Meet the Maker takes a closer look at independent makers, breakers, dreamers and doers – ones I’m lucky enough to call clients, collaborators and friends, plus a few others I admire from afar!

This post meets Ben the Illustrator, a Frome-based creative I’m lucky enough to call a friend. Ben has been a working illustrator for over 20 years and is a huge supporter of the creative industry, both at a local level and nationally and is a passionate supporter of other creatives – he’s been a huge support to me personally over the years and I wanted to dive into how he’s managed to turn his passion for design and illustration into not just one business, but multiple businesses!

Read on to find out more about his incredible journey so far…

What does your business do?

I'm an illustrator first and foremost, I stray into other areas, branding especially, plus I sell art prints (graphic tributes to album covers old and new, sold as 12" prints), but commercial illustration is my prime focus. I work in 2 different illustration styles, 'Ben the Illustrator' is how I've worked since I started out illustrating, colourful graphic illustration work, and 'Ben Draws' has come about more recently, more of a hand-drawn linework style of illustration. I've always worked with a pretty broad selection of clients, recently I've been lucky to work with clients from The Old Vic Theatre in London to Coors Beer in the US.

When did you start your business and how did it come about?

I became a freelance illustrator full-time in 2005, I'd been working in animation, but to be honest I wasn't a brilliant animator, everyone around me was so talented and I always felt like I was in the wrong game, I only really cared how things looked, not how they moved, so I started taking illustration projects on the side, and it grew from there.

What made you take the leap into self employment?

I've actually always been self-employed, 25 years now. Both my parents were self-employed their whole working lives, it just felt like the thing to do, to be your own boss, to not work for 'the man', and to focus on your skills and passions. When I finished art college (studying animation) I had to move back home and care for my Dad (he was severely disabled, and my Mum had to go into hospital for an operation). I ended up staying there for 6 months looking out for them both, so I had a lot of free-time in a little house in a little village where I knew no-one else. So I was touting myself around record labels and production companies (at the time as an aspiring music video creative), and managed to get a few early commissions making lo-fi animated music videos, gig flyers, club visuals. Then when it came to moving myself back into London I was up and running and doing my thing, at least I was ready for the rollercoaster that is a creative self-employed life!

What did you do before you started your business?

Before I was 'Ben the Illustrator' I was floating around in animation, I built on the music video work by forming a small animation and design studio with two friends. We rode the early web-design wave, creating Flash animations and interactive games, we designed t-shirts and magazines, we even made a tv series for CBeebies.

What does working independently mean to you?

It's the freedom to be in complete control. In the long-run I can direct where my career goes and day-to-day I have the flexibility to work around my family life. I've never been the most confident person, but I find it empowering to have built my own business and to put myself out there for my creative work.

Ben Draws | Ben The Illustrator’s new alternative drawing style

What advice would you give someone looking to start their own business?

Exercise your shoulders, prepare yourself to carry a lot of weight! The dark-side of being your own boss is having to be responsible for everything! Especially when starting out, you have to be your own manager and assistant, you're the marketing team, the client liaison, the book-keeper, accountant and IT department. In time I've been able to build on-going working relationships that have helped me run my own business, I have a book-keeper who keeps everything up to date and an accountant to file my taxes. I am terrible at admin so this has changed my life being able to pass those tasks to someone else after all these years and focus more on my creative work than I ever have before.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given on your journey?

While I was still working with my friends as a studio, maybe a couple of years before I focused on illustration, I had the chance to visit Airside (the best design studio in London at the time) and Fred Deakin looked at my work and suggested to "really stick your head into the computer and see what's possible". From that day on I have never stopped learning, all the tools and techniques, I play and experiment all the time, considering how digital tools can be used differently, I'm yet to get bored of it and still feel like I push myself now.

Cover Versions | Ben The Illustrator’s popular side project continues to go from strength to strength

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned along the way?

Get the boring stuff out of the way, spend some time creating a routine process for your accounting and taxes (for me it's Hubdoc + Xero), so you don't need to worry about it later, give yourself the time and headspace you need to be the best business you can possibly be. Also, you really have to show your potential clients or customers what you do, you could be the most highly-skilled genius on earth, but if no one knows you exist, you will never build a business out of it.

Any regrets?

I wouldn't change the path I took, but I'm pretty sure it would have been more sensible to not go self-employed from day one. For me, maybe I should have started as a runner in animation or as a junior designer, and learn the industry from people with experience, to understand how to manage a project or respond to a brief, or how to develop ideas and collaborate with a creative team.

To view more of Ben’s work visit his website ben-obrien.com where you can find both of his portfolios (Ben the Illustrator and Ben Draws). To view more Cover Versions you can check out the online shop here.

Ben is also on Instagram and can be reached at Ben the Illustrator and Ben Draws.

Meet The Maker – Ben The Illustrator