I used to think long blog posts were dead. No one reads anymore, right?
Turns out… that’s only half true.
A few years ago, I stumbled onto a 12-minute read written by an illustrator about how she priced her first international client. No flashy design. No SEO tricks. Just honesty. I bookmarked it. Shared it. Came back to it months later.
That post stuck with me longer than any Instagram carousel ever has.
And that’s when it clicked—long-form blogging still has real power, especially for designers and illustrators.
Let me explain why.
Short Content Gets Seen. Long Content Gets Remembered.
Social media is loud. Fast. Blink and it’s gone.
Long-form blogging is the opposite. It slows people down.
When you write deeply about your design process, your fail…
I used to think long blog posts were dead. No one reads anymore, right?
Turns out… that’s only half true.
A few years ago, I stumbled onto a 12-minute read written by an illustrator about how she priced her first international client. No flashy design. No SEO tricks. Just honesty. I bookmarked it. Shared it. Came back to it months later.
That post stuck with me longer than any Instagram carousel ever has.
And that’s when it clicked—long-form blogging still has real power, especially for designers and illustrators.
Let me explain why.
Short Content Gets Seen. Long Content Gets Remembered.
Social media is loud. Fast. Blink and it’s gone.
Long-form blogging is the opposite. It slows people down.
When you write deeply about your design process, your failures, how you think, or why you make certain visual decisions, you’re not just showing work—you’re showing judgment. And judgment is what clients pay for.
I once worked with a freelance illustrator who barely posted on social media. But she had a long Medium article breaking down how she redesigned a children’s book character from scratch. Guess where most of her clients came from?
Yep. That single article.
She linked her work through a clean online portfolio for creatives and let the writing do the convincing.
Long-Form Writing Builds Trust (Without Feeling Salesy)
Here’s something no one tells you: Clients don’t just hire skill. They hire clarity.
When someone reads 1,500 words of your thoughts, your mistakes, your process—they feel like they know you. That’s huge.
I remember writing a long post about a logo project that failed. Completely failed. The client hated it. I explained what went wrong and what I learned.
I expected zero response.
Instead, I got three emails. One literally said, “Your honesty made me trust you.”
That article lived quietly next to my professional designer portfolio. No popups. No begging.
Just presence.
You’re Not Just a Designer. You’re a Thinker.
This is where long-form blogging really shines.
Designers and illustrators often struggle with being seen as “just visuals.” Blogging lets you prove you’re more than that. You’re strategic. Reflective. Intentional.
Explain why you chose a color palette. Talk about client psychology. Write about creative burnout. Or impostor syndrome. Or pricing fear.
I once read a long post by a UI designer who talked openly about undercharging for years. That article alone made me respect his work more.
He didn’t push services aggressively. He simply linked his personal creative portfolio at the end.
That was enough.
Medium Is Perfect for This (Yes, Still)
Medium works because people go there to read. Not scroll mindlessly.
Long-form posts on Medium can rank on Google, get curated, and circulate for years. Literally years.
One illustrator friend told me a Medium article she wrote in 2021 still sends her leads today. She updates her work on her minimalist portfolio website, but that article? It keeps doing the talking.
Consistency helps. But even one strong, honest piece can change things.
Long Posts Attract Better Clients (Not Just More)
This part surprised me.
When you write long-form content, you automatically filter people. Not everyone will read it. And that’s good.
The ones who do read? They’re patient. Curious. Serious.
Those are the clients who understand timelines, respect process, and don’t argue over every invoice.
Pair that writing with a focused portfolio website for freelancers and suddenly you’re not chasing work. Work finds you.
Quietly.
You Don’t Need to Be a “Writer”
Let’s be clear. You don’t need perfect grammar. Or fancy words.
Some of the best long-form posts I’ve read were messy. Honest. Slightly awkward.
Write like you talk. Write like you think. Short sentences are fine. Rambling a little? Also fine.
I still cringe reading my older posts. But they worked. Because they were real.
Link your work through a simple online portfolio and let the human voice do the rest.
Final Thoughts (From Someone Who Learned Late)
If you’re a designer or illustrator reading this and thinking, “I should write someday”—don’t wait.
Write one long post. Just one. About something that matters to you.
Not trends. Not algorithms. Your experience.
Long-form blogging won’t give instant dopamine hits. But it builds something better—reputation, trust, and depth.
And in a world full of fast content? Depth still wins.
Slowly. But it wins.
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Discover why long-form blogging is a powerful tool for designers and illustrators to build trust, attract better clients, and showcase creative thinking beyond visuals.
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long-form blogging for designers, blogging for illustrators, designer portfolio website, creative blogging, Medium blogging for designers, illustrator personal brand, freelance designer marketing, storytelling for creatives