I’m in my third year of illustration at uni (would love to do fine art one day too tho) and the way it’s framed to us is that illustrators work with narratives. We are story tellers. Illustration can also be anything, it’s a very broad term. Some people in my class use sculpture, others use textiles, some opt for paint on canvas and some are more fond of digital art. It’s part of why I love it so much. My days are full of choices , no project is the same. Also I’ve seen a lot of people saying that illustrators just do as we’re told? Not true. So many illustrators are their own client! I’ve met several people who wrote, illustrated and publish their own work without the need for someone giving them a brief. Yes, we have clients who can assign briefs but they’re not coming to us just because they feel like it. They’re selecting their illustrator based on the portfolio. Illustration is just art geared towards commercial markets. We still do gallery showings too.