I Quit My 9-5… Now I Can’t Stop Working

I Quit My 9-5… Now I Can’t Stop Working

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

How do Freelance Graphic Designers find Motivation? | EP003

What happens when the wins stop coming? When projects drag on, self-doubt creeps in, confidence drops, and you start questioning whether you even know what you’re doing anymore. We get into: 👉 Why freelance creatives become dependent on “wins” to keep going 👉 What happens when you stop getting sign-offs, leads, or momentum 👉 The dangerous spiral of self-doubt, comparison, and “maybe I’m not cut out for this” thinking 👉 Why nobody celebrates your wins for you when you work for yourself 👉 How to manufacture motivation and create your own small wins 👉 And why having the right people in your corner can completely change everything EPISODE SPONSORSilverStag Type Foundry | Fonts that feel real, intentional, and full of character. Grab 20% OFF all fonts here [https://silverstagtype.com/discount/StickyNotes]

The Skill Gap Is Destroying My Confidence | EP002

You know that feeling where your taste is up here… but your actual ability feels way down there? Well, we unpack the constant battle of knowing what “great” looks like, but struggling to create work that lives up to the vision in your head. EPISODE SPONSOR SilverStag Type Foundry | Fonts that feel real, intentional, and full of character. Grab 20% OFF all fonts here [https://silverstagtype.com/discount/StickyNotes] TOOLS FOR BRAND & LOGO DESIGNERS 🤙✏️ CJ's Tools [https://www.seesidestudio.com/]Jack's Tools [https://www.chitt.co/shop]WHERE TO FIND US 👇 CJ's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/cj.cawley.design/]Jack's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chittco/]

The Dark Side of Social Media | EP001

Well... this week’s episode took a completely unexpected turn.What started as a conversation about social media, sharing your work online, and building a personal brand quickly became a very real discussion about criticism, hate, parody videos, and what happens when putting yourself out there publicly suddenly blows back in your face.CJ opens up about waking up to a viral parody video mocking his content, personality, and creative style, and the emotional whiplash that comes with becoming the target of public criticism online.We get into:👉 The reality of sharing your work online as a creative👉 Why social media can be both life-changing and mentally exhausting👉 The fear of judgment, criticism, and “cringe”👉 Constructive feedback vs straight-up hate👉 Why you can’t please everyone on the internet👉 The importance of finding your “North Star”👉 And why putting yourself out there is still worth it anywayThis is probably our rawest and most honest conversation yet and it's only episode 1! 😅

Why Should You Watch This Podcast? | EP000

Welcome to the very first episode of Sticky Notes - the unfiltered podcast for creative professionals, where we ungatekeep the arts of our careers nobody talks about but everyone goes through. In this episode, Jack Chitty and I sit down after a long day of building this podcast from scratch (literally by hand) and talk about why we’re even doing this. We get into: 👉 Why running a freelance graphic design business can feel so lonely 👉 The importance of having someone in your corner 👉 Why there’s no “right way” to build a design career 👉 The problem with gatekeeping in the creative industry 👉 And why we wanted to create a space that’s more honest, raw, and human This is just the start. Future episodes will dive into topics like finding clients, pricing, burnout, self-doubt, and everything in between. If you're a graphic designer, brand designer, or creative professional, you’re in the right place.