For the past six months I’ve had a complete obsession with drawing UK skylines.  I’ve drawn all sorts of places – from the obvious (London, Glasgow) to the more unusual (the Wirral, Carlisle).  I’ve just completed my thirtieth – a slightly more personal illustration of Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle, which is the area in which I’ve had my studio for the past three years.
 
I’ve absolutely loved drawing every one of them – and the process I’ve developed really satisfies the logical way I like to work.  With very few exceptions, each skyline had developed as the result of a collaboration of different ideas – all via social media.  I simply pose the question “what landmarks make your city special?” and let Facebook and Instagram responses guide me to the most notable, iconic, memorable landmarks – both classic and contemporary.  From Hull’s white phone boxes to Nottingham’s Sky Mirror, nothing is too small or too insignificant – and if enough people mention it then I include it in the final illustration.

I generally work on a tally list and pick the 8-10 most popular things – although I must admit there are a few times where I’ve picked out things that I really fancy drawing, even if they’re not that popular!  Completely by chance, every single shortlist has included enough tall, short, big and little landmarks to make up a visually appealing composition.
 
The really lovely thing – and something that I didn’t anticipate happening – is that I am now a whole load more knowledgeable about UK cities.  I can be sitting watching TV and know exactly where a programme is set before anyone has even spoken a word!  I have a little list in my head of places I really want to visit too.  Cardiff’s Animal Wall is at the very top.

I’m frequently asked “why’ve you bothered drawing such a small city?” and my answer is simple – if you look at how many skylines there are of big, touristy places like London or Liverpool you are spoilt for choice.  I love drawing smaller, more obscure places.  Leicester is one of my biggest sellers, and Leeds is really popular too – in part, I am sure, because there are a lot less illustrations of these places!
 
My favourite?  Well, that has to be Liverpool.  The most emotionally draining was Oxford – a city where I lived for a short time after graduating, and a city where I properly fell in love for the first time.  It was like walking down memory lane… a somewhat bittersweet experience.  Lancaster held some strong memories for me too, but for some reason this was much easier for me to draw.

I absolutely love anything that adds a bit of character - so a donkey on the beach in Blackpool, a little Herdwick sheep in the Lake District or a little Viking sauntering along the street in York, all add to the interest for myself and - hopefully - for the viewer too!

Adding my skylines to wedding invites was a no-brainer – I have an existing Liverpool skyline illustration (which I drew years and years ago) which has always been really popular on wedding stationery, so to expand on this and offer invites with any skyline made perfect sense.  I can even work on a little bespoke illustration of a wedding venue and drop this into the skyline for an extra personal touch.  My Personalised Graduation Skylines and Cards have been really popular over the past month or so too.
 
And, what’s next… well, on the list is Durham, Bath, Reading and Middlesborough – all by popular demand.  I also want to branch out and draw some European cities, inspired by my own travels – Paris, Berlin, Barcelona...  I definitely want to do Sydney soon too.   I’d love to hear any other suggestions!
 
Ultimately I’d love for people to say “oh, I was born here, went to uni here, got married here, and my child was born here” and be able to buy multiple skylines to tell their own story.  I’m getting there, but I know I have a lot more work to do… watch this space!

So, you've made the decision... you want to move your business out of your home (read more about when I made that decision here).  Now the fun starts... you can look around some workspaces.  But how on earth do you decide which one is - or isn't - right for you?

Here is a whole heap of things you might want to consider when you've had a look at a potential workspace.  I'd always recommend taking someone you trust along with you too - they might be more critical and spot things you don't!  Gut feeling is important - and don't ignore that - but you also need to take into account some practical considerations:
 
Access
This is your number one concern - can you get there?  I'm super-lucky, I live a ten minute walk from the thriving Baltic Triangle in Liverpool, where there are so many options for studio and office space.  It may be you're in an area where there are less options, but do your research - chat to other creatives (join an Etsy team perhaps), check out listing sites (try Gumtree as well as local arts-based websites) and look out for local creative Facebook groups too.

• Is it easy to get to from your home?
• Is there suitable parking and/or public transport?  Are there any parking restrictions?
• Do you know anyone else in the area?
• Are there any access restrictions or can you come and go 24/7?
• Will deliveries or postal collections be an issue?
• Is there a lift (if it’s upstairs)?  Who else uses this lift?
• Is the entrance safe, well lit etc?  Will you feel safe letting yourself in in the dark?

