Don't Stop Me Now

Tips for creating quality work in a tight deadline

I’m a member of the international group of picture book illustrators called Illoguild. Each month, we each answer a question here on Substack. For July, that question was: “How do you produce quality work in a tight deadline?”

My answer: Create a playlist that gets you moving.

I’m a shooting star leaping through the sky like a tiger defying the laws of gravity.

That’s a line from the Queen song, “Don’t Stop Me Now” which was on my latest playlist for the Illustrating Children’s Books class with Make Art That Sells.

I set myself up for success by setting quick deadlines and creating playlists the length of those deadlines. I don’t know about you, but different parts of each project require different parts of my brain to be active, so I try to curate my surroundings to match.

Here are some of my favorite things to have on during work that requires research, design, analysis and writing:
1. Popular music playlists from (insert decade here: 70s, 80s, 90s, etc.)
2. Go on YouTube and search for videos of shows I’ve been to in person. These fit the bill of familiar music that also feels like I’ve got company even when I’m alone in my studio working.
3. Lo-fi beats (there are various playlists out there, all good for a background hum that keeps you going but isn’t distracting.)

For when the hard thinking is done and it’s production time:
1. Creative Podcasts or classes where you can learn something (sometimes the topic applies to the illustration you’re currently working on and you can apply it!) Plus, the format of these are great because you can work for X minutes and take a quick break to stand up and stretch between episodes.
2. Competition shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Great British Bakeoff, Project Runway, etc. The format of these shows is such that you can just listen to them for most of the episode and then take a quick break to watch the runway or final presentation, then it’s back to work during judging.
3. Audiobooks, D&D and Storytelling Podcasts: All of these serve as entertainment and inspiration so your brain can be happy while you’re powering through production-style work that just needs to get done.

One last tip: I always come up with ideas for things I want to work on next when I’m actively working on a deadline. Have a notebook or white board by your side so that when you get awesome ideas you can record them and your brain will happily think up even more without feeling like you’ll lose them!