Meet Gemma Correll- illustrator, designer and cartoonist extraordinaire…

Having published “A Pug’s Guide to Etiquette” and designed a T-shirt line for Urban Outfitters (imploring you to choose Pugs Not Drugs) she is now working for Hallmark in the US.

Admired, bought, re-pinned and re-posted by this generation of Leading Edge and Aspirant youth, we sit down to find out how she did it – and what her advice is for Creatives hoping to follow in her footsteps.

How did you crack ‘the scene’?

Gemma: I started posting my work online before I graduated from art school (in 2006) so I’ve got several years behind me now. I update my blog & social media sites often with new work, and I do a lot of personal work for no particular reason, other than I enjoy it, which I post online too. I’ve also made my own products, from comics to badges and tote bags for years – and have been proactive in selling online and in shops around the world.

What are your thoughts on how to make money through e-commerce?

Gemma: I started out using Etsy as it’s easy to use and already established as a reliable place to buy handmade stuff. Once I started making things in larger batches, I set up my own online shop. I made sure to include links on my website and blog to the shop – and to also promote the products using social media. So I ‘pin’ them onto Pinterest and link to them on Facebook. I try to get decent photos of my products, and make new things whenever I can. I also collaborate with other companies to make products like T-Shirts and jewellery.

Are you part of a creative community?

Gemma: I would say that I’m a ‘creative’ so yes, although I hesitate to define myself as ‘just’ an Illustrator or a Cartoonist. I feel like my work spans illustration, cartooning and comics – I have a strong emphasis on narrative in all of my work.

What are your top tips on how to ‘make it’ as a creative?

Gemma: Hard work and perseverance! There’s a lot of competition out there and it can be quite dispiriting to see other artists’ work and feel inferior – I feel like this all the time but it spurs me on to make more, better work. Try to find your own voice – look at other things besides blogs and the Internet and don’t just copy trends.