Creative Confessions

In this episode, I’m joined by Jess and Rachel, the duo behind Studio Morii to talk all things business partnerships, friendship, and honesty.

After getting a confession from a creative who said starting a business with a friend feels scarier than going solo, we dig into what it’s actually like to build a brand with your best friend.

We chat about keeping communication open, navigating finances together, managing stress in totally different ways, and how to protect your friendship when business gets serious.

The Creative Confession™ we're discussing: “My friend and I have a plan to go into business together as a partnership and I am more anxious than her. I am nervous about starting a business with another person and it actually feels scarier than going solo.”

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In this episode, I'm exploring an anonymous confession about using AI in creative work through a community-driven discussion. I collected anonymous responses that represent a range of viewpoints, highlighting the conversations happening in the creative community.

DISCLAIMER: This episode aims to create understanding and encourage a conversation rather than shame. Even though all responses couldn't be read in this episode, I aimed to read multiple responses with differing viewpoints. I acknowledge the complexity of the issues discussed & I do want to emphasise that I am still unsure where I stand on the topic. My approach with this episode is to present various perspectives and let you draw your own conclusions.

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In this episode, I’m doing something a little different.

Recently, I sent out a newsletter about how I noticed designers Googling each other’s clients to “check if the projects are real.” I didn’t expect much. But then… my inbox exploded.

Turns out, people have thoughts. Some agreed with me. Some challenged me. So in today’s episode, I’m reading out a bunch of those anonymous replies and reacting to each one with my honest take.

We’re talking:

• Whether designers should disclose passion projects

• Why people get weird about “fake clients”

• The pressure to look busy online

• Real vs. passion work and does it even matter?

If you’ve ever hesitated to share a mock project or worried you’d be seen as “less than” for doing passion work, this one's for you

MENTIONED EPISODE: When pretending to have clients backfires

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Let’s talk about that moment where you’re so drained by a project that you start doing more just to end it. You’re not alone, but there’s a difference between overdelivering intentionally and handing over extras just to escape.

In this episode, I’m digging into why we overdeliver when we’re frustrated (and why it backfires), along with the emotional toll of dragging projects. We’ll also touch on why burnout doesn’t care how much you’re getting paid and how poor communication causes most boundary breaks.

And if you’re looking for a bit of practical advice there’s some bits on what to say when you don’t want to do more work outside of the initial agreement (even if the client offers to pay).

The anonymous confession: “Sometimes I get to the point with a frustrating client that I just give them additional patterns and social media stuff for free because I want the project to be done. Is this bad?”

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In this episode, I’m joined by designer James Barnard to talk about pricing transparency. After reading a confession from a creative who said listing their prices might have scared off all their leads, we talk about why this advice doesn’t work for everyone.

We also get into how to communicate your value without putting numbers on your site as well as some of James' tips for social media content. If you’ve ever second-guessed your pricing, or wondered whether you’re making things harder for yourself, this one’s for you.

The Creative Confession™ we're discussing: "I saw designers on Threads saying that if we want to be as transparent and as accessible as possible then we should put our prices on our websites so I did. I've noticed I haven't had a single lead since. I had a good flow of leads before and I think I tried to fix something that wasn't broken. "

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✷ Ready to share your story, opinions or those questions you feel like you can’t ask? ⁠⁠Submit your own Creative Confession™ ⁠here⁠

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Took a break and now your creative brain won’t boot up again? In this episode, I’m sharing how I stop time off from completely derailing my design business. From overwhelm to finding a weekly rhythm that actually works (especially as a parent), this is a real look at how I get back on track without spiralling or wishing for an empty to-do list.

The Confession: "I get thrown off my work rhythm at the start of a new week after the break at the weekends. It happens every week and I have a long weekend trip coming up (friday, saturday and sunday), I'm dreading it. I see on Instagram that you go to events often so I was hoping you would have some advice on this  "

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Ahh the classic imposter syndrome. In this episode, I break down the fear of getting it wrong, the pressure to look like an expert, and the myth that everyone else knows what they’re doing. If you’ve ever spiraled halfway through making a post online, this one’s for you.

The Confession: "I feel like such an imposter when I try to give advice or make educational content because it feels like everyone else has it figured out. I’m scared of saying the wrong thing and getting called out for it, but it also feels like that’s the kind of content that performs the best."

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In this episode, I’m diving into how 'authenticity' has become a marketing strategy, the difference between curating what you share and faking stories for engagement and how audiences have become smarter.

If you’ve ever looked at someone’s post and thought, “this still feels curated”, this episode is for you.

The Confession: "Everyone teaches being authentic as best practice but it still feels like their 'authenticity' is still made to look perfect."

Last week's episode is here

See Frankie Harry's Channel here

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I’m talking about the pressure to fake success in the online design space when you’re struggling to book design clients. I'm sharing why “fake it ‘til you make it” has become such a common (and risky) tactic, and how it can backfire when the truth catches up to you.

The Confession: "I am "faking it til I make it" by pretending to have actual clients.. it's gotten so far that other designers are starting to ask about where I get clients & how to talk to clients on disco calls"

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