 
Money
Rent varies throughout the country - I'd make sure you've looked at a few different options if possible, to make sure you are being charged a fair amount for your rent.  It's probably the number one reason why people put off moving into a studio space - your rent has to be affordable for you, even at quieter times of the year, otherwise you will just be stressing about paying it each month.

• Is the rent affordable?  Think about if your profit goes down at all, is it still affordable?
• Does it include any bills (internet, gas, electricity etc)?
• Is it a fixed term contract?  Are you able to terminate the contract if you need to?  How much notice do you need to give?
• You may need to get legal advice before signing a binding contract.  How much is this going to cost?
• Do you need your own insurance or is this included?  Get an insurance quote if necessary.
• Are consumables like toilet paper, hand soap, bin bags included?
• Is there a kitty for milk, teabags etc?
• What extra furniture will you need to buy to make it workable?
• How much will it cost to move there?  Will you need to hire a van or pay anyone to help?

 
The Space
There's no point moving into a space that you won't fit into - it's just going to cause you stress and will probably not last long.  Make sure that the basic space is adequate and that it is suitable for the forseeable future - moving is a stressful business!

• Is there enough space for all your equipment and stock?
• Is it secure?  If not can you add any extra security?
• Is there heating?  Try and visit on a colder day and spend a bit of time there to check how the temperature is.
• Is there a window (if you are a hot person like me)?  Likewise, try and visit on a sunny day – what’s the temperature like?
• Is it suitable for what you do (eg is there ventilation?)
• What are the arrangements for postal deliveries and collections?
• Would you be able to expand in the future?

 
Light and Power
Daylight is super-important to me.  I didn't realise until I'd spend three years in a space with no natural light, getting gradually grumpier and grumpier.  If you are out and about going to meetings and visiting clients it may not be so important to you, but it's worth considering.

• Is there daylight?
• If not, are there enough lights, or will you able to light the space adequately?
• Will you need to supply blinds or window coverings yourself?
• Have you been to have a look when it’s dark too?
• Are there enough power points?
• Are the sockets in the right place for you?

 
Noise
I'm pretty sensitive to noise - but other people like a bit of chatter going on around them.  Have a think about your own tolerance and what you can and can't put up with.  There's nothing worse than being in a space you struggle to work in because of your neighbour's noisy power tools.

• Can you make a noise if you need to (meetings, chatting, machinery etc)?
• Is there anyone else likely to be making a noise in the vicinity?
• Do you have privacy for making phone calls if necessary?
• Can you play your own music if you want to?

 
Facilities
Sometimes it's easy to overlook really obvious things; make sure you are happy with the toilet arrangements in particular, specially if you are going to be spending all day at work!

• What’s the bin situation?
• Are there recycling facilities?
• What are the toilet arrangements?
• Do you have access to a kitchen (is there a microwave, kettle, toaster etc)?
• Is there a private meeting area?  Who else uses this, and how is it booked?
• What is the wi-fi like?  Ask other residents, is it reliable?  Is it fast enough?  Take your laptop and give it a go?

 
People
I've always worked in spaces which are - at least in part - shared.  It works well for me as I like to have a bit of company from time to time.  However you might decide you need privacy and you don't want to share your space... it's worth looking at both options before you make a decision.

• Is there a communal area?
• Who are you sharing with?
• Have you met them?  Do you like them?
• Do they work similar hours to you?  What do they do?
• Would you still be okay if the people you share with changes over time?
• Do you have friends nearby that you can meet for lunch if you wanted to?

 
Landlord
Having a good relationship with your landlord is really important.  I prefer a landlord to be pretty hands-on and present, so you can ask them about niggly things as and when they arise.

• Is the landlord on site?
• How has communication with the landlord been so far? Are they easy to get hold of?
• Does the landlord seem proactive?  Are they listening to your questions?
• Do you like the landlord?

So that's the kind of think I'd look at - and so far I've been really lucky and have had largely good experiences with my workspaces.  There's definitely that added element of "does it feel right?" - very much like when you buy a house.

Is there anything else you'd recommend looking out for when you've been looking for a studio space?

Is there anything more satisfying than a beautiful handmade mug?

Whenever I post a photo of any of my ever-expanding handmade mug collection on social media I get comments about how beautiful they are.  So I thought I'd spill the beans and credit the very talented Etsy potters behind my top four current favourite mugs...

