Meet Alice and find out about her life as an illustrator and vlogger. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
Alice Thorpe - Illustrator and vlogger
As a YouTuber, I vlog my life, I film what I’m up to and I also film tutorials showing how I do what I do.
A typical day for me varies quite a lot which is why I love what I do, so I usually start off answering emails, I get the boring stuff out of the way and then I’ll get to designing, so if I’ve got a logo to design that day I will sketch some ideas and then usually I end up filming that and editing the video for my channel as well.
I’ve always been a bit of an introvert so starting a YouTube channel was a bold step for me but then on the flip side, I also didn’t really care what anyone else thought, I was happy doing what I was doing. Overcoming the opinions of other people was a bit of an issue at the beginning but now I know that I’m happy and what I’m doing is helping a handful of people, so I’m happy with that.
From an early age, I’ve always been the creative one of the group so I knew I always wanted to do something creative but I didn’t really know what I specifically wanted to do so when I left school I actually went to Sixth Form and I did three A-levels, I only actually did one creative A-level, it was media. I then worked as a photographer for two years, so I worked with a local photographer. I found that really interesting, I learnt how to communicate with people, how to use the software and how to work to deadlines. I then applied that to university, I wanted a new challenge so I went to university and ended up studying graphic design.
My advice to anyone wanting to do what I do is just go for it. Honestly don’t try and wait for the right time, it’s never going to come, just give it a go. Because I am boss I find it quite difficult to stay on track so I need to make sure I’m motivated, I need to make sure I have a list of things to do so timekeeping and making sure I keep up to date with all my work is super important.
Getting comments and feedback from viewers who have watched my videos really really motivates me to carry on and now because I have my new print shop where I’m selling the illustrations, having people actually purchase things that I’ve made and then they will have these things, that I’ve made, in their hand, just feels great, it feels really humbling and it just, it’s just what I’ve always wanted and it makes everything really worthwhile.
Having people purchase things I made, feels really humbling.
Alice works as an illustrator and a YouTuber. Her day to day is varied. It ranges from doing administrative tasks and working on graphic design projects to filming and vlogging for YouTube
Doing something creative as a career was always Alice's goal. She studied Media at college and then worked for two years as a photographer. She decided to go back to university and studied Graphic Design and realised that she wanted to be an illustrator and YouTuber
According to Alice, some of the challenges of being your own boss are: to motivate yourself, to prioritise your workload and to be able to manage your time well
Alice's top tip for pursuing your ideal job is to just "go for it". She has found that there'll never be a perfect time, so it's best not to wait and just do it!
Alice is both an illustrator and a vlogger. If you want to find out more about what to expect as an illustrator, check out Anh's story.
What to expect if you want to be a vlogger
- Vlogger average salary: Variable
- Vlogger typical working hours: Variable
What qualifications do you need to be a vlogger?
You could get into this role via a college course, an apprenticeship, volunteering, teaching yourself or short private training courses.
Sources: National Careers Service
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
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