
Creative mentor helping illustrators and artists
Being a freelancer in the creative industry is fantastic—if you know what works for you. A mentor with extensive experience in your field can help you clear obstacles out of the way, giving you more space to be creative.
Think of me as a plumber for creative minds: I help you get unstuck so your creative energy can flow again.
Here are some of the questions I can help you with:
- How do I find clients that are the right fit for me?
- How do I communicate effectively with clients?
- What do I need to know when I start as a freelancer?
- How to I stay true to myself when I work for clients?
- I have goals, but how do I actually reach them?
- How do I balance client work and personal projects?
- How do I handle licensing and copyright?
- What should I look out for in contracts?
- How can I use social media and newsletters to generate income?
- How much should I charge for a project?
- How do I build a sustainable career without burning out?
- I have a neurodivergent brain—how do I avoid feeling overwhelmed?
As a mentor for illustrators, I help you create structure without stifling your creativity.
A career in illustration or art is no small feat. Not everyone understands what it’s like to work as an artist or illustrator—or the uncertainties that come with it. At times, you might wonder, “Do I really have to figure everything out on my own?”
The good news? You don’t. That’s where I come in!
I help you clarify your plans, break them down into actionable steps, and guide you through the business side of things—contracts, clients, and more. Once you understand how it all works, you’ll free up more mental space for creativity.
I’ve been a creative freelancer for over 25 years. I know this industry inside and out.
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Creative groundwork (6 months)
Unsure how to set your prices, or wondering how to attract the right clients, and connect with them in a way that feels good to you? I’m here to help. Together, we’ll clear away the blocks standing in your way. I’ll share everything I’ve learned over 25+ years as a freelancer — the lessons, the mindset shifts, the tools that have stood the test of time.
You’ll choose six dates for 1:1 sessions with me, spread out over six months. Each month, you’ll also receive thoughtful prompts and personal feedback by email to help you stay grounded and focused on building a creative practice that truly works for you.
With more time, I get a clearer view of your bigger picture. We can work together towards your long-term goals with more depth and intention. Because we only meet once a month, and it’s easy for momentum to dip in between, I’ll give you structured assignments for each month to help keep your progress flowing. That way, you’ll be working on your creative path at least every other week with gentle, consistent accountability.
What: 6x Zoom sessions (90 minutes each, once a month) + personalised, constructive exercises to work on between sessions incl. feedback per email.
Cost: € 1500 (excl. 21% VAT)
(My time investment: around 27 hours)


Creative boost (3 months)
Want to lay the groundwork for your creative practice but feel that six months is a bit too long? Then come work with me over a focused three-month period.
You’ll choose three dates for 1:1 sessions with me, and in between you’ll receive thoughtful prompts and constructive feedback via email — all designed to help you build a solid foundation for your creative work.
Before each live session, I’ll take the time to prepare so that what we cover is aligned with where you’re at and what you need. After each session, I’ll send you a tailored document with a summary, useful tips, and practical exercises to move forward with.
We’ll alternate weeks: one week we meet on Zoom to talk through your plans, challenges and ideas. The next week, you’ll dive into a creative task and reflective questionnaire, followed by personalised email feedback from me. Want more breathing space between sessions and assignments? That’s totally fine — we can stretch the programme over up to three months, depending on what works best for you.
What: 3x live Zoom-calls (each 60 minutes) + 3x assignment, incl. feedback via mail
Cost: € 850 (excl. 21% VAT)
(My time investment: 12-16 hours per series)

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Get in touch!
Excited to work with me, or have questions? Fill in the form below, and within three working days, we’ll get back to you.
If I’m unable to help you, I’ll let you know. There are no obligations if you email me.

