"You really don't have to go to art school!" An interview with Carly Kuhn

This week our Katie is chatting to Carly Kuhn, a US-based illustrator, artist and author who ended up in illustration kindofbyaccident. She grew up in New York wanting to do TV comedy, worked at a Hollywood talent agency, took improv classes at The Groundlings, and started drawing on printer paper nicked from the office, just as something creative to do after work. Then Sarah Jessica Parker reposted one of her drawings (!!) and - you'll have to listen to the episode to find out what happens next 🤪

Carly has had NO formal art or illustration training, which is exactly why we wanted to speak to her. We chat about finding your style by making loads of wonky work, why she wasn't ready for an agent for ages, and some pricing stuff about usage/contracts/licensing an' that.

There's also chat about wallpaper, multiple creative income streams, and how becoming a mum did not end her career (woohoo!) 

Timestamps, for the timestamp fans:

00:00 – Intro to Carly and her very wiggly path 
02:00 – TV comedy, improv, and how the drawing started 
06:30 – Improv 
08:00 – Sarah Jessica Parker reposts a drawing 
10:30 – Going full-time - pricing is completely made up 
14:30 – No art school
16:00 – Naivety as a superpower, and posting every day 
19:00 – Live illustration, fancy parties, and the first wallpaper job 
23:30 – Lockdown portraits, moving cities, becoming a mum 
26:00 – Getting an agent
31:00 – Pricing, usage, and being a people-pleaser who has to negotiate 
38:00 – Accidentally building lots of income streams 
42:00 – How motherhood focused her career 
49:00 – Character Study, and how bonkers publishing timelines are 
52:00 – You really don't have to go to art school!

Links mentioned:

• Carly's website: https://www.carlykuhn.com/
• Carly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlykuhn/
• Carly's Substack, The Cartelier: https://carlykuhn.substack.com/
• Carly's new book, Character Study: Observations from a Very Curious Artist: https://www.carlykuhn.com/books

Byeeee for now!

x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)

p.s. If the pricing and usage chat made your ears prick up, we are planning a v exciting early-bird bonus for Illustration Business Club joiners. Doors open on Friday 25th September. Pop it on your calendar! 🥳

Come and say hello!

✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com

p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