Sticky Notes with CJ Cawley and Jack Chitty

Using the recent Allan Peters and A$AP Rocky situation as a case study, we're taking a look at social media, self-promotion, and what it actually takes to market yourself as a designer in 2026.We get into the fine line between creating content that gets attention and creating content that actually builds the kind of reputation, audience and client base you want long term.We also talk honestly about our own relationship with social media, why millions of views don’t necessarily equal better clients, and why both of us are starting to rethink what successful creative marketing actually looks like.We get into:👉 What creatives can learn from the Allan Peters and A$AP Rocky situation👉 Why controversial and divisive content performs so well online👉 The difference between getting attention and building trust👉 Whether “fixing” other designers’ work is good marketing or damaging to the industry👉 Why millions of views don’t automatically lead to the right clients👉 How to build a social media strategy that actually reflects the creative career you want

This week, we’re talking about the projects that never saw the light of day. We're talking rejected ideas and identities that were maybe signed off but never launched. We share the stories behind some of our biggest creative disappointments, including Jack’s rejected Six Nations identity and the moment CJ decided to walk away from one of the largest and most meaningful projects of his career.

We get into:👉 Why even your best design work might never make it into the world👉 How too many stakeholders can derail an otherwise brilliant creative project👉 Why a rejected idea doesn’t automatically mean the work was bad👉 What happens when the brief and creative direction suddenly change👉 How to recognise when you’re no longer the right designer for a client👉 What to do with unused, rejected or unfinished creative work

This week, we’re talking about how to protect yourself as a freelance designer.We're talking contracts, payment terms, scope creep, unlimited revisions and difficult clients. We get into the business side of creativity that most designers are never taught.We also share some of the biggest mistakes we made early in our careers, including the project that grew into nearly a year of work for just £4,000, and the systems and boundaries we now use to protect our time, money and creative energy.We get into:👉 Why every designer needs a proper contract👉 What should be included in your scope of work👉 How to stop clients adding “just one more thing” to a project👉 Why you should never begin work before receiving a deposit👉 How to avoid chasing unpaid invoices👉 How to handle clients who ask for discounts👉 The red flags that can reveal a nightmare clients👉 Why saying yes to everything can cost you time, money and better opportunities

This week, we’re finally talking about AI... but not as a hypothetical debate about what might happen to the creative industry one day.We’re talking about something that has already happened.After discovering that his original artwork had been used without permission to promote a generative AI product, CJ takes us through the full story: how he found it, how closely the generated imagery copied his work, what happened when he publicly challenged the company responsible, and the conversations that followed behind closed doors.We get into:👉 How CJ discovered his artwork being used to advertise a generative AI product👉 What happened when CJ publicly challenged the company responsible👉 The reality of protecting your intellectual property as an independent designer👉 Why so many creatives are too frightened or under-resourced to defend their own work👉 The responsibility design influencers have when promoting generative AI products👉 How creative communities can use their collective voice to demand better👉 Why protecting human-made work is about more than saving our own jobs👉 What we might be able to do next to stand up for the future of creativity

This week, we're back after a short break, catching up on everything that's happened.Jack opens up about losing confidence in his studio, comparing himself to other designers, and the difficult decision to walk away from the work and content that had made him successful. We also talk about why changing direction isn't failing, why your business should evolve as you do, and why sometimes you have to burn down what got you here to build what comes next.We get into:👉 Why comparing yourself to other designers can kill your creativity👉 The moment Jack realised his business no longer reflected who he was👉 Why changing direction in your freelance career is often the right move👉 How social media validation can stop you building the business you actually want👉 The importance of backing yourself instead of chasing what works for everyone else👉 Why the thing that got you here won't always get you where you want to go next👉 How to know when it's time to start again

This week, we tackle one of the most uncomfortable conversations in the creative industry: money.How much should you charge for your first logo design project? We talk honestly about the fear of quoting too high, the temptation to undercharge, and why so many freelance designers struggle to separate the value of their work from their own self-worth.We also share stories from our own businesses, the pricing mistakes we've made along the way, and the mindset shifts that helped us build more sustainable creative careers.We get into:👉 Why talking about money feels so uncomfortable as a creative👉 How to think about pricing your logo design and brand identity projects👉 Why clients are paying for far more than just a logo👉 The biggest pricing mistakes we've both made as freelance designers👉 Why undercharging can actually hurt both you and your clients👉 How confidence, experience and value all play a role in what you charge👉 What we'd tell every designer who's struggling to price their work

This week, we get into the thing that separates work with soul from work without it. From copying the designers we admire to chasing critique over praise, we unpack what it actually takes to develop real taste and creative instinct. We also share stories from our own journeys, including a proper dressing-down, the danger of being told you're great too often, and the uncomfortable question of whether you have "the thing" or not.We get into:👉 Why creativity, talent and taste might be three completely different things👉 The case for tough love over empty encouragement when giving creative feedback👉 How copying the work you admire can help you find your own creative voice👉 Why curiosity is the best supplement for your creative muscles👉 The power of finding one central theme or metaphor before you start designing👉 Why stripping ideas back beats throwing everything at them👉 How bad do you really want it

This week, CJ and Jack get into the one thing that makes or breaks a creative career — getting your work signed off. From presenting ideas in front of a class for the first time, to spending an entire summer studying sales techniques, they share the hard-won lessons behind building a presentation process that actually works. Plus the uncomfortable truth that great work alone will never be enough

This week, CJ and Jack unpack the reality of finding clients as a freelance designer. From saying yes to everything in the early days, to learning how to attract the right opportunities as your career grows. They share stories from their own journeys, including cold emails, awkward client experiences, social media, passion projects, and the uncomfortable truth about what it really takes to get noticed.

We get into:

👉 How we both found our very first freelance clients

👉 Why most cold emails and DMs don't work (and what to focus on instead)

👉 The role social media played in building their design careers

👉 Why finding clients and finding the right clients are two completely different challenges

👉 How passion projects can lead to paid work in the industries you actually want to work in

👉 Why saying no to the wrong project can be harder than finding a new one

👉 The question every freelancer eventually has to answer: "How bad do you want this?"

We quit our 9-5's to work 5-9. This week, CJ and Jack unpack the guilt that comes with being a freelance creative and finally putting your 'out of office' on.

We get into:
👉 Why freelancers often feel guilty taking time off
👉 The pressure of running a business when everything stops if you stop
👉 Why rest can feel like something you have to earn
👉 The hidden 9–5 mindset many creatives still carry into freelance life
👉 How overworking quietly becomes normalised when you work for yourself
👉 And the uncomfortable truth that sometimes… we’re the ones creating the pressure