Introducing The Complete Guide 2025 Speakers – Part 2
The Complete Guide to Freelance Illustration Course is back, starting April 24th 2025! Get to know the invited experts who will be with you each step of the way.
With our 2025 course open for bookings, and following on from Part 1 where we heard from the AOI team, guest speakers Nicola Mullen, AKA Brand Warrior and Charlotte Abrams-Simpson talk to The AOI’s Natasha Knight about what to expect and how we’ll be supporting this year’s cohort.
As an Art Director for Orion Books, Charlotte Abrams-Simpson designs for the leading commercial titles. She has over 15 years experience working inside major publishing houses such as Penguin Random House and HarperCollins.
Nicola Mullen (AKA Brand Warrior) has more than 2 decades worth of experience working in the arts and a range of culture brands. This puts her in an excellent position to help creatives to unlock their brand and stand out from the crowd.
Thank you for joining us for our Complete Guide to Freelance Illustration Course 2025. We’re delighted that you’ll be joining us as part of our excellent speaker roster this year. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and the work that you do with creative freelancers?
Nicola Mullen: I’m excited to be here! Since launching my brand and marketing coaching business Brand Warrior in 2022, I’ve worked with artists and illustrators in the UK, Canada, Italy, USA, Australia, Ireland, The Netherlands, Germany, France and Slovenia to build their reputations and get more commissions, without feeling disingenuous in their marketing. I’ve worked in creative industries for over 20 years and have met many freelancers who are passionate about their discipline and who love the creative side of what they do, but when it comes to marketing themselves and promoting their work, they feel unsure, uncomfortable, conflicted, and even lost, which can make getting new commissions feel like an uphill struggle.
I love nothing more than hearing a story of someone who chooses to do life differently..and who is brave enough to bring their ideas to life
Nicola Mullen
Building your reputation and getting your work known, can actually be one of the most empowering, joyful and positive acts of growing a creative business or carving out a booming creative freelance career… as long as you do it from an authentic place. I help artists and illustrators to find their authentic centre so they can confidently build their reputation with integrity.
Charlotte Abrams-Simpson and Nicola Mullen
Charlotte Abrams-Simpson: I am one of the art directors within Orion Publishing group which is a division of Hachette UK.
(I work) Predominately in design and art directing commercial fiction. Born in the West midlands, I moved to London to embark on an art foundation course then a graphic design degree which set me up for the publishing design sector.
This course is designed specifically to help equip illustrators in building sustainable careers, in the industry. Without giving away all of your secrets, what can attendees expect from your session?
NM: Overnight success is a myth! Who knows, you might be one of the lucky ones who lands a big commission, which skyrockets your reputation and lands you a stack of well-paid commissions for life. But for most of us, this doesn’t happen. For most of us, success is more of a slow burn fuelled by consistent action. I will help attendees get clearer on what the right steps look like to successfully build their reputation in a crowded market, so they can put their time, energy and creativity into steps that bring them closer to their goals.
CAS: A visually engaging insight into the processes art directors and designer take when commissioning illustrators/artists. Will include top tips for how artists can create a top portfolio and how to capture art directors attention in a busy field of talent.
Be open minded to pivot in different directions and don’t be afraid to try new techniques – this will stretch you and build confidence
Charlotte Abrams-Simpson
It’s always interesting to hear origin stories, especially from our experts – may we ask, what path led you to the work that you do and what is the best thing about your role?
NM: I would never have chosen to work in marketing! I did a History of Art degree and left University dreaming of being a visual arts writer or exhibition curator. After moving to London and applying for what felt like a million jobs, I finally landed a position in visual arts marketing where my job was to promote a portfolio of UK art prizes and competitions, such as the Jerwood Painting Prize and Chelsea Art Fair. I very quickly fell in love with the creative heart of it, particularly brand identity and the process of digging deep to find new and interesting ways to tell and share stories with the world.
CAS: As a young creative I was always passionate about art and design. I loved exploring the endless visual ways type and image collaborate to convey a message and evoke a feeling to the reader.
Best thing about my job is finding new artists and communicating with other designers in my team to achieve the best design in the industry.
NM: I never looked back until Covid hit and, like many…I’d lost my passion. My work didn’t make me feel anything anymore. I was numb. So I decided to invest in my own self-development and for the first time, I began working with a coach to figure out what mattered to me now. Very quickly, despite my despondency, I recognised what lights me up inside! I love nothing more than hearing a story of someone who chooses to do life differently, says no to the 9 to 5, and who is brave enough to bring their ideas to life.
With this new self-awareness, I decided to take my experience of working with arts and culture brands and craft it into a one-to-one programme, helping artists and illustrators to forge their own path and build thriving creative businesses or freelance careers. I love being Brand Warrior and hand on heart I can honestly say I’ve found my calling.
check out the testimonials from past attendees, they’re awesome!
Nicola Mullen
At The AOI, we know that enjoying sustainable, creative careers as well as your individuality, is important. What is the best piece of career advice you have received and would like to share and why should potential attendees join this course?
CAS: Be yourself, establish your own style and way of working. Be open minded to pivot in different directions and don’t be afraid to try new techniques – this will stretch you and build confidence
NM: My piece of advice comes from experience and something I once struggled with in my life and career (because when you’re creative, your profession is so often wrapped up in your identity as a person). As a highly sensitive person who cares deeply about my work, I haven’t always responded to criticism well. Negative (yet constructive) feedback would ruin my day. If I didn’t agree with a client’s decision, I would feel frustrated and annoyed, and I’d challenge it:
- Act, don’t react to anything from a place of emotion. Sleep on it, leave it for a couple of days and let the emotions simmer. Once they have calmed down, then decide if you want to act.
- It’s not personal. Try not to take things personally because it usually isn’t. Try to take a step back when things feel like this – journal about it, go for a walk, do what ever you need to do to help you step back from a situation and see it more objectively.
- Choose your battles wisely. You can’t win all of them and why would you want to anyway! In a professional context, illustrator Stan Chow says take the ‘at least’s’ from a project – at least the client took on my recommendation about the colour palette if nothing else!
It’s hard working on your own and figuring everything out by yourself all the time. The course will help you take the pressure off yourself so you can feel lighter and positively shift your energy. As creative freelancers, we all need to do this sometimes to help us find our path and feel focused and motivated to move forward, because when we stay still, we can stagnate. Plus, check out the testimonials from past attendees, they’re awesome!
With our thanks to Charlotte and Nicola, who will be joining us for the The AOI’s Complete Guide to Freelance Illustration Course 2025, which runs April 24th – June 12th 2025.
If you missed Part 1 catch-up here where you will hear from the AOI team about the sessions they will be delivering as part of the course.
Find out more about the course and how to book.
Nicola Mullen: Website
Charlotte Abrams-Simpson: Website
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