How to Become a Freelance Illustrator and Build a Strong Personal Brand: The Experience of Malen Pazos, LABASAD Student
From her passion for illustration to her success as a freelancer, Malen shares her formula for building a strong personal brand, maximising social media reach, and staying inspired.
“The most important thing is to draw, a lot. Illustration is a vocational job, and if you’re not passionate about it, it’s hard for it to work.” With these words, Malen, a student of the Online Master’s in Editorial and Advertising Illustration at LABASAD and a freelance illustrator with over 34,000 followers on Instagram, sums up the essence of her career. Her work, vibrant and unique, has managed to connect with an active and engaged audience who not only follows her illustrations but also gets involved with the creative process behind each one.
In an exclusive interview, Malen shared her experience, advice, and the importance of her studies in the Master’s at LABASAD, a programme that, according to her, was crucial in shaping both her personal and professional brand.
For Malen, her illustration style is the result of constant experimentation. “I play a lot with proportions and sizes, I like to create unrealistic shapes,” she explains. This search for the unusual and eye-catching is complemented by her distinctive colour palette:
“My illustrations are usually very colourful. One thing that makes my work identifiable is that if I use a colour, it’s always the same tone. Although my palette varies, that consistency detail gives my visual brand coherence.”
Malen also understands the power of social media, especially Instagram, as a dynamic extension of her portfolio. Her account not only showcases the final result of her illustrations but also her process, providing a way to bring her community closer to the “how” behind the “what”. “Showing the work process, such as sketches or videos, creates a deeper connection with followers,” she comments. Additionally, while consistency is key, she emphasises that there is no exact formula: “Sometimes the posts I least expect have a huge reach.”
Malen highlights the informality of Instagram, as it “offers a unique freedom. People don’t expect content as professional as on other platforms, which allows me to be more authentic and spontaneous.” Thanks to this social media platform, she has attracted most of her clients, demonstrating that, in the freelance world, visibility and direct access to your work are key factors for growth:
“Instagram is a great showcase; almost all the job offers I’ve received have come because they saw my work posted there.”
In addition to using social media to showcase her work, Malen chose the freelance path, a decision that, although full of challenges, has allowed her to live off her passion on her own terms:
“The biggest advantage of being a freelancer is the freedom, having my own schedule, being able to work from anywhere… For me, that’s the most wonderful part.”
However, being self-employed is not easy: uncertainty and lack of stability are constant. “Not knowing if you’ll have work or when the next project will come is a constant challenge. The good thing is that I work in what I’m passionate about.” Despite the difficult times, Malen has managed to find a balance between her professional and personal life. She acknowledges that one of the biggest challenges is managing her time efficiently:
“Working from home can be tricky because you don’t have a fixed schedule. Sometimes procrastination becomes an enemy, but I try to be disciplined.”
Malen also highlights the importance of continuous learning, and the Online Master’s in Editorial and Advertising Illustration was, according to her, essential for her professional development. “Seeing how others work, from receiving a briefing to delivering the final product, gave me a complete view of the professional creative process,” she explains. For her, this training not only provided technical tools but also a perspective on how to handle the challenges of working with clients:
“The Master’s was a turning point for me to realise that I wanted to be an illustrator.”
Looking to the future, Malen has clear goals: to continue growing as an illustrator and, eventually, to live solely from her art. “I would love to publish an illustrated book. Working as an illustrator is a dream for me, and I hope to keep doing this for many more years,” she says determinedly.
To new illustrators just starting their careers, Malen offers valuable advice:
“Don’t obsess over style, and don’t compare yourself to others. Style develops over time and with experience. The most important thing is to share your work, don’t fear what others will think. Social media is a great opportunity to showcase what you do.”
Malen’s journey is a testament to how authenticity, consistency, and a strong presence on social media can help build a solid personal brand. From her unique approach to illustration to the way she handles her freelance career, her story is an inspiring example of how passion and creativity can take you far, even in such a competitive field as illustration.
If you’d like to learn more about LABASAD and our Online Master’s in Editorial and Advertising Illustration, feel free to contact us at [email protected]. We’re here to help you take the next step in your professional career and discover new opportunities in the world of digital design.