An Interview with Kiri Leonard

Kiri Leonard is a freelance illustrator who captures the beauty of art in her fairy tale style. As you look at her images you get lost in the little world she has created. Apart from her client work she has created a number of personal works and is writing a book called Montague Mouse which you can go have a look at over here. Juggling all of these tasks at once, and maintaining the self discipline to keep working hard each day is a task in itself, but one that can be very rewarding. 

So, I interviewed Kiri herself to learn her secrets on how she stays on top of things and how she stays inspired!  

As a freelancer, how do you motivate yourself to get everything done that you need to within that day. 

I use a lot of to do lists to stay on point during my day. I find if I don't write everything that needs to be done down, I too easily forget or get sidetracked. When you work freelance it's also important to be accountable to yourself, if you aren't working you aren't going to have an income, so you need to be strict with being your own boss. I find it sometimes help to look at yourself like you were an outside employee and then evaluate your work that way. Ask yourself questions like: 

"Am I being a good employee?" 
"Am I getting done what needs to be done?" 
"What can I do better to help my business grow?"

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Everywhere! The world around me, life, books, music, games, movies, nature, childhood. I don't think I've ever felt a shortage of ideas, I always have too many. It can become paralyzing because you end up not knowing what to work on, when you want to do a 100 things at once. If you struggle with inspiration I recommend books and Pinterest especially. Those two are always great sources for a thought boost.

What do you have in the background while you are working? Such as audio books or music? How does this influence your creative process?

If I am painting I usually put on a TV show on Netflix, if I am writing however I need complete silence, otherwise my thoughts get too distracted. 
I used to think multitasking was a great thing, but lately I have found even with listening to TV shows can become distracting. I usually aim for shows I have seen many times over so it just provides some background noise and I already know the story so well, I won't get caught up in it. I'm not sure it has a positive influence on my creative process anymore though, there is something to be said for giving your work your full undivided attention.

What is your favorite aspect about being a freelance illustrator? What is the downside of being one?

I love the freedom of being able to structure my day as I please and that every day is different from another, being able to pick your own projects is also wonderful. The downside is not having co-workers: working from home can be very lonely. Another downside is also not having a steady paycheck, there is a lot to be said for reliable income.

For someone starting out in the field, what would you say is the best way to start advertising yourself? 

The first thing you need to do is put together a portfolio of your very best work, at least 6-8 pieces. Once you have done that start showing that work on social media, and then hire yourself: give yourself a project like "Illustrate your favorite fairy tale" - doing this will help you learn how to work on a project, set deadlines, stick to deadlines and make a good end product. It will also help you build your portfolio. Another important lessons in this is: if you aren't able to put a project together from start to finish on your own, then why should a client trust you to put a project together for them? Show that you can do the work and do it well, then you'll get hired.

One thing most artists ask each other is how they find inspiration, as if it's this massive secret only the elite few know of. I love Kiri's take on it: just everything. Just life. Go out and find something magical! 

A big thank you to Kiri for taking the time to answer these questions, please go check out her amazing work!