"I’ve always loved stories, which led me to move down south to pursue my dream job as an Illustration Agent in Children’s Publishing. When the pandemic hit and remote working became possible, I returned to West Yorkshire and never made it back down the M1. As publishing remains a very London-centric industry, I took the leap to go freelance as I wanted to continue doing what I love most - working closely with talented creatives who inspire me everyday."

"With a background in graphic design and studio management, I realised I’d honed the perfect set of skills to lend a helping hand to other self-employed creatives. I now work behind the scenes with both creative agencies and individuals providing design, marketing and operational support as a Creative Virtual Assistant. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I genuinely enjoy the admin side of creative work – whether it’s updating websites, managing portfolios, or scheduling social media content."

"My main purpose is to help creative business owners get closer to their goals whether that’s providing ongoing marketing support to creative studios, or 1-1 mentoring to help an emerging illustrator develop their portfolio."

"Wakefield’s such a creative place to live and work. I love having Yorkshire Sculpture Park on my doorstep and you can find me walking my dog around the Hepworth garden most days."

"We’re so lucky to have places like the Arthouse too and I love taking part in their screen printing workshops, or having a nosey around their open studios."

"On top of that, I always say one of the best things about Wakefield is how well connected it is, making it a great base for getting out and meeting people in person."

"As a book worm, any opportunity to speak to authors and illustrators is a dream project for me. I’m part of the Children’s Books North Network which aims to promote regional diversity in children’s publishing. As part of my role with CBNN, I interview authors and illustrators for a social media series I produce called ‘CBNN Cuppas’. It’s such a privilege to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into people’s studios and hear about their creative processes. I’m also excited to be involved in their Mentorship Scheme this year, which runs annually and helps to demystify the industry for aspiring publishing professionals living in the North or Scotland."

"I recently launched a Pinterest account for a client which grew to upwards of 500k monthly views within a few months. Whilst I’ve used Pinterest loads for inspiration over the years, it was a new platform for me in terms of content creation and I learnt so much from the process that I’d love to share with other creatives too."

"I’m really looking forward to doing more mentoring and 1-to-1 support for creatives, especially when it comes to portfolio reviews and helping people improve their online presence. There’s something incredibly rewarding about helping someone take that next step towards their creative goals, and I’m excited to keep doing more of that in the months ahead."

If you'd like to find out more about Bethany and her work, please don't hesitate to visit her website here: Bethany Sparks | A helping hand for illustrators & agencies