Sophie Moran
Manchester-based illustrator Sophie Moran on balancing commercial work with creative joy
Across magazines, greeting cards, book covers and brandwork, Sophie Moran’s vibrant and uplifting illustrations have made a splash in the creative world. It’s taken time and hard work to build up her brand and client base, but despite the tough times, “It’s so gratifying,” she tells us. Now, she does what feels right to her, whether it's the work she creates, her day-to-day activity or what she shares on Instagram.
This article was created in partnership with Mastered, which exists to support creatives in the new world of work. Mastered offers free, practical programmes designed around real working conditions, with mentorship and coaching to help creatives build sustainable careers.
About my work
What I do
I work as a commercial illustrator. At the moment, I work with clients on editorial and publishing projects, creating artwork to go alongside articles and in magazines, and designing greeting cards to license out. My work definitely leans towards a younger audience, but I’ll take on any brief that fits my style.
My influences and inspirations
I find it hard to pinpoint one specific influence. I grew up loving cute things, such as Hello Kitty and Sanrio, playing video games and watching anime. A lot of my favourite things were created in Japan, a country which I have a huge love for and which inspires me.
During my art GCSE, I studied the Bauhaus movement and fell in love with its geometric shapes and bold colours. A lot of my first university essay was about the movement. Now, I carry a bit of Bauhaus with me when I approach my work.
“I create my work as much for myself as for everyone else.”
One thing that's clear from my work is that I try to create a bright and joyful world. I was talking to one of my fellow Mastered peers about where I grew up – a rough area which the council didn’t invest any money in, probably as working class as you could get in Manchester – and he remarked that it’s funny that I portray these idyllic environments with such happy characters when I spent my childhood in the opposite.
I create my work as much for myself as for everyone else. You have to focus on the positive and uplift yourself; creating colourful, joyful artwork has done that for me since the day I started creating.
Is training important to your role?
While I attended art school, I don’t think it’s necessary at all to work as an illustrator. The network I built was definitely useful, and I met some lovely friends and tutors there, but if you’re dedicated enough, you could easily teach yourself the skills. Personally, I think the most useful things to learn are programs, such as Adobe Suite, and how to set up and deliver artwork properly.
Things such as formatting artwork for screen vs print, document set-up and working with bleed. I think the creative side comes more naturally, but the technical skills are always needed. You’ll most likely spend so much time readjusting and stressing if you just throw yourself into the work without reading up on it and practising first. Doing practice briefs with artwork specifications and creating deliverables that you’d send to a client is a great way to learn quickly and fill your portfolio. I still do this all the time.
Favourite project to work on from the past year, and why?
I can’t quite say the client yet as the work isn’t released, but I worked on a spread for an American Magazine themed around Easter blankets and it was so sweet! The colour palette was lovely, and I got to create this idyllic scene with all of these illustrated children, homes and nature. It was such a smooth project too: the client was great to work with, the pay was good and, as usual, my agent did a perfect job of handling everything. I wish I could do so many more like this one – fulfilling for the soul and no stress at all.
A normal day usually looks like…
I’ve come to realise I like to play it by how I’m feeling that day, so if I wake up feeling creative, I just go with it and spend the day sketching and coming up with ideas.
Some days, I have no creative energy at all, so I’ll schedule social posts, send outreach emails, track my finances – whatever needs doing at that moment in time. Obviously, if I have a deadline, that takes priority, but even then, I won’t rush into work and I still try to pace myself – rushing creativity never seems to work out well. Generally though, a normal day is just me sat at my desk!
A starter pack for my job would be:
Adobe Suite, an iPad, and a sketchbook. Adobe is an industry standard, and a lot of jobs I’ve completed have required file delivery in PSD or AI, so you just can’t escape it. I feel like an iPad is a staple for so many digital illustrators, but having a physical sketchbook is good too. Personally, I love using POSCA and paint pens; I’d recommend anyone to sketch with them, they’re so helpful for bold mark-making.
