Goodbye 25

Josh Wilhelm
Dec 31, 2025
3 min read

If I had to describe 2025 at JW Creates in one sentence, it would be this...equal parts exciting and stressful....

This year brought big life changes, unexpected challenges, creative wins, and moments where it felt like time completely slipped through my fingers. It’s honestly wild to be sitting here at the end of the year wondering how we already made it to the New Year and realizing there are still things I wanted to do that I never quite got to.

But that’s life. And that’s running a creative business.

Big Changes, Big Adjustments

One of the biggest moments of the year happened outside of JW Creates, we sold our house. That came with excitement, but also a major shift, losing my studio space. That studio wasn’t just a room. It was my escape, my creative zone, and the place where Judged by the Cover episodes came to life. Losing that dedicated space made consistency harder, creativity more scattered, and forced me to rethink how and where I work.

On top of that, juggling personal changes, the natural ebb and flow of client projects, and bringing a new venture (Podnooga) into the JW Creates world made this year feel nonstop.

There were moments I felt behind. Moments I felt reactive instead of proactive. And moments where creative outlets like playing guitar or experimenting just had to take a back seat. But those challenges also forced growth.

Creative Wins I’m Really Proud Of

Despite the chaos, 2025 delivered some projects I’m incredibly proud of.

A few highlights:

Real to Reel cover art for Phil Hyland and his band Girlfriend .
A LOT of really fun logo and branding projects
The Poetry Pit branding and production.
Several end-of-year projects that I can’t talk about yet — but trust me, they’re exciting.

I also worked with a return client who unexpectedly brought me two additional projects for her podcast, which a return client is always one of the biggest compliments I can receive!

One of my favorite moments this year was working on a podcast cover art project where the client was excited every step of the way. Watching someone light up as their idea turns into something better than they imagined never gets old. That kind of energy fuels everything I do.

And I’m currently working on one of the biggest cover art projects of my career and its one that’s pushing me far outside my comfort zone and may end up being some of my best work yet. You won’t see it until 2026… but it’s coming.

Community Makes This Possible

If there’s one thing that stayed constant this year, it’s the importance of community. Having Phil Hyland in my corner is a massive gift. Whether we’re grabbing coffee, working on Judged by the Cover, or planning Podnooga events. His support, encouragement, and trust in me creatively mean more than he probably knows.

Restarting the Podnooga community has also been incredibly rewarding. Bringing Phil and Eric Clajus on board to help relaunch it made all the difference. Being able to share ideas, responsibilities, and vision has taken so much pressure off my shoulders even as I continue learning how to delegate better.

I’m also grateful for:

The team at 148 Studios
Aaron at Walnut Street Publishing
The guys at Be Caffeinated

Thank you for opening your spaces and supporting what we’re building with Podnooga.

And above all else I would love to say thank you to my wife, Genevieve. None of this happens without her constant support, patience, and belief in everything I do.

Thank You (Truly)

I don’t take it lightly that people choose to work with me. There are countless tools, platforms, and designers out there so if you trusted me with your project this year, I am genuinely grateful.

If you’re discovering JW Creates for the first time:I love cover art. I love getting to know the people behind the projects. And I care deeply about making sure what we create actually serves your goals not just “gets it done.”