Let’s apply some pink pen positivity

Branding for people who ARE their business is a completely different thing.

And if you're a maker, an artist, or a creative practitioner, aka someone whose business exists because of the magic in your head that you create with your hands, none of the typical ‘business’ brand advice touches what actually matters.

Because you're not a company that happens to sell things. You are the thing you're selling. And when people buy from you, they buy a piece of your magic.

Your story, your process, your sensibility and your point of view aren’t simply ‘marketing routes’ around the product. They are the product. The materials you choose and why. The subject you keep returning to. The way your work makes people feel before they even touch it. This is what people are buying when they buy from you. And this is what generic brand strategy completely misses.

Personal branding’s not quite right either – that’s largely about visibility and showing up consistently as a personality, not who you are as a maker.

What you need is neither of those things.

You need someone who understands that your brand lives inside your work first, and that everything else (eg the visual identity, the words, the way you present yourself) is the translation of YOU into something the world can see and feel.

That's a specific skill. And it's what I've spent thirty years developing.

The Pink Pen Review is built entirely around this. Not generic brand frameworks. Not personal brand content strategy. Your creative identity. Understood properly and reflected clearly.

Pink Pen Review

Here’s the thing. A red pen finds fault. It circles the problems and marks the mistakes, leaving you feeling smaller than when you started. Nobody wants that.

A pink pen does something different. It looks at what's already there with fresh eyes and finds new possibilities. The things that are almost working. The story that's buried under words that aren’t quite right. The brand that's nearly you, and what it would take to make it totally you-shaped.

That's what The Pink Pen Review is. Not criticism. Not a checklist. Thirty years of design experience applied to your specific creative business – warmly, honestly, and with your possibilities at the centre of everything.

Book a free 30 minute call

How the Pink Pen Review works


Step one — the questionnaire

Once you book, you receive a short advance questionnaire. You choose your focus and answer key questions about your work, your audience, and what you want people to feel when they encounter your brand. You share your website, your Instagram, and anything else that represents how you currently show up in the world. Take your time with it. The more honest you are, the more useful the session will be.

Step two — the review

Everything you supply gets reviewed through experienced design eyes that have been looking at creative businesses for a very long time. The review will identify what's working, what isn't, what the gap is between the quality of your work and how you’re currently presenting it to the world.

Step three — the Zoom session

The review findings will be shared in a personal 60-minute Zoom session. We’ll chat things through in plain language (no jargon), answer your questions, and help you understand not just what to change but why, so you leave with clarity, not just a to-do list.

Step four — the personalised report

After your session, you’ll receive a personalised slide deck capturing everything we’ve discussed. Your brand strengths. The gaps. The priorities. You’ll get one action you can take right away, and three next steps. This document is yours to keep, revisit, and share with anyone who works with you.

Book a free 30 minute call

One session. One focus. Real depth.

The Pink Pen Review isn't a skim across the surface of everything in your business. It's a focused look at the one thing that's holding you back most right now.

When you book, tell me which area you’d like to focus on and I'll prepare specifically for that. And in our 60 minutes together we'll go genuinely deep to help you get maximum benefit from the session.

Choose your focus:

  • The Story: if you can't articulate what makes your work yours

  • The Look: if your visual identity doesn't match the quality of your work

  • The Words: if you go blank when you talk about what you make

  • The Offer: if your revenue streams feel mismatched or confusing

Not sure which one? Tell me in your questionnaire and I'll help you decided based on what I see from an outside perspective.

Book a free 30 minute call
Lucy Kirkman designer sitting on outdoor steps infront of a glass wall and greenery

This is for you if:

  • Your work is genuinely good but your brand makes it look like a hobby

  • You've been making sales but feel stuck below a ceiling you can't quite name

  • You've tried to sort your brand yourself and it never feels completely right

  • You want honest, expert eyes on your business from someone who understands your world

  • You're ready to understand what your brand is actually saying, and what it could say instead

Book your Pink Pen Review for just £149

Get in touch today!

After your review, if you'd like to keep working together, the natural next step is ‘Glitterball’ branding for makers who are ready for the full transformation.

Or you might be ready to join Createhood PRO, where you’ll get expert eyes on your brand every single month.

Client testimonials

  • “Lucy has done some amazing work for our shop including brochure design, email newsletters and magazine articles. A fabulous creative and inspiring lady!”