How I got here
How I landed my first few jobs, clients, commissions…
I was quite lucky that, coming out of university, I landed a commission to illustrate the teaching award that year, which boosted my confidence. My third-year final project was also shortlisted for the 2024 World Illustration Awards, which is how I landed my agency.
So art school did help me initially get a foot in the door, along with providing me a network that has led to some work too. Over the past few years, things have slowly trickled in, and I’ve worked on some great projects for some well-known clients. I think the key is to just continue slowly building. They do say it’s a snowball effect – I’d say I’m around a medium snowball size right now.
Your biggest challenge along the way?
Consistency and balancing my freelance work with my part-time job! I still work part-time to ensure I have a consistent income, but sometimes that makes keeping up with all the things you need to do as a sole trader difficult. Sometimes my energy levels are low and I don’t get as much done as I’d like – this is something I still struggle with now. Finding consistent clients is still a difficult thing too. Jobs seem to just pop in and out; I take what I can when I can.
“Creativity is a fickle thing, and whenever you force it, it never works out well.”
My social media and self-promotion vibe is…
I actually think my social media is probably the weakest part of my business as a whole. The idea of turning my work into content and constantly pushing it is something I struggle with. I’ve always liked to consider my socials, and especially my Instagram, as a visual diary of my progress as an illustrator; it dates all the way back to 2020 when I first started my foundation course, and being able to see my progress makes me proud.
I do have things I like to share on my story: my current work, glimpses into my sketchbook and what books I’m currently reading. I’ve read from a lot of professionals and art directors that simply having a presence, even if you aren’t the most active, is enough. So I try to stay true to how I prefer to use social media and not get caught up in overthinking the algorithm. For me, that feels like enough.
Three things I’ve found useful in my career
- Going to local creative events. It can be quite lonely just sitting at your desk working and motivation can often get low, so taking part in creative events, even just attending a talk, is such a good way to get that motivation back and meet people. This has been a big help for me.
- Another thing I do when motivation is low is listen to Thoughts on Illustration by Mr Tom Froese. These episodes, as well as his interviews, are so insightful and helpful!
- Take a break when you need one! Creativity is a fickle thing, and whenever you force it, it never works out well. I always create my worst work when I force myself, so I take time away and when I feel better, I get back to creating things I love again.
“If your gut is telling you something isn’t right, listen.”
My greatest learnings when it comes to making money and supporting myself as a creative have been…
Having a part-time job has been a great help mentally. I’m a stressy person, so consistent income takes the weight off. It also helps with being picky with what jobs you accept; I’ve learnt over time to value myself and not accept underpaid jobs unless it’s something I really believe in and want to do.
Obviously, early on, you’ll want to take on anything paid to get some experience, but if your gut is telling you something isn’t right, listen. I’ve never regretted turning down a job that's severely underpaid or asking for too much; I’d rather spend that time on something for myself.
Illustration artwork
My advice
Best career-related advice you’ve ever received?
It may sound silly, but believe in yourself! Email everyone and apply for everything. Imposter syndrome is a massive thing as an artist, but don’t let it stop you from reaching out and trying. So many things that I have applied for or sent off, I thought were wasted effort, but ended up working out. My internship with Jane from A Studio Called Jane taught me this: be your biggest believer.
What would I say to someone looking to get into a similar role?
Study what other illustrators do, how they approach creating, look into the industry and see what parts of the industry you’d like to work in. There are lots of great places offering advice and a lot of illustrators are open to answering questions and having a chat. I think identifying what illustration work you’d like to get paid for, working on your portfolio, and interacting with and learning from other artists is the way to go. It’s not an easy path and it will most likely take a lot of hard work and time, but it’s so gratifying.
This article was created in partnership with Mastered. In today’s new world of work, Mastered translates industry knowledge into free, practical programmes, offering mentorship and coaching that help bridge the gap between learning and earning.