Freelance Designer Loneliness: Why Community Beats Another Course

Freelance Designer Loneliness: Why Community Beats Another Course

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2328846/fan_mail/new] Nobody talks about the real loneliness of freelancing. Not the Pinterest version — laptop, coffee, living the dream. The real version. Where you read the same client email five times and wonder if you're being difficult, or if you should just drop your price because shame, you need the work. In this episode, I want to talk about something most designers carry quietly: the weight of doing everything alone. The pricing decisions, the client conversations, the small wins nobody celebrates with you, and the hard days nobody sees. Because here's the truth — you can be talented and still need people. You can run your own business and still need someone to say, "Breathe. You're not crazy. This is normal." We talk about why community matters more than information right now, what real creative support actually looks like (hint: it's not 284 unread messages in a WhatsApp group), and why independence has been made to look a little too glamorous in the freelance world. This one is honest. It's real. And if you've been feeling lonely in your creative business lately, I think you need to hear it. 👉 Read the full show notes and find the links mentioned in this episode here. [https://kunshuis.com/2026/06/25/freelance-designer-loneliness-community/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2328846/support] Thanks for listening to BEYOND Design ✨ If this episode spoke to you, here are a few ways to keep the conversation going: Website & Resources → kunshuis.com [https://kunshuis.com/] Shop creative tools → The Kunshuis Collective [https://the-kunshuis-collective.myshopify.com] Show notes & blogs → kunshuis.com/blog [https://kunshuis.com/blog] Free support for creatives: * 21-Day Creative Reset Challenge [https://kunshuis.com/reset] * Download: Asking Better Questions (Client Guide) [https://kunshuis.myflodesk.com/questions] 🖤 My favourite tools for life + business: * The Playbook Planner [https://kunshuis.com/playbook] — your creative sidekick for focus + flow * The Playbook Desk [https://kunshuis.com/desk] — a Notion-powered space to run your freelance business with ease Let’s connect & stay inspired: 📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kunshuis_by_nelett/] Join the Beyond Design Room on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/923004698383747] Because design is only 20%… the rest is life. Thanks for being here, friend. You’re not alone in this journey—let’s design it together.

Will AI Replace Graphic Designers? Here's the Truth After 25 Years in the Industry

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2328846/fan_mail/new] AI is everywhere right now — in design, branding, content, websites, logos and almost every creative conversation. And here is my honest take: I love AI. It helps me think, organise, clean up admin and move faster where faster helps. But AI is not my replacement. In this episode of BEYOND Design, I talk about AI in graphic design, human-centric creativity, and why designers still matter in an AI-saturated market. Because when everyone can make something look good, the designer who can think, guide, feel and bring real life into the work will stand out. SHOWNOTES + VIDEO: https://kunshuis.com/2026/06/17/ai-is-my-assistant/ [https://kunshuis.com/2026/06/17/ai-is-my-assistant/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2328846/support] Thanks for listening to BEYOND Design ✨ If this episode spoke to you, here are a few ways to keep the conversation going: Website & Resources → kunshuis.com [https://kunshuis.com/] Shop creative tools → The Kunshuis Collective [https://the-kunshuis-collective.myshopify.com] Show notes & blogs → kunshuis.com/blog [https://kunshuis.com/blog] Free support for creatives: * 21-Day Creative Reset Challenge [https://kunshuis.com/reset] * Download: Asking Better Questions (Client Guide) [https://kunshuis.myflodesk.com/questions] 🖤 My favourite tools for life + business: * The Playbook Planner [https://kunshuis.com/playbook] — your creative sidekick for focus + flow * The Playbook Desk [https://kunshuis.com/desk] — a Notion-powered space to run your freelance business with ease Let’s connect & stay inspired: 📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kunshuis_by_nelett/] Join the Beyond Design Room on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/923004698383747] Because design is only 20%… the rest is life. Thanks for being here, friend. You’re not alone in this journey—let’s design it together.

