This week, we're adding more pages to our Spellbook. Here's what we'll be talking about:

One big idea we’ve learned each week, shaped into words you can carry forward.

There’s always a bit of excitement when a project comes in that everyone really wants. You start talking about it before anything is even confirmed, the business team gets into the meeting, the proposal starts taking shape, and the creatives immediately begin throwing ideas around.

You tell yourself not to get too excited yet, but of course, you do anyway.

Then you wait.

One week. Two weeks.

And eventually, the email comes in.

We didn’t get it.

That kind of rejection hits people differently. For one person, it might mean cash flow. For another, it’s the excitement of wanting to make something and suddenly not getting the chance. For someone else, it’s knowing how much time went into the proposal and having to accept that it might just sit there now.

And then someone still has to tell the team.

I’m no different. I’ve spoken to other business owners about this too, across different industries, and it’s usually the same situation: sometimes a proposal is the only way to even enter the room.

I get it, but I still think there’s a question worth asking.

How much work should happen before the actual work begins?

If we spend hours thinking, planning, building ideas and putting together a proposal, what happens to all of that if we don’t get selected? Can we reuse it? Does it belong to us? Does the client own any part of it?

There probably isn’t one answer that works for everyone, but I do think it’s something businesses should think about before pouring everything into the pitch.

Once the email comes, that part is done. You can’t reverse it, and you definitely can’t argue your way into the project.

You can sit there and be angry for a while, sure, but I’ve noticed anger makes everything after that a bit blurry.

So instead, we tried to use it.

We already had all this energy sitting around anyway, the ideas, the excitement, the frustration, so we created Off Brief.

We split the team into three groups, went out to one location, and gave everyone the chance to make something they had always wanted to make. No client direction, no trying to sell anything, no worrying about whether it fit a brief.

Just to make something.

Have fun with it.

Experiment, and then share it to the team.

And honestly, that was already enough for me. I thought maybe everyone just needed a reset.

It didn’t feel like work either. There’s a lot of BTS that showed things went wrong but it became a laughing stock instead. We’ve shared this on some on our Instagram and Tiktok, and there’s more to come.

Heck it might even be a quarterly thing.

What surprised me was that the energy didn’t stop there.

It started spilling into other projects. People who don’t usually work closely together had suddenly spent time creating something side by side, and that carried over into the weeks after.

More conversations started happening across departments, people were bouncing ideas off each other more naturally, and the team started pushing the quality of the work harder.

Even the speed changed.

Some things that used to take much longer started coming together in half the time, and somehow we were happier with the output too.

That part really caught me, because the rejection was still a rejection. We still didn’t get the project.

But something good came out of how we reacted to it.

It reminded me of something we learnt a long time ago:

E + R = O

Event + Reaction = Outcome

The event was rejection. That part wasn’t ours to control.

The reaction was.

And once we changed the reaction, the outcome changed with it.

I don’t think every rejection has some magical hidden reason behind it. Sometimes you just lose the project, and sometimes it hurts.

But what happens after that is still yours.

And maybe that’s the better question:

What are we going to do with it now?

Snapshots from our week — the work, the people, and the little victories worth sharing.

This week, we’re taking a moment to celebrate all the teachers who have played a part in shaping us into the people we are today. From the lessons that stuck with us to the ones we probably forgot five minutes after class, thank you for everything you do! 🤍

We’d also like to wish our Co-Founder and CEO, Imamull Qhaeer, a very happy Teacher’s Day! As an Adjunct Lecturer at IBTE Business Campus, he’s been on the other side of the classroom too, and his students have certainly made sure he felt the love with gifts and sweet treats.

Happy Teacher’s Day to all the educators out there!

Our business lead, Elroy Ramantan is currently in Pontianak, Kalimantan for the Pontianak Biennial 2026, where he’s bringing along a collection of books to help build a library supported by the National Gallery Singapore.

A meaningful mission, but we’re also keeping an eye on the haze situation back home and hoping Elroy is staying safe, healthy and well! So everyone, say a little prayer for Elroy while he’s away.

Safe travels, Elroy! And please come home in one piece.

We’ve been working closely with BDCB and Tabung Amanah Pekerja on the Usinwise website and National Strategy for Financial Literacy 2026–2035, so it was especially exciting to see the project officially launch!

A special shoutout to DB, Imamull, Amal, Hafiz and Dhiyau for their work on the NSFL animation, and to everyone involved in bringing the project together. The launch was made even more memorable with His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam in attendance.

Congratulations to BDCB, TAP and the wider NFLC team on the launch! All that hard work has finally paid off.

This week we’re celebrating Hisham’s second anniversary with AICREATIVV. he started off as a photographer, and two years later he’s overseeing projects and leading the media team as head of media.

A collection of our latest uploads on our website & socials worth checking out.

Things we’re loving lately, because inspiration hides where you least expect them.

Calling all matcha lovers! Head down to BSRC, Panaga this weekend for Matcha Con 2026, featuring a variety of vendors, fun activities and, of course, plenty of matcha to go around. There’s something for everyone — and Parallel Play will also be there as the only arts & crafts vendor! come say hi!

Instead of putting on Subway Surfers in the background, our fellow Stephanie (Yong) prefers listening to Stephanie Soo’s Rotten Mango podcast to help her focus.

If you enjoy true crime or horror podcasts, Stephanie recommends giving Rotten Mango a try! Stephanie Soo’s storytelling and delivery are so immersive and detailed that once you start listening, you’ll probably find yourself wanting to hear the next story.

Brunei's first all-in-one app! As the only local search engine for Brunei, you can find movies, restaurants, record community issues, local news and more!

If you want to read the previous pages, head over to this link right here:

That’s all for this week. See you on the next page of the Spellbook.

At AICREATIVV, we aim to make everyone who engages with us 1% better—from clients to community. Public Victory, always.

Each week, we'll share insights, tips, and recommendations to help you learn the magical combination of strategy, creativity, and business know-how that truly enchants your audience.

Let's unlock the magic of strategic design.

We hope this brought you value.

Business owners, marketing departments & corp comms - have a project in mind? Let’s discuss.