Being your own boss can be hard at times in terms of being persistent and motivated, plus, what inspires/motivates you can be very different from the next person. As an example, illustrator Kyle Platts says that he is never quite content with his work and that is his motivating factor, as he always strives to get better. “It’s also good to be surrounded by artists who are totally better than you, they have a way of making you want to work harder,” – further explains the artist.

However, different creators have different opinions regarding the topic, Michael Driver – It’s Nice That 2015 graduate and illustrator, says that a monetary reward aka his earnings is what keeps him motivated. Michael further explains by saying that being admired or being very successful, used to be something that he thought motivated him, but he has soon realized that having a steady income is the biggest factor of them all for his case – “If the client’s happy with the work that’s all that matters: everything else is trivial.”

Other tips include: setting audacious goals for yourself, surrounding yourself with people that you think are greater than you and learning from them, and being competitive because the race for creators never stops.

The best advice that many creators share is: not rushing things and simply enjoying every minute, because if it’s something you are truly passionate about – everything else will follow, eventually. So, to end on a positive note – there is no wrong or right, nor are there any rules, just enjoy, because stressing out and being creatively unhappy won’t do any good for anyone.