Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joanna Baker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Joanna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Earning a full-time living as an illustrator has been a winding journey for sure! When I left my corporate fashion design job ten years ago to launch my illustration business, my creative practice shifted from hobby to main source of income in an instant. While this pressure was very motivating in the beginning, over time it weighed heavily on me as an artist. I’ve come to learn just how important it is to continually try new things and make room for creative play without expectation.

My business has evolved a lot over the years. When I first started out, my income came from commissions, in-person markets, and a few online shop sales. Fast forward to today – I now sell my artwork and illustrated products almost entirely online and I’ve expanded into licensing, wholesale and repeating patterns for textiles & wallpaper. I also teach illustration lessons via my online courses and membership, The Bountiful Artist.

If I had limited my vision to only what I thought was possible when I first quit my job, I would have missed out on so many different opportunities! There isn’t one right way to make a living as an artist and while that may feel daunting at first, it’s actually the biggest relief. You can’t mess up really, you just have to keep showing up, day after day and share your art! My business continues to evolve to meet me where I am as an artist and I feel grateful to be able to earn a living doing what I love.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hello! My name is Joanna and I’m an illustrator residing in New Jersey with my husband and our kitty Lola. After living in Manhattan for thirteen years, we moved to a house with more space an hour outside of the city and I now work out of my home studio overlooking our backyard garden.

My fashion design background and time spent living in New York City greatly influence my work. I’m a multi-disciplinary artist and create using brush markers, ink, colored pencil, watercolor, and acrylics on a variety of surfaces. I enjoy capturing life’s delightful, everyday details and transforming them into giftable paper & home goods.

A few things I’m known for creating annually: my Favorite Things Calendar filled with over 100 new illustrations for the year, a collection of hand-painted ceramic bisque Heirloom Eggs for decorative display, and my best selling illustrated glitter ornaments for the holiday season. You can find my work online: https://shop.joanna-baker.com as well as Etsy and Spoonflower.

After seven years working as a full-time illustrator, I discovered the joy in sharing my creative process with others. I now teach online illustration courses in addition to hosting an illustration membership, The Bountiful Artist. If you’re interested in learning how to create beautiful illustrations with brush markers, I host free online Community Art Classes each spring and our next set of lessons will kick off in April!

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

The one thing I wish I had learned earlier on is the importance of creative community. As a solopreneur and admitted introvert, I figured I’d be fine managing everything on my own. But running a creative business is hard! Things happen that you don’t expect or can’t plan for (positive and negative!) and it’s invaluable to have the support of those who know what it’s like and can give you advice. I was fortunate enough to find an amazing group of artists through an online course and I highly recommend seeking out creatives in a similar stage of their journey so you can support each other through all the ups and downs.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I think I can safely say that 2020 was a difficult year for small business owners and my experience was no different. Prior to the pandemic, selling my art in-person at craft shows in New York City was a large portion of my income. In what felt like no time at all, I had to completely shift my business online. There was a lot of uncertainty and fear as no one knew how long lockdown would last. In the spirit of coming together as a creative community, I began hosting free, weekly art classes live on Zoom as a way for people to destress and learn something new. Students from all over the world participated and it was beautiful seeing everyone show up week after week to create. Even though I never saw myself as a teacher when I first started out, offering these classes helped me realize the positive impact that sharing art can have. After twelve weeks of drawing together, the lessons evolved into a membership for aspiring illustrators and the free Community Art Class lessons have now become a much-loved annual tradition!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://joanna-baker.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannabaker
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joannabakerillustration
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/joannabaker
• Other: Spoonflower: https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/joannabaker
  Etsy: https://joannabaker.etsy.com