Sticky Notes with CJ Cawley and Jack Chitty

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