Hey hey hey everyone and welcome to the second post in my AMA series!
I absolutely love when you ask questions and show interest in others' experiences – it shows that you really CARE and are genuinely CURIOUS. And of course I'm open to any other new questions that I can tackle in the future – please keep them coming!
"How do you decide the illustration style for the client?"
Actually, it's pretty simple – I draw in a certain style, and clients come to me already requesting that style. But if the question is about choosing from the variety available in my portfolio (for example, I have illustrations that are more abstract or more corporate, colorful or outlined), then it really depends on the client and the brand I'm creating for.
Sometimes they come with a very detailed brief and examples of the illustration style they'd like, and sometimes I suggest the style based on how I see it working for them. Here it's important to note not my preference for a certain style, but the combination of factors like the project's goal and purpose, where these illustrations will "live," and what stories they need to tell.
"What is your dream job?"
I haven't thought about this in a while, hehe!
I'm used to the work I have now, and I really love what I do, but sometimes I catch myself thinking that I'm stuck in this. Probably the main thing I'd like to do in the future is continue working on large projects that personally interest me, but also lead a team of designers as a creative director for other projects/clients (through my own or another studio). Who knows how it will turn out! But the plan inspires me somehow 🙂
"When did you start drawing when you were young?"
Oh, I was always drawing, I think from age 5 (the earliest I remember)! But I only started actively drawing in college, and I mainly drew with paints or pencils. Usually these were portraits of famous people, abstract paintings, and things like that. I never thought of it as a profession! I just drew for my soul. In my hometown, there are dozens of such drawings lying around somewhere, and many paintings on canvas or wood hanging on the walls. But it was all just fun until I bought myself a tablet to finally start drawing digitally. That happened 6 years ago! I'll write about my story in one of my upcoming blogs.
→ P.S. If you missed the previous AMA post, it is here!
"How do you work on creativity when there are other personal things going bad in life?"
This is a wonderful and at the same time very difficult question! We all have times when something doesn't go according to plan – life is complicated and sometimes everything gets out of control.
In such moments, I experience two states: in the first, I'm actually not very creative and even avoid creativity, not feeling the energy for it. And in the second – I try to distract myself with illustrations and it helps turn off my mind and stop thinking and worrying.
These states, in my personal case, happen automatically, and which one will work depends on the situation. In any case, I always try to remember and distract myself with the thought that a bad streak is only temporary, but my creativity isn't, so I'll return to it soon, even if right now isn't the most productive time for me.
"I am curious about your Etsy shop - How do you manage to reach customers there?"
I actually just started recently, and I'm still trying to understand how this platform works. From what I can tell so far, consistency with listings seems to be key for getting more visibility in front of potential customers.
I'm still figuring it out, and due to my maternity leave and everything else going on in life, I can't spend as much time on my listings as I'd like. However, I do have a "to-do" list for my Etsy shop, and hopefully it will help me reach more customers eventually.
What I do know is that you have to spread the word about your account and really post loooots of listings to get noticed. At least, that's what makes sense to me based on what I've seen so far!
"How do you know when it's time to charge more for your work?"
When there's not enough money to pay rent, lol!
I'm kidding of course, but actually there's some truth in that – we all have to pay our bills and expenses, so it's worth calculating them very carefully and charging a price that covers this + leaves at least a little bit extra (20-30%).
I also consistently increase my prices at least once a year, since inflation spares no one. It would be strange to expect last year's prices, considering that everything around has gotten more expensive – you don't go to the store thinking that bread costs what it did in 2023-24, right? 🍞
Another good reason to think about raising prices should be the quantity and quality of clients coming to you. If there are too many and you can't keep up – maybe it's worth adding more value to your work and starting to charge more money, then the right client will stay and pay you more, while those who aren't ready will leave.
Pricing is a complex topic, but if you're interested, I'd write a whole separate newsletter about it! What do you think? Let me know in the comments or email me.
Thank you for your wonderful questions – they show curiosity, interest, and a desire for something new. I'm happy to share my experience! Write your new questions and I'll answer them in the next AMA!
As always, thanks for reading,
Brand Illustration for Odyssey Health Services by Irene Neyman, 2025