Tara Tayyebi Fard on finding her creative voice (and illustration career) after 10 years of being an architect

Pssst, while you're here... On Tuesday 10th February 2026 we're running a live workshop! https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/aiworkshop Standing out in a sea of robots: being an illustrator when AI is everywhereThis workshop's perfect for you if you:Call yourself an illustrator, image-maker (or want to)Feel a bit wobbly about AI and what it means for your style and creative workWant to stand out in a sea of slop Know you're brilliant, but struggle to articulate what makes you differentAre ready to stop worrying and start being more unapologetically YOU.Let’s get weirder, eh? 🤖------------------------------------OK! On with the show(notes)!"Unfortunately, I was good at maths."-Tara Tayyebi FardTara is a Persian illustrator, humorist, architect and violinist currently based in Belgium.She grew up reading stories, playing music, keeping a stack of diaries, and offending people by drawing them all fat.Tara spent most of her adult life studying and working in architecture, and has been whining about it ever since. She now holds a masters degree from Amsterdam School of Art, which she happily keeps in the depths of her wardrobe.In 2023, Tara jumped aboard the Good Ship Illustration, rediscovered her love for drawing and gradually started her career as an illustrator. Two years later, she signed with her agent, Lucie at Luddington Creative; working on picture books, doing commissions, live event illustration and making personal work.Tara pivoted to a career in illustration after 10 years of being an architect.In this episode, we chat to Good Shipper Tara about finding her creative voice, why being properly herself is what led to her dream clients, why being unsuccessful can be weirdly freeing, aaaaand **deep breath** how consistency and creative jealousy can be big flashing neon signs to help you figure out what you DO want to do.Rough timestamps for our timestamp-fans:00:00 – Intro + free workshop mention02:00 – Architecture → illustration pivot moment05:00 – Childhood clues + diaries + sketchbooks08:00 – Being annoyed = excellent character research09:00 – 60 weeks of Substack and what that builds10:00 – Illustration loneliness vs illustration community reality12:00 – Making work when the world feels a bit bleak14:00 – Commission hamster wheel vs personal work15:00 – Dream clients happen when you show your actual personality17:00 – The “what you love / what you’re good at / what pays” overlap19:00 – Planning for creative brains (menus > rigid schedules)23:00 – Creative jealousy = useful information, not failure26:00 – The regret test (8-year-old you vs 80-year-old you)27:00 – Can illustrators make money? Also: you can be bad at any career 😌Stuff mentioned:Tara's Substack: https://substack.com/@tarastimeout Tara's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tara.tekentafel Tara's website: https://www.taratayyebifard.com/Good Ship Illustration Monthly Numbers Tracker (freebie) Come 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 🎙