Hey Reader,
Remember how in my last email I mentioned wanting to do things differently this year? Well, I've just uploaded my first YouTube video of 2025, and it marks the start of something new (well, actually old – but we'll get to that).
While I was taking that three week break in New Zealand over the holidays, I started to get my spark back for creating content ✨
And it came from realising that there was a gap in the content I personally wanted to see: There's just not a lot of folks in creative leadership roles sharing the day-to-day reality of their work. What does a Creative Director actually do? How do they structure their days? How do they handle the challenges that come with leading a creative team?
I started my YouTube channel 11 years ago because I noticed there wasn't any videos from professional designers sharing their day-to-day work life (it was all Photoshop tutorials back then!), and I figured I could fill that gap.
My content evolved over the years into sharing walkthroughs of design tools, project show & tells, design career advice... Those things are still valuable, but I don't feel compelled to make them right now. Instead I want to go back to my roots, but from a new perspective: I want to share more of my work life as a Creative Director with you.
So I brought my camera along to document my first week back at work after the break. And you know what? It felt really good to be vlogging again!
In this first episode of the Creative Director Diaries, you'll see:
- How I handle coming back to work after a long break (including a tip about doing your future-self a favour – something I had my whole team do!)
- The reality of managing 800+ applications for a design contract role
- How I prepare for and run team meetings (including a really valuable session on evaluating our team rituals)
- My ongoing challenge of balancing reactive work with strategic priorities
It's a pretty honest look at both the exciting and mundane parts of creative leadership. You'll even get to see Seb make a few cameo appearances 😸
I'm planning to keep this style of content going, sharing more behind-the-scenes of leading Kit's Brand Studio team. If you're interested in creative leadership or just curious about what it's like to lead a remote design team at a tech company, I hope you'll give it a watch.
I'd love to know what aspects of creative leadership you're most curious about – what would you like to see me feature in future videos? Hit reply and let me know!
See you next time,
PS: And yes, if you're wondering about my hair – I did get rid of the blonde! 💁🏻♀️
