"I hadn't drawn for 21 years" an interview with Jo Overend 🐥

The Good Ship Illustration

Author-illustrator Jo Overend discusses her journey of returning to drawing after a 21-year hiatus. She details the intense process of compl

Key takeaways

• Jo Overend completed the final artwork for Megaduck by late August despite navigating full-on childcare and burnout.
• She utilized the Illustration Business Club to implement wholesale strategies, successfully getting her prints into a favorite local shop.
• The use of physical postcards and handwritten notes is a key tactic Jo uses to build genuine connections with publishers and agents.
• Jo overcame the fear of rejection by realizing that 'no' often stems from business constraints rather than personal inadequacy.
• She built momentum on Instagram by posting 10-minute sketches three to five times a day to train her brain as an illustrator.

Main topics

• Author-illustrator career journey
• Business strategies for creatives
• Overcoming professional rejection

Notable quotes

I just set the goal of this is going to happen and made it happen.

Conclusion

The episode serves as a motivational guide for artists on using consis

Transcript preview

Speaker 2 (0:28) Hello, Joel Overend. Hello, Katie. It's always nice to speak to you and also to speak to your accomplice there, Megaduck, who, if you're listening, you won't be able to see, but there is a giant cardboard cartel of Megaduck just peeping in the side of the screen, like, hello, Speaker 1 (0:43) waving. Speaker 2 (0:44) Yeah. Do you want to tell us about Megaduck? Actually, maybe that's a good place to start. Speaker 1 (0:48) Yeah, so where to start with Megaduck? Yeah, so the final artwork's done now for Megaduck. That's all handed over. and Speaker 1 (0:59) Yeah, final artwork handed over in the end of August. So now, yeah, it's in the capable hands of the team. Getting ready to set things up. So yeah, I'm waiting to hear back to see how it's all going and thinking of ideas for Megaduck 2 now. Speaker 2 (1:19) Amazing. That must have been so full on, like an August deadline, getting the artwork to Walker Books and summer holidays. And how did you do that? Speaker 1 (1:28) So, well, actually, my daughter was off school for the final artwork process of Megaduck. She reached burnout in January this year. So I was actually doing final artwork alongside my daughter being at home. Speaker 1 (1:51) So you were Speaker 2 (1:51) doing that before summer holidays anyway? Speaker 1 (1:54) Yes, so I was already doing, yeah, pretty much full-on childcare before the summer holidays. So I had to, yeah, I just had to get Megadug done anyway in that process. Oh my goodness. Which was... I mean, it actually was a lovely process. Mega Ducking itself was amazing to make. It just felt like full-on magic. It was a dream come true. So actually, completing it didn't actually... It was never a question that I'd get it completed. My goal was to get full-colour spreads done for Bologna. I wanted Walker to go in with a full-colour dummy. So my goal was to get it all done for April. And then anything could be changed after blowing it. But I wanted them to have this full colour dummy to present to other publishers, which I achieved. Yeah, I just set the goal of this is going to happen and made it happen. Yeah. Speaker 2 (2:54) That's Speaker 1 (2:54) the Speaker 2 (2:54) thing. So before we hit record, I was like, it'd be cool to talk about your experience on the business course because I know you got a lot out of it. But to be honest, you would have got a lot out of anything because you are so driven. And that's what I love about music, when you decide something. Speaker 1 (3:07) yeah i think you just ate it and it's like we're going like that is the Speaker 2 (3:10) direction yeah Speaker 1 (3:10) laser focus yeah yeah there's no yeah it's just once i once i have an idea in my head that's it it has to come down and it has to happen um there are you know parts of it like i mean doing the wholesale stuff from the business course going into shops that was scary walking into shops with like prints going Speaker 1 (3:32) That was scary. But I was just like, well, do you know what? I'm just going to do it. And actually, after you do it, the confidence grows for you to go, actually, that was okay. And I have had noers from doing that process. But actually, that helped me because they were at the right shops anyway. So, you know, going for it and just thinking, well, I'm just going to go for it and having that mindset. really helped me sort of narrow down where I wanted to go anyway um yeah and Speaker 2 (4:02) there's that thing of like when you try something and Speaker 1 (4:04) you Speaker 2 (4:04) do get rejection you realize like oh I'm actually fine like I didn't I didn't die and now I just know like actually maybe it was for a reason or something I don't Speaker 1 (4:12) know Speaker 2 (4:12) what you can just carry on and and get rejected Speaker 1 (4:14) more yeah well yeah and it does help having that I think sometimes the first few rejections I've had is because you you kind of a bit raw if it's taken up a lot of courage to do it um but then after that you do realize that actually people are mostly very kind and there's a reason if you know I've walked into art galleries with my work before and they've just said look I love your work but my business isn't doing great so I can't take in any new people and it's never the work or you there's always another reason why they're not doing it and why it's a no so it's so helpful to know that because then you actually realize it's not it's not me they don't like all my work it's actually they're just not physically in a position to take it on or you know and then that really helps understand how it all works because then you do realize it's not a personal it's not personal it's just Speaker 2 (5:10) people that makes it so much more survivable doesn't it if it's not like oh they don't just hate me as a person i should just give up it's like oh it's actually for reasons outside of my existence like i cannot Speaker 1 (5:20) control yeah yeah and i think it does feel personal because when you are scared and you walk into a shop with your prints it's quite scary personally if it's not something you're used to doing it can feel panicky um So the rejections at first can feel quite versatile, but then when you listen to what they're saying to you, it's, you actually, it clicks and you're all right. Yeah. Okay. It's just not the right time or they've got too much stock or the business is failing. And, you know, there's, like you say, there's other things outside of your control that you can't do anything about. All you can do is shop and go, do you like this? I made this. Do you want it? And that's pretty much it really. What I've learned is showing people your stuff and they're either going to say yes or no. Speaker 2 (6:11) Yeah, I Speaker 1 (6:12) love it so Speaker 2 (6:12) much. I'm like trying so hard not to talk about human design because I'm obsessed with it. But because I know you're a projector. Speaker 1 (6:18) Yes. Speaker 2 (6:19) And the thing about projectors is you're supposed to wait to be invited. But I also had a brilliant reframe was that we as projectors have to give people something to respond to. And that's from what you're describing. That's exactly what you've done. You've Speaker 1 (6:29) been Speaker 2 (6:29) like, here's my thing. yes or no Speaker 1 (6:31) and Speaker 2 (6:32) then they say Speaker 1 (6:32) yes or they say no and then you just move on and don't be Speaker 2 (6:34) offended yeah i love it that's Speaker 1 (6:36) yeah that's exactly right and it's how i've approached sort of working with um walker my publisher i had seven more book ideas and i was just like right i'm gonna get these done and i'll just send them them because you know and it was great for the meeting i was just like by the way would you like this um Speaker 2 (6:57) Well, you didn't even wait for the meeting. I love that. No, Speaker 1 (7:00) I just Speaker 2 (7:00) sent them a Speaker 1 (7:00) box of stuff because I was just like, well, I've made it. I'm proud of