Join us in Wellington for brunch, good company and practical tips for graphic designers
Where and when to join us
🕤 | 9:30am to 12:00pm |
📍 | Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, Wellington |
📅 | Thursday 30 July 2026 |
➕ | Plus optional lunch and afternoon session |
Why come to our Creative Freedom Brunch Wellington?
Creative Freedom Brunch brings graphic designers together to think about what creative freedom looks like for you. Maybe it's having more time or a bigger say over the work you take on. Perhaps it's the confidence to charge what you're worth, or getting to do work you're proud of, without the stress that often tags along with running your own show.
Whatever creative freedom looks like for you, you'll leave with fresh ideas, a few new friends and a clear sense of how to build more freedom into the way you work.
What’s included on the day
A keynote from Jeremy Johnson
Author of Creative Freedom, on the practical habits behind a freer, calmer and more profitable creative business.
A panel of creatives
On what creative freedom really takes: the wins, the hard lessons and the honest reality of running a creative business.
A hands-on AI workshop
on being the designer clients choose as AI adoption accelerates, where you'll get the tools to show why creatives beat AI every time.
Brunch and time to connect
Have meaningful conversations with other graphic designers, harbourside in Oriental Bay.
Creative Freedom is a 100+ page guide for running a graphic design business so you feel more in control, valued at $29.99.
Optional lunch and afternoon session
Lunch and the afternoon session are both on us. Come for just the brunch, or make a day of it.
What you'll take away
Every session is built to send you home with tools that make a real difference to a creative business, including:
Winning enough of the right work, so you're choosing clients rather than chasing them
Pricing with confidence, so your business funds the life you actually want
Staying in control of the client process, instead of letting it control you
Turning the tricky moments, feedback, urgent jobs and scope creep into calm and confident conversations
Building a way of working that runs smoothly without running you into the ground
Feeling less alone, with the right people around you
We'll tackle AI head on: the concerns, the opportunities and clear actions you can take
The event agenda
9:30am: Brunch, coffee and time to connect
10.00am: Keynote: Seven Steps to Real Creative Freedom
10:40am: Expert panel on what creative freedom looks like in practice
11:10am: Hands-on workshop: how to be the designer clients choose, not AI
12.00pm: Lunch*
1.00pm: Rocketspark deep dive*
*Optional, stay on if you’d like to
The venue
We're right on the water at the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club in Oriental Bay, with some of the best views in Wellington. There will be a tasty brunch to get things going and plenty of good coffee to go round.
Who you'll hear from
Jeremy Johnson
Author of Creative Freedom and co-founder of Rocketspark. Jeremy started out as a freelance designer who knew the feast-or-famine months and the late nights all too well. Since then he's spent years working out how designers can do their best work, charge what they're worth and still build a business that gives them their time back.
Grant Johnson
Co-founder of Rocketspark and co-author of Creative Freedom. With a background in product and customer experience. Early in Rocketspark’s life Grant worked with a number of clients on their design projects and knows full well the ups and downs of creative projects.
Sara-Jane Austen
Founder of Designerbloom, a Wellington branding and graphic design studio that helps businesses grow through thoughtful, strategic design. With more than two decades in the industry and a shelf of design awards to her name, Sara-Jane brings a practical and honest perspective on building a sustainable creative business.
Rach Riddle
Creative Director and co-founder of Riddle Media. Over the past seven years Rach has built three businesses while raising a young family, all driven by a belief that people buy from people. Alongside her husband Emmet, she helps Wellington businesses show up online through video that builds trust and puts the humans behind the brand front and centre.
Creative Freedom the book, included in your ticket
Creative Freedom is a 100+ page practical guide for graphic designers who want more control, better clients, and a freelance business that actually feels good to run, valued at $29.99.
Freelancing promises freedom - but without the right foundations, it can quickly turn to stress, undercharging, awkward client conversations and work that never quite ends.
Lunch is on us
Once the sessions wrap, you're invited to stay for lunch on us, with more time to chat and connect with the people around you.
After lunch, stick around for a closer look at how designers are getting the most out of Rocketspark right now. We'll cover what's new, what's working and how a few smart tools are helping designers deliver better results for their clients.
Lunch and the afternoon session are both on us. Come for just the brunch, or make a day of it.
Get your early bird ticket
Earlybird: $60, available until 5 July 2026
General admission: $80, from 6 July 2026
Your ticket includes brunch, all the sessions, a copy of the Creative Freedom book and the optional lunch and afternoon session if you'd like to stay.
Can't make the ticket price work?
We never want cost to be the reason someone misses out. We have some subsidised places set aside, and if you'd love to join us but things are a little tight right now, please get in touch with the team.
