The Ultimate To-Do List to Become a Successful Illustrator

The reason you shouldn't give a sh*t about "You Should...."

Do you want to get The Ultimate To-Do List to Become a Successful Illustrator (100% Guarantee!)? You can find it at the end of this post.

Nah, just kidding. I wish I had that, but the truth is nobody on this planet has a list like that.

I was planning to write down my future plans for Substack when I found a bunch of lists. A bunch of lists to get a book deal.

I haven't used Google Keep in ages, and of course, I have no idea when exactly I created these notes. Possibly 6 months ago?

There are at least 30 of these lists, both analog and digital, scattered throughout my life, but I totally forget about them.

I love making to-do lists because they give me structure.

They make me feel secure.

They help me stay sane.

But most of the lists I make are based on others' to-do lists—things people say should be done to achieve my goals. Don’t get me wrong, others' experiences are valuable and useful. They serve as brilliant guides, helping you have a clearer direction. But you just have to filter and try them out for yourself. What works for others might not work for you.

The “ultimate” lists I found.

Growing up, we have always been told what should be done:

You should paint apples red.

You should play basketball to grow taller.

You should become a dentist.

You should get a proper 9-5 job.

You should learn to drive.

You should get married before 30.

You should have a kid to form a family.

You should.

I typed into the search engine bar:

"What should be included in a picture book illustrator portfolio?"

"What should be done on Instagram to grow a following?"

"What should be included in an email to attract an art director’s attention?"

But now I realise there shouldn’t be a should.

We are all different.

Even identical twins, who are biologically identical, have different reactions to the same food. So why should we follow what should be done?

I don't know about you, but my brain certainly doesn’t work this way. Even if I'm told exactly what to do and come up with the perfect to-do list, I never follow it. It's almost guaranteed.

Despite having no memory of these lists, I still managed to build my portfolio.

I explored every possible way to present myself to the world. I sent dozens of emails (I almost lost count!) to agencies, read books by renowned art directors, submitted work to publishers, entered competitions, watched YouTube videos, attended courses, reached out to industry professionals, and even flew to Italy to attend the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

So, what should you do?

Try!

Try new things, take risks, do silly stuff.

Most importantly, trust your instincts.

There will be no regrets because that's the only way to find out what truly suits you.