Far left: A gorgeous blue cup by Virginia Balistreri of ViCeramics.  I actually own two of these - they are so pretty, the texture is lovely.  This was £15 on Etsy, and was the most beautifully packaged thing I have ever seen... the box was full of intricate origami made out of of little bits of newspaper.  It was such a lovely surprise!  I love getting these cups out when I have a guest so we can have matching cups!

Centre left: My first handmade mug, bought after watching the first series of The Great Pottery Throwdown in 2015; this beauty is by Somerset potter Kara Leigh Ford.  I love him so much!  He was a very reasonable £16 on Etsy.  He's a lovely size and shape, just perfect to wrap your hands round on a cold day.  Perfect for herbal tea or coffee alike.

Centre right: Oh wow.  Now this is a special mug.  It combines my love of mugs with one of my very favourite things, swimming.  It's made by Inverness-based potter Julia Smith.  My friend Katy told me about Julia's Etsy shop, and I fell in love with the little diver right away!  It cost £20 on Etsy.  It instantly makes me feel cosy and content, this amazing mug.  Other designs are equally covetable...

Right: My most recent mug acquisition is a return to my old friend Kara Leigh Ford (we're not actually friends, but I am sure we would be if we ever met each other, even if it was just so I could get a load of free mugs).  This is possibly even more satisfying than the original chap, but it's a really close call.  What a way to start a morning, with a strong, sugary black coffee out of this beautiful speckled duck-egg mug.  He was worth every penny of the £18 he cost me on Etsy.

So there you go - the lowdown on my expanding handmade mug collection.  Watch out on Instagram as - inevitably - it grows.  And if you have any recommendations for new Etsy potters for me to check out then please do let me know!

Moving out of my house into a shared studio was one of the best things I did – for my sanity and my business.  It shifted my work-life balance and made everything work much better for me.
 
Until I gave up my day job it made perfect sense to work from home.  It was cost-efficient and saved me time in commuting.
 
However once I’d taken the plunge and was doing this thing full-time it became apparent that there were a few massive down-sides to this arrangement.
 
Firstly, I was lonely as hell.  I live on my own, and I was going for days without seeing anyone.  The lady in the post office really doesn’t count (although by the end of my first month working from home, she knew all about me).  When I did see people I’d do this crazy jabbering thing, talking about a million miles an hour.  It’d take people a good half an hour to get a word in edgeways.  One of my main reasons for keeping the day job for so long was because I know I’d miss having human company!
 
Secondly, I wasn’t getting any exercise.  At all.  It’s easy to forget about the kind of incidental exercise you get simply by walking around an office, or from your car to your desk, in a day job.  I was literally opening my bedroom door and walking ten steps to my desk.  I’d have a trip to the Post Office most days, but I found a Post Office with parking right outside – those sacks are heavy, and I didn’t fancy lugging them down the street.  I put on so much weight in those first few months.
 
Thirdly, I was working ALL THE TIME.  Like from 7 or 8am until 10pm every night.  There was no cut off.  And if I did decide to finish at 6pm, it was only too easy to nip back into the studio to look at something, and realise three hours later that I’d accidentally started working again.
 
Finally, I didn’t have an actual spare room as it was full of my work stuff (the bed had been moved out of there a few years previously to make more space for shelves).  All my immediate family live at least a 2.5 hour drive away, so if they were going to come and see me they’d normally stay over, and I could only offer them the sofa.  Which is less than ideal, really.
 
It became apparent after about six weeks that my situation wasn’t working, and something had to change.
 
I’m often asked “when do you know it’s the right time to get a studio?” - I think that anyone asking that question is close to knowing it’s the right time!  If you’ve thought about it, you’ve maybe done a bit of research, and you’re weighing up the pros and cons, then you’re ready to move.

Once I’d made the decision it was pretty straightforward, and I was lucky enough to find a nearby shared studio that was reasonably-priced - I’ve written more about finding the studio space that's right for you here.
 
Whether it’s to give you extra space, to create separation from work, give yourself a routine, or simply to have some human company, it is a big decision.  But – in my opinion – it’s absolutely worth the hassle of moving everything, coupled with the extra expense of renting another space.  It made me so much more productive.  No more doing the washing up in the middle of the morning, no more friends popping round for an unannounced cup of tea, and absolutely HAVING to get dressed every day!

Are you struggling with knowing when to make the move?  Or have you recently taken the plunge?  I'd love to hear your experiences!

