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Today’s “Side Hustler Interview” is with Dr Noémie Gionet Landry from New Brunswick, Canada.

From a young age, she knew she wanted to be either a doctor or illustrate children’s books. Midway through medschool, Noémie realised it was possible to do both! She’s now a practising Rheumatologist and published illustrator. Her beautiful pictures have also been printed on clocks, bathmats and phone cases.

In this interview you’ll learn how:

• her high school career test suggested she pursue medicine or visual arts

• she developed illustration skills during residency with online art classes and Youtube videos

• an international illustration agency signed her up last year

• Noémie balances medicine with monsters, pirates and unicorns!

 

Tell us about your side hustle.

My side hustle is to make illustrations for kids—mainly kids’ books!

What is your medical background?

I work as an adult rheumatologist. I did all my training at the Université de Sherbrooke, in Sherbrooke, Quebec but now work in Moncton, New Brunswick. I have a special interest in musculoskeletal ultrasound, but otherwise have a very diverse rheumatology practice. I also LOVE teaching, so I am involved with teaching medical students and residents, and often give talks to family physicians.

Where did the idea come from and what gave you the confidence to start?

I’ve always loved drawing. I also knew I wanted to be a doctor from the age of 4. My mother is also a physician, and I followed her in her weekend rounds during most of my childhood.

For years as a kid my answer to the question “What do you want to do when you grow up?” was “doctor or children’s book illustrator”. In my last year of high school I took a career test. The results—health care professional or visual artist. I had good grades so everyone around kept telling me “you should become a doctor and do art just for fun”.

During my undergraduate studies and my first four years of medical school I didn’t touch a sketchbook. Then, I slowly started drawing again “just for fun” (but my drawings where really awful).

Midway through my residency I decided “just for fun” wasn’t enough—I wanted to be both a doctor and a professional illustrator. But I knew I had a LOT of work ahead me, so I enrolled in several online art classes (mainly SVSlearn, Schoolism and Academy of Art University), watched countless YouTube videos, and I started drawing, drawing and drawing.

What have been your biggest wins?

Last year I was contacted by the Bright Agency, which is a fantastic illustration agency. I knew of several illustrators represented by them and honestly was flabbergasted when I received their email. I eventually signed up with them and so far it’s definitely been the biggest jump in my illustration career.

What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced?

My biggest challenge is always time. I don’t have children (yet) and my wife, who is a haematologist, is VERY supportive. So, at the present time, most of my spare time is spent working on illustrations. I am, fortunately, very good at time management and I don’t need a lot of sleep! I also adapted my workflow so I can work anywhere, anytime. I illustrate on an IPad Pro that I carry with me everywhere. If I am waiting at an airport, a garage, or the dentist, I draw.

I am also a firm believer in doing several things at once! I never really “watch” TV – I listen to it and draw at the same time. I usually don’t need to concentrate too much when working on an illustration, so sometime I will even listen to podcast/CME while I draw.

Finally, I like running, and when running on my treadmill I usually listen to art classes (like medicine, art is a field where you are never done learning.) It’s a big commitment—but children’s illustration is a very competitive world. But it’s also a lot of fun. I mean, I get paid to draw monsters, pirates and unicorns! Of course I won’t be able to maintain the same routine once kids are part of the equation, but I’ll find a way to make it work!

How much time do you spend in clinical medicine?

I am a salaried physician. I work full time (37.5 hours/week) at the clinic.

If you were starting back at the beginning what would you do differently?

I would not have stopped drawing for nearly 7 years! Medical school is of course very time consuming, but I think medical students should be encouraged to have other passions. Before I started drawing again, I felt (like it feels to many med students) like the ONLY thing I was doing was studying. When I started taking online art classes, I had less time to study, but my study time was definitely more productive because I had a goal (study this many hours and then you can draw!) I illustrated my first children’s book while studying for my internal medicine exams and I am confident that it’s what kept me sane!

Finally, what is your best tip (or two) that you have for doctors who are pursuing a side hustle?

I think for most doctors the barrier to pursuing a side hustle is time. I would suggest taking a close look at your life, and identifying where you are maybe “wasting time” that can be reinvested in your second passion. There’s so much wasted time in a day! Of course, it helps if you love what you do! For me drawing = relaxing. It never feels like work.

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About Noémie

Noémie grew up in a small coastal town of New-Brunswick, Canada, surrounded by the ocean. Growing up, she was telling everyone she wanted to become either a doctor, or a children’s book illustrator. Midway through med school, she decided she would do both. She now shares her time between the hospital (where she works as a Rheumatologist) and her home studio, where she sketches, draws and paints surrounded by her wife, two tiny Chihuahua and two cats. She works both digitally and traditionally, creating engaging illustration, usually with a funny twist!

Find out More About Noémie

Website: http://noemiegionetlandry.squarespace.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noemieillustration/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noemie_illustration

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/noemie_illustr

Look out for more interviews in my series’

• “Side Hustlers”– Doctors running a hustle alongside their clinical career

• “Escape Artists” – Doctors who no longer practice medicine cos they’re doing other things

Would you like to be featured in an interview like this one? Send me an email andrew@epichealthcare.co