Episode cover
Inside Helen's hermit cave
May 23, 2025 · 10 min

Where does she go? What happens in there? 

Come and have a wee peek inside Helen’s hermit cave with us.

BUT FIRST - is it true? Do you prefer a podcast when there's a video too? Katie's just been to Australia and chatted to some creatives and they all said that they *ONLY* listen to a podcast if there's a video to go with it. 

Whaaat!?

Let us know on Instagram if these rumours are true. You're allowed to slide into our DMs 😆 ❤️ We're @thegoodshipillustration.

Right, podcast stuff.

This episode is all about:– Shutting the studio door and ignoring WhatsApp – Recreating rainy caravan holidays to get in the zone– The magic drawer– How long it takes to make a picture book (blimmin' ages)– Boundaries

Timestamps, for people who like that sort of thing: 00:00 – Welcome to Helen’s hermit cave 01:00 – Dressing gowns, headphones and comfort telly 02:00 – Childhood holidays 03:00 – How long does it take to make a book? 04:00 – The magic drawer of ideas 05:00 – Making books in your 20s vs. making books now 06:00 – Burnout, insomnia and terrible lighting 07:00 – Early birds vs. night owls 08:00 – Deadlines 09:00 – Salty & Pals picture book sneak peek! 10:00 – Bedtime!

Stuff wot we mentioned:The Picture Book CoursePencil Pals (Our Helen's Substack where there are some lovely sneaky peeks of the Salty Seadog artwork in case you're as excited as we aaaare.)

See ya next Friday, x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)

Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