How to Set Up Your Freelance Design Business

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2328846/fan_mail/new] In this episode of BEYOND Design, I’m talking about the part of freelancing we often avoid in the beginning — setting up the basic foundation of your freelance design business. Not the fancy website. Not the perfect brand. Not seventeen apps and a dramatic business plan. Just the simple things that make you feel more legit, more organised, and less all over the place when a client finally asks, “Can you send me a quote?” We’ll talk about the four basics every freelance designer needs: admin, client basics, simple tools, and a clear online presence. Because sometimes the reason your business feels messy is not because you are not talented enough. It is because the structure behind the work is not holding you yet. I also share a simple 7-day get set up plan to help you start putting the right things in place without overthinking everything. You do not need to build the whole business in one day. You just need somewhere solid to stand. Read the full shownotes and 7-day checklist here [https://kunshuis.com/2026/04/28/set-up-your-freelance-design-business/] Thanks for listening to BEYOND Design ✨ If this episode spoke to you, here are a few ways to keep the conversation going: Website & Resources → kunshuis.com [https://kunshuis.com/] Shop creative tools → The Kunshuis Collective [https://the-kunshuis-collective.myshopify.com] Show notes & blogs → kunshuis.com/blog [https://kunshuis.com/blog] Free support for creatives: * 21-Day Creative Reset Challenge [https://kunshuis.com/reset] * Download: Asking Better Questions (Client Guide) [https://kunshuis.myflodesk.com/questions] 🖤 My favourite tools for life + business: * The Playbook Planner [https://kunshuis.com/playbook] — your creative sidekick for focus + flow * The Playbook Desk [https://kunshuis.com/desk] — a Notion-powered space to run your freelance business with ease Let’s connect & stay inspired: 📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kunshuis_by_nelett/] Join the Beyond Design Room on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/923004698383747] Because design is only 20%… the rest is life. Thanks for being here, friend. You’re not alone in this journey—let’s design it together.

Business Side of Design: Talent Gets You Hired — This Keeps You Booked.

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2328846/fan_mail/new] The 80/20 Truth: Design talent might get you hired once… but it’s the other 80% that keeps you booked. In this episode we talk about the part of freelancing nobody posts about: boundaries, client communication, systems, confidence — and even that thing I call “email apnea” (when your inbox makes you hold your breath like it’s about to ruin your day). You’ll leave with one practical takeaway: five non-negotiables for how you work, so clients don’t run your life. Full show notes (and steal the non-negotiables list) [https://kunshuis.com/2026/04/08/business-side-of-design-80-20/] Thanks for listening to BEYOND Design ✨ If this episode spoke to you, here are a few ways to keep the conversation going: Website & Resources → kunshuis.com [https://kunshuis.com/] Shop creative tools → The Kunshuis Collective [https://the-kunshuis-collective.myshopify.com] Show notes & blogs → kunshuis.com/blog [https://kunshuis.com/blog] Free support for creatives: * 21-Day Creative Reset Challenge [https://kunshuis.com/reset] * Download: Asking Better Questions (Client Guide) [https://kunshuis.myflodesk.com/questions] 🖤 My favourite tools for life + business: * The Playbook Planner [https://kunshuis.com/playbook] — your creative sidekick for focus + flow * The Playbook Desk [https://kunshuis.com/desk] — a Notion-powered space to run your freelance business with ease Let’s connect & stay inspired: 📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kunshuis_by_nelett/] Join the Beyond Design Room on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/923004698383747] Because design is only 20%… the rest is life. Thanks for being here, friend. You’re not alone in this journey—let’s design it together.

How I Started Kunshuis (And I’d Do It All Again Today)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2328846/fan_mail/new] This is the most requested episode I get: how I started Kunshuis. I’m taking you back to 2009/2010 — the spare-bedroom days, after-hours work, the awkward phone calls, the “Eish… I hope this works” moments… and the simple things I did that still matter today. In this episode, I share what I did first to get clients, why I didn’t niche (and why I don’t regret it), the small habits that made me feel like a proper professional, and how human connection became the lifeline of my business. If you’re starting out, starting again, or you’re craving a calmer way to build your freelance life… this one’s for you.  🖤 Get the full show notes (plus links + resources) here [ https://kunshuis.com/2026/03/12/how-i-started-kunshuis/] Thanks for listening to BEYOND Design ✨ If this episode spoke to you, here are a few ways to keep the conversation going: Website & Resources → kunshuis.com [https://kunshuis.com/] Shop creative tools → The Kunshuis Collective [https://the-kunshuis-collective.myshopify.com] Show notes & blogs → kunshuis.com/blog [https://kunshuis.com/blog] Free support for creatives: * 21-Day Creative Reset Challenge [https://kunshuis.com/reset] * Download: Asking Better Questions (Client Guide) [https://kunshuis.myflodesk.com/questions] 🖤 My favourite tools for life + business: * The Playbook Planner [https://kunshuis.com/playbook] — your creative sidekick for focus + flow * The Playbook Desk [https://kunshuis.com/desk] — a Notion-powered space to run your freelance business with ease Let’s connect & stay inspired: 📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kunshuis_by_nelett/] Join the Beyond Design Room on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/923004698383747] Because design is only 20%… the rest is life. Thanks for being here, friend. You’re not alone in this journey—let’s design it together.