Catharine Pitt, co-founder of Brighton-based animation duo Form Play, joins the podcast to talk about what happens when you burn out, start over, and finally build something worth protecting. ~
Catharine and her partner Mark spent years running a full-service design studio doing ad campaigns and seasonal retail work — ticking every box and feeling none of it. In their mid-forties, they walked away. What followed was two years of gradual reinvention: evenings spent relearning, slowly phasing out old clients, and rediscovering the joy of drawing. They emerged with a hyper-focused studio specialising in 2D frame animation, character design, and short-form storytelling — working with brands like Google, Patreon, and Comedy Central, while building their reputation with growth-stage startups who are still finding their voice.
The conversation covers their creative manifesto, how COVID gave them the space to develop their micro-story framework, and why they use AI only as a "stress-testing knowledge base" — never for the creative work itself. Most compellingly, Catharine explains how they license rather than sell their characters, borrowing principles from the music and illustration industries to build longer-term client relationships and a more sustainable creative business.
Key Takeaways
The mid-forties crossroads is more common than you think – Catharine and Radim discover a shared experience: reaching the peak of what they'd worked for, and realising it wasn't who they wanted to be next
Burning out is data – A previous studio that depleted rather than fuelled them became the compass for everything Form Play stands for: client work must energise, not exhaust
Incremental change beats big leaps – Their transition took two years, running old and new in parallel, until the new was strong enough to stand alone
Play is the methodology, not just the name – Form Play's approach to creation — sketch, iterate, test, publish, move on — is how they stay resilient, stay fresh, and avoid creative paralysis
Micro stories have a formula – Start in the middle of the action; use humor, empathy, and surprise; condense time to exaggerate emotion. Their Instagram playground became their client framework
AI as untrusted advisor – They use AI to challenge assumptions and explore unfamiliar territory in business, but keep it entirely out of their visual creative process
Licensing changes everything – Influenced by the music and illustration industries, they separate creation fees from usage fees, giving clients flexibility and protecting the studio's long-term income
The risk of not changing – Rory Sutherland's overlooked point resonates here: staying the same carries its own risk; creative people need to stop treating change as the dangerous option
Distinction will be the premium – As AI floods the world with average output, work with imperfection, humanity, and emotional depth will become more valuable, not less
Daring Creativity. Podcast with Radim Malinic
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