your secret weapon. Seek out better clients if your old clients wont pay your new rates. Value your work. Being able to draw is a talent, but more importantly it’s a skill that you have been developing for years.
Not everybody can do what we do, and what we charge should reflect that.
Money is not evil. Rich people are not bastards. Earning a decent wage does not fundamentally change you as a person - you’re still the same person… but you’ll be able to afford to take time off, and put the heating on and buy things and donate to causes you believe in. Illustrators are Good People and the world is crying out for more wealthy good people.
If you are reading this and thinking ‘well that’s fucking lovely for you, Katie, but MY clients wont pay me any more than they already do.’
Ok. You’re right.
Whatever you believe, you are right. The sooner you can understand that the universe is a great big YES machine, the sooner you’ll be earning over £20k. Watch out for the stories you’re telling yourself and understand that they’re just that - stories. Thoughts aren’t facts.
Henry Ford, ladies and gentlemen:
Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t - you’re right.
-Henry Ford
Being an Illustrator with a Part Time Job
Miss Magpie Spy (Niki Groom) has a fantastic series on her blog, called Money Talks, and I’m totally biased because she interviewed me early in 2019 about finances and being an illustrator balancing a non-creative part time job, with part time illustration. There are also interviews with Willa Gebbie, Ben Tallon, and Kristina Gehrmann.
It’s fascinating to read about how other illustrators manage their finances and see ACTUAL NUMBERS re: earnings.
At the time of the above interview I was working as a nanny 2 days a week, while juggling freelancing. I had just radically changed my mindset around pricing/how I charge (eg. charging more).
In the year since I’ve been able to retire from nannying and become a full time illustrator, occasionally lecturing in illustration.
I highly recommend a part time job while you build up your illustration career, if it means you can afford to turn down the poorly-paid illustration jobs.
Mental Health in the Creative Industry
I would love to know the statistics for people in “normal” jobs and see how different they are to the illustrators’ survey results. Are we suffering more than office workers, or is this a thing that is affecting all humans.
We have a lot to deal with. Climate anxiety, isolation, comparison-itis thanks to social media…
Make sure you talk to somebody if you need to, and build up a community around you if you don’t have one. Talking to people online still counts. Talking to somebody in person is even better, if you can.
A Note on Inspiration vs Plagiarism/Copyright Theft in Illustration
I didn’t include this aspect of the survey in my illustration but whoaaaaa so many illustrators are getting their inspiration from other illustrators’ instagrams.
There are much more exciting places to find jucier inspiration. Leave your phone at home and do some #walktosee sketching (then post it on Instagram when you get home. LOL)
You know this already. Just reminding you.
There’s also a great article and interview with Ben the Illustrator about the Illustrators’ Survey here on Digital Arts magazine.
p.s. This illustration is the kind I create at conferences, meetings and events to visualise information. You can read more about my services on my live illustration page.