What your fellow creatives are saying:
“When you want to gently evaluate where you stand and/or where you want to go, a conversation with Marloes is truly invaluable. She asks the right questions, makes you think, understands you better than you sometimes understand yourself, and plants seeds—seeds to grow your creativity while ensuring you don’t lose yourself along the way. To reflect on your business while also staying connected to your feelings. Not everything becomes concrete or fully mapped out by the end of the process, and I don’t expect miracles. But I do gain a clear perspective again, and that feels incredibly liberating.” Nele – Illustratlief
“To celebrate my 10-year anniversary as an illustrator, I treated myself to a one-on-one session with Marloes. I wanted to use those two hours to dive into topics like client communication, creating quotes, working with licenses, and the entire process from receiving a commission to delivering the final product.
Marloes shared her insights with such enthusiasm, offering a personal and open approach while being refreshingly vulnerable. She provided clear and practical examples that will be incredibly helpful as I take on larger clients. It was a really enjoyable and educational conversation—the time just flew by!” Joska – Joskaasworst
“After a one-on-one session, I headed into the weekend feeling energized. It was incredibly valuable to discuss various topics within the creative industry with Marloes. She’s direct, focused, and loves brainstorming creative solutions with you! This hour gave me so much to help take new steps in my creative business. Definitely worth repeating. Thank you, Marloes!’’ Vera – Studio Pluum
Need other help?
Looking for a group workshop or an online class? This is what I have to offer you.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you send me a message outlining what’s on your mind the most, I’ll follow up with a few questions to get a clearer picture of what you need. If I think I can help you, we can schedule the sessions. If I feel I’m not the right person to assist, I’ll let you know, of course. Wherever possible, I’ll recommend other resources to you.
My expertise includes:
– Profiling yourself and positioning in the market
– Defining your niche
– Filtering what you say to get to the core message
– Marketing and social media (making advertising your work enjoyable)
– Offering shortcuts in the illustration profession (I’ve been through just about everything)
– Communicating with clients and setting clear agreements
– Drafting quotes and invoices
– Copyright and licensing
– Finding clients
– Being very direct, though always with the best intentions
– British detective series and England, but let’s stick to freelancing for now 😉
Certainly, that’s even standard. You can also drop by in Capelle aan den IJssel (Netherlands), but then we’ll need to coordinate together to figure out the best way to arrange that.
I only offer sessions in a minimum of three parts. I used to do one-off sessions, but I’ve noticed it’s much more effective to dive deeper into the material. You tend to forget things more quickly if they’re only discussed briefly once. Additionally, to provide proper help, it’s beneficial for me to get to know you better.
Because I need to set a boundary when it comes to providing information 🙂 I offer free help and advice in several places:
– On my blog, you’ll find a lot of free information about freelancing.
– You can find more free advice on my Instagram (especially in my stories).
– Every month, I share plenty of free tips and advice in my newsletter.
Since some people need more help tailored to their personal situation, I decided to offer these sessions. This allows me to turn down other paid assignments and instead focus on helping someone directly.
The 6-month trajectory comes with a prelimirary intake of 20 minutes, to check if it’s the right fit. For the three shorter sessions this is not possible at the time being due to time restraints.
I have availability on Fridays (between 9 AM and 4 PM).
If you request 1:1 sessions, you’ll get access to my online calendar, where you can schedule yourself on the days that suit you best.
For a 1:1 series, I’ll first ask you a few questions via email. Based on your answers, I’ll figure out what’s most useful for you to know and work on.
We’ll have three 1-hour or 90-minute video calls, during which you can share what you need at that moment. In my experience, the first session is often about venting, ironing out initial challenges and identifying what you need.
After each session, I’ll email you an assignment (or more, depending on the situation) for you to work on. These assignments can be practical, such as specific tasks for your portfolio, or more reflective, focusing on you as a creator. You’ll also receive a summary of our conversation.
No, we will discuss everything during our sessions. So, if you have questions, write them down so we can discuss them on Fridays.
Because I want creative people to have more peace of mind. To feel like they don’t always have to do everything alone. To know there’s someone they can lean on a little. I would’ve loved to have had that at the start of my career.
Freelancing can be a lonely profession. You often find yourself stuck in your own head, while talking to someone who understands and has already been through it can bring so much clarity.
I’ve also noticed over the years that many illustrators, artists and photographers struggle with certain things: how much to charge for their work, what copyright really means, or how to draft a license for their work. Once you understand these things, you can communicate with your clients with so much more confidence. It also strengthens the creative industry as a whole when we stand firmer together, know our worth, and are treated with respect.
In short, learning from others reduces stress, and I wish that for every creative professional.
In 2009, I started teaching at art institutions. Over the years, I’ve given so many workshops that I’ve lost count. I stopped around 2018, though—the energy just wasn’t there anymore.
But after a burnout and a lot of reflection, I realised how much I missed connecting with people. Especially the sense of fulfillment I get from having meaningful conversations and creating something together. That’s the core for me: connecting with others through making.
I often think now, “How did I not realise this earlier?” But, well, sometimes it just takes time. 😉
While I started giving workshops again in the summer of 2024, I’ve always continued to give guest lectures at art academies and have been a trainer and coach at BNO for several years. Helping others has always been a recurring theme. Recently, I’ve had the chance to help a few illustrators one-on-one, and because they found it so valuable, I’m now announcing it more publicly.
In short: VWO graduate, earned a BDes from an art academy, completed a Picture Book Illustration course at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, attended philosophical self-development courses at The School of Life, took a Social Psychology course at Yale University (online), and completed dozens of online courses in painting, drawing, writing, and business administration. I’ve also attended numerous workshops led by other artists and creators and have worked with multiple business coaches—so many that I can’t even remember them all.
And maybe all these qualifications don’t really matter. I believe that my life and work experience are what truly count—40 and 26 years, respectively.
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