"I used to cry in the toilets before every job (and then I'd go draw)" - a live illustration chat with Katie

This week, our Katie's chatting with Helen and Tania about her favouritest thing and specialism/niche: live illustration. What's it like to arrive at a fancy corporate event with an iPad (or a board and some paint), when someone says "ok, draw everything"?It's a proper deep-dive into the live illustration world, from the adrenalinny (new word) thrill of drawing in real time, including the crying-in-toilets. Is AI a threat to graphic recorders? Spoiler: being a human is, somehow, now a USP. 😂There's also a crackin' question from Joanna about being asked to work for free for a live illustration agency, and we have Thoughts.Timestamps, for the timestamp fans:00:00 – Intro and is live illustration under threat from AI? Katie's honest take02:00 – Being a human = a selling point04:00 – Hand-drawn work is more exciting to clients05:00 – Infographics, AI, and the kinds of work that aren't worth worrying about08:00 – Why Katie loves working live09:00 – Helen on the same feeling during school visits and drawing on stage11:00 – The different flavours of live illustration: corporate, fashion, wedding, events...12:00 – Joanna's question: should I work for free for a live illustration agency?14:00 – How to build your portfolio without getting trapped in the free-work loop15:00 – SEO for live illustrators17:00 – Helen's local museum project: well-paid, rooted in place, in the collection for 20 years21:00 – What Katie teaches in her course: synthesising information, calming your brain, and knowing what to leave out23:00 – How to turn corporate speak into images without just drawing a lightbulb 💡25:00 – Katie's favourite technique: using the page as a visual timer27:00 – The early fear vs the hard-won confidence (and yes, the toilet crying 😅)31:00 – You'll never feel ready, so just start charging anyway32:00 – The live illustration course opens on 15th May!Links mentioned:The Live Illustration Course: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/licByeeee for now!x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)p.s. Curious about live illustration but not 100% sure if it's for you? Come and join Katie for a free Live Illustration Masterclass, it's a good place to start! https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/LIMCome and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