Before I write any more blog posts I really should contextualise everything.
 
After I graduated from Liverpool John Moores in 2002 I was a bit disillusioned by the whole creative world.  The internet wasn’t really a thing, and career options seemed to be either working in a flashy graphics agency (not my scene) or freelance illustration, which seemed scarier and more precarious than I wanted to contemplate.
 
I decided that money was the most important thing.  I embarked on a graduate training scheme for a national pub company, and was a pub manager for a number of years.  There were some fun times, some less fun times, and some really crappy times.  My mental and physical health really suffered.  Smoking and drinking at that time was very much part of the job description.  I worked a hell of a lot of hours - and it was extremely hard work. I can never understand anyone who says they want to retire to go and run a pub!

Anyway, in 2009 everything changed quite suddenly.  I ended up working in Housing Association Call Centre – initially as a temporary three month contract.  Turns out I quite liked it.  I made friends, the hours suited me – I was doing 35 hours a week instead of 70+ hours a week – and I was actually quite interested in housing.  I ended up doing a bit of voluntary work with a few homeless shelters, and even did a secondment as a Homeless Prevention Support Worker.  These were good times.
 
However, soon after my big life change I realised I had a whole heap of extra time on my hands.  Effectively, when I’d been running the pub, I’d been working the same as if I had two full time jobs.
 
I’d not drawn anything for years, and hadn’t really given it a second though.  But with my new found free time I went up to visit my mum and young sister in Cumbria for the weekend.  My sister was doing some art homework and I sat down next to her and picked up a pencil…
 
A few months later I’d dusted off my watercolour paints and had drawn a few things at home; the most noteable being a black and white ink drawing of the front of my house.  I loved working on the brickwork detail – it was so calming, almost meditative, to draw.  I did a few more houses, a friend who lived on the same street, his parents… and then it became a bit of an obsession.  I’d take photos of all my friends’ houses when visiting, and a few weeks later they’d get a little painting through the post.  Before long it became apparent that people liked my little paintings, and what’s more, they were willing to pay me to draw them!

Still working in the call centre, I’d happily offer to do overtime shifts at weekends, and I’d smuggle my paints in.  I’d be happily painting little dinosaurs while discussing rent arrears or arranging boiler repairs.  My colleagues saw what I was up to and were so supportive – they started asking me to draw things for them too, and before long it was becoming a good little sideline.  I should mention at this point that I did get into a bit of trouble by the time I got caught painting away in work.  Ah well.  By that point the seed had already been sown.
 
I started doing a few little craft fairs here and there, selling greetings cards and prints, and was having some success.  In May 2011 I went a step further and set up an Etsy shop.  It was great, I got a few orders a week, and I was really happy balancing my job with my part time business.
 
In January 2012 I opened my notonthehighstreet.com shopfront.  It was a big step up from only selling on Etsy, and by this time I was getting a few orders a day.  My Cheese Alphabet was proving really popular, and I started to expand on my range of “off the shelf” artwork, as I realised this was more time-effective than working on bespoke artwork.

28th April 2012 was the first really big milestone in my business journey.  I’d drawn a family friend’s parents’ house as a wedding anniversary gift.  The recipients were so delighted by it that they wrote to the Guardian and I was featured in the Guardian Weekend supplement.  Things went a bit crazy and I was deluged by emails about House Portrait commissions.  It was so unexpected.  I’d just started a secondment as a support worker in my day job, and was really struggling to juggle both – my evenings and weekends were taken up replying to emails, packing orders and frantically painting!  It was a stressful but really exciting period.

Christmas 2013 was mayhem.  At the time I was working Sunday evenings in the call centre until 10.30pm, and then back in at 10am the next day.  I didn’t get a lot of sleep on Sunday nights, rushing home to pack orders and then making sure I was first in the Post Office queue the next morning.  Sunday evenings are always a busy time for online orders; this shift pattern was a bit of a disaster for me.
 
