Starting a career in illustration can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re just getting your footing. Whether you’re fresh out of school or pivoting into the creative world, there are a few steps I’d recommend to help you build momentum. This is exactly what I’d do if I were starting over today.

1. Build Your Portfolio Website

Before anything else, focus on creating a solid portfolio site. Not just a social media profile, but your very own website with your own domain name. Your site is your professional home online. It gives potential clients a focused place to see your work, without all the distractions of scroll-heavy platforms. Social media is great for visibility, but your website is where you get to showcase your work on your terms.

2. Be Your Own Client

Don’t wait for a paid project to come along before you start creating. If you don’t have any clients yet, become your own. Give yourself a brief. Think of a dream client—maybe a magazine, an ad agency, a children’s publisher—and imagine what kind of project they might assign to you.

Now, create that project. Do a mini series of 3 to 5 illustrations in a consistent style. Pretend you’re the art director and the illustrator all in one. This is your chance to show potential clients not just what you can do, but what kind of work you want to be doing.

3. Stay Consistent With Your Style

If you’re struggling to stick to one look or style, start small. Try using a limited color palette to tie all your work together. That way, even if the subjects shift a bit, everything will still feel cohesive.

Clients want to see that you can carry a concept through multiple pieces while keeping the style consistent. That’s what helps them trust you with real-world assignments.

4. Start Reaching Out

Once you’ve got a strong body of work, begin pitching. Make a PDF pitch document with a selection of your best pieces and a quick intro about who you are and what you do. Start sending it to art directors, ad agencies, magazines—anywhere your dream work might live.

And don’t just send it to a general inbox like “info@”. Do your research and find the actual names of the people you’re hoping to connect with. A personalized approach always goes further.

Reach out to past clients. Check in to update them on what’s going on in your world, as well as to ask if they need help with anything. In our overcomplicated world it’s easy to lose track of people - it’s your job to remind them you exist.

5. Keep Track and Keep Going

Create a spreadsheet to stay organized. Track who you’ve reached out to, when you contacted them, and whether they responded. Follow up gently over time, and keep building that list of potential collaborators.

Want to make a more lasting impression? Try sending out a physical mailer—something small and beautiful that art directors can pin to their boards or tuck into their inspiration folders.

6. Promote Yourself Regularly

Along the way, keep sharing your work and process online. LinkedIn can be especially powerful for illustrators. Unlike Instagram or TikTok, which are great for inspiration, LinkedIn is where many actual art directors spend time.

Post your finished pieces, behind-the-scenes videos, time-lapses, sketches—anything that shows the depth of your work and your creative process.

7. Trust the Snowball

Building an illustration career doesn’t happen overnight. But if you keep at it—keep creating, sharing, and reaching out—it will start to snowball. One small opportunity can lead to the next, and the next, and before you know it, you’re getting paid to do what you love.

Having a creative career is incredibly fulfilling. You get to make art, solve visual problems, and connect with people in meaningful ways. So take that first step, and don’t be afraid to be your own biggest cheerleader.

You’ve got this.