    Louise Harvey | The Richard Harvey Collection

  • “For the first few years of running our architectural practice I was managing the advertising and marketing by myself and I became increasingly aware we needed professional help. After speaking with a number of marketing consultants I felt no one really understood what I wanted to achieve. Upon my first meeting with RMG, I instantly felt this problem had been resolved. Lucy is always keen to understand issues unique to architecture, so we can work collaboratively to promote Stolwood Architects. I would not hesitate in recommending her to work alongside any business - big or small.”

    Emma Stolwood | Stolwood Architects LLP

  • “Working with Lucy was a great decision for us. From day one, Lucy listened, and very quickly understood us, our company culture and future goals. She has been fundamental in successfully building our brand. Lucy is both analytical and naturally creative, and working with her is an extremely positive experience.”

    Bower Willis Designs

  • “Having worked with local and global creative, branding and marketing agencies all over the world over more than 20 years, I was confident that I knew what I wanted. The difficulty was finding that right outfit who could use my brand assets and deploy them on items such as business cards and my company website. RMG Creative approached our collaboration with exceptional proactivity, professionalism and punctuality. I felt guided, supported and heard at all times. The results speak for themselves. 100% satisfaction, and that’s from a position of high expectations. Thank you Lucy and RMG Creative.”

    Ioana Jago | IVENTUM Limited

  • "Contacting RMG Creative has been an excellent decision for us. Lucy really ‘got’ where we were coming from as independent family funeral directors and understands for us how important it is that our brand and marketing is sensitive and has the right ‘tone’.  Her knowledge has enabled us to maximise advertising opportunities to ensure they have the most impact possible. She is friendly and easy to work with, her creativeness and high standards have created our new ‘look’ and website which often receive compliments from our clients. We thoroughly recommend RMG Creative."

    Rachel and George Locke, R Locke and Son

  • “Working with RMG was a joy. From our first meeting, Lucy took the time to really understand me, my business and what I wanted to achieve. She guided me to make sure my aspirations were realised – and bettered! The whole process was extremely positive with a fast turnaround, plenty of aftercare and great value for money. Can’t recommend her enough”.

    Mary Keeley | Mary Keeley Consultancy

  • "Working with Lucy has been productive, fun and very easy. She listened, asked very relevant questions and I sensed she had a very good idea of what was required from the get go. Her translation of my vision was spot on, she afforded me time  to run through several thought processes around my current design image and how it could translate in different formats. She intuitively then presented me with a couple of new concepts based on our conversation and nailed it! She was very helpful in talking to others with regards the technical side of the design and all in all was a pleasure to work with. Lucy made me feel confident that she could deliver what I needed, in the past I haven’t felt this level of confidence and trust with other designers. I recommend her services and will use them again in the future when the time is right."w List Item

    LOUISE BEDGEN, TRUESOUL ACADEMY

  • "I have worked with RMG on a diverse range of projects. She is a delight to work with and always brings fresh ideas. Lucy’s ability to accurately interpret a brief is invaluable. She is generous in the range of concepts she puts forward and always willing to try new suggestions. Lucy’s collaborative approach, high quality of work and attention to detail are consistent regardless of the size of the project. I have no hesitation in recommending Lucy."

    Catherine Martin | Catherine Martin Communications

 FAQs

  • The Pink Pen Review is a personal brand review session with Lucy Kirkman, designed for makers, artists and independent creative business owners who want honest, expert eyes on their brand. It combines an advance questionnaire, Lucy's preparation and analysis, and a 60-minute live Zoom session where Lucy shares her findings with a jargon free, personalised slide deck that you keep. It costs £149.

  • Pink Pen reviews are designed for sole traders, freelancers, founders and makers who feel stuck, muddled or overwhelmed — people who ARE their business and are too close to the day to day decisions to see them objectively. It's particularly useful if your brand doesn't feel like you, your services feel jumbled, you've hit a 'solo wall', or you know something isn't working but can't put your finger on what.

  • Either. Sessions can be held via Zoom or in person if you're in the South Warwickshire area. Lucy is based in Shipston-on-Stour in the North Cotswolds. Some clients prefer to meet over coffee, and others choose to meet online for convenience.

  • You'll leave with one clear move you can make today, and 3 next steps to move forwards. Plus guidance on how to measure whether things are working so you can pivot and flex as needed.

  • No. The Pink Pen review is a complete, standalone product with no obligation to do anything further.

    You are free to take your ‘next 3 steps’ roadmap forward yourself, or I’m here if you want to dive deeper with Glitterball branding, website or standlone design project. It’s entirely your choice.

Got more questions? Let's chat!