Three Reasons Why I’m Starting a Blog
So, as an illustrator, why do I want to start a blog?
At the moment, I’m finding short-form Social Media off-putting. It feels a little bit like fast food; very addictive, very processed, and not very healthy in large doses. So the first reason why I’m starting a blog is to experiment with sharing longer forms of content which feel more personal & meaningful. It has the added benefit of cutting down my scrolling time. Don’t get me wrong, Instagram can be a wonderful place to find like-minded creatives & to keep in touch, but one of my favourite ways to engage with Social Media is to watch cosy long form videos on Youtube of other artists working or advice for illustrators whilst I work myself, as if I was in a studio. This is a great motivator.
Some of my favourites are ‘Furry Little Peach’, ‘The V & A Museum’ , ‘Katie Draws’ (one of the Goodship Illustration Captains!),
‘The Illustrator’s Guide’ and ‘Mimimoo Illustration’ . It is thanks to the recent ‘100 Days to Change Your Illustration Career’ video by The Illustrator’s Guide that I am writing this in the last week of November 2024, rather than waiting until January!
I still plan on posting on Instagram, but by having this blog on my own website, I hope to get a better balance.
Reason Two
Another reason is that blogs help to organically bring more traffic to your portfolio website through the magic wizardry of SEO. As I’m approaching the end of my Master’s Degree with Falmouth University, I feel that it’s a good time to continue building my audience through another platform. But again, linking back to my first point, it needs to be in a way that feels meaningful and purposeful. I don’t mind if it’s slow growth, as long as it feels natural. A lot of my illustration inspiration is based on nature, so this is a nice connection.
And the last reason?
Because I want to share what I’ve learnt so far!
One thing that has been a challenge for me during my studies has been putting my thoughts into words. The MA especially has been great at expanding my thinking, and for sparking off new ideas. When it has come to writing up those things into essays and reports, it has felt at times like a huge mountain to climb, but I have come to relish the challenge. I’ve always loved words and studying illustration has felt like the perfect bridge between words and pictures, and I’m hoping that by sharing some of the things I have learnt along the way through this blog, that I will continue to play with writing as well as drawing.