In between Christmas and New Year I started thinking about the forthcoming Valentine’s Day.  I came up with what I thought was a fairly funny greetings card idea.  I posted a photo of in on Facebook and it got a great reaction.  Good stuff, I thought, I might sell a few of them…

Fast forward to late January and I was getting 50-60 orders a day for Cheesy Valentine’s Cards.  It was incredible.  I was managing, but only just.  On 31st January I woke up to a full inbox – bulging with new notonthehighstreet.com orders.  I was working from the spare room in my house at this time, and I padded through to my computer in my pyjamas and started work.  The orders kept coming.  And coming.  I’d never seen anything like it.  By teatime I’d had 400-odd orders, and I’d run out of envelopes, card and delivery note sheets.  I did an SOS call to my friend Michael who managed to pick up some new delivery note sheets for me, and I just kept packing.  My spare room was so full I had to store the full mail sacks in my bedroom.  I distinctly remember at one point becoming so overwhelmed by it all I was sobbing actual tears – while still packing of course!
 
By the end of that day I’d had a record 565 orders through notonthehighstreet.com.  It turned out they’d shared a link to the Cheesy Card on their Facebook page and it had gone viral.  The following weeks the sales continued – looking back now it’s a blur of sheer exhaustion, with not enough food or sleep, being held together by the unwavering support of my amazing friends.  They were coming to help me in shifts – two in the morning and two in the afternoon.  We sat and folded and packed in my little spare room, and there are small parts of that time that I remember being really lovely.  But mostly – if I’m honest – I just remember the sheer exhaustion.
 
On 9th February 2014 I became an auntie for the first time.  I was such an exhausted mess, I got the phone call, cried A LOT, but then got on with packing Valentine’s cards.
 
I handed in my notice to the call centre the next day, and on 10th March 2014 I became a full-time illustrator.

When I tell people I’m self-employed, I'm normally faced with one of two reactions.  With very few exceptions it’s either “I wouldn’t have the motivation myself, I’d never get anything done” or “wow, that must be great, you can just do whatever you want every day”.
 
It’s a funny thing, self-employment, and these misconceptions are common.  There are a million things to do in any given day, but to the same end, I don’t HAVE to do a lot of them.  I want to.  And that’s where the problem comes.  I want to do a million things, but I only have a finite amount of time.
 
When I took the plunge and went full-time self-employed, I found that I was working from very early in the morning until late into the night, without taking time to eat, rest or (sometimes) even wash or dress.  Every single day.  I was determined to do everything at once – while at the same time utterly terrified that for the first time in my life I no longer had the safety net offered by employment.  I got exhausted, and lonely, very quickly, and realised that I probably needed to re-evaluate how I was doing this whole self-employment thing.
 
I read a few blogs, I spoke to a few self-employed friends, and I discovered that it’s pretty important to have a routine in place.  Here are my top tips:

1. Get dressed
We’ve all been there.  There’s something great about earning a living while you’re still in your pyjamas, but once the novelty wears off it’s actually just a bit slobby.  And smelly.  You don’t have to be wearing a suit and tie, but wearing something comfy and clean will make all the difference.

2. Brush your teeth
Okay, so I reckon anyone who says they shower every morning if they are working from home might be telling fibs.  But while the temptation to run to your desk and start work right away is strong, take a moment, wash your face, brush your teeth and start the day (sort of) fresh, and vaguely hygienic!

3. Walk to work
Yep, even if you work from home, step out of the house, walk round the block (grab a coffee if you like) and then start work.  That five minutes will make all the difference, you’ll have cleared your mind, woken up properly, and feel set up for the day ahead of you!

4. Have planned work hours
Of course it’s one of the best things about being self-employed, and working on your own, that you can’t actually be late for work.  But by making a proper plan about what time you plan to start and finish work, you know how much time you have to get everything done.  It might make that foray onto Facebook a little less tempting…

5. Take a lunch break
When I worked from home I'd often skip lunch, and keep working through.  Which meant by late afternoon I'd be starving and unproductive, grabbing something sugary on the Post Office run.  Have stuff in the fridge for a quick easy lunch – hummus, crackers, salad, soup.  All healthy and quick to prepare.  Move away from your workspace and take a meaningful break (or possibly less meaningful, I secretly love watching an episode of Corrie on my lunch).

6. Don’t encourage distractions
Friends can get really excited when you first give up your day job – they pop round or make plans for long lunches and afternoon coffees.  Of course it’s great to have the flexibility to do this if you want to, but be wary of doing it too much – and don’t be scared to explain to friends and family that you are working if you need to.
 
For me, moving into a shared workspace outside of the house - eventually - really helped; but more about that in another post!  I’m still somewhat guilty of working a lot, but it’s gotten much easier to finish work and at least take time off during the evenings, and I feel so much happier for it.

Do you have any tips about developing a routine?