What happens when doing what you love burns you out?
Originally from Finland, Emmi Salonen worked in agencies based in the UK, USA, and Italy before setting up Studio Emmi in London, in 2005.
Here, she shares her empowering message to help creatives reinvigorate creative energy, foster resilience and achieve a more balanced work-life dynamic.
Studio Emmi’s 2024 survey ‘Creative Wellbeing Insights’ confirms a well-known fact in the creative industry: being a creative can be challenging.
It reveals that just 7% of creative professionals consider their workday to be close to ideal, and 14% say they experience a happy week. Drawing from the experiences of creative professionals based in 17 countries worldwide, the survey indicates that creatives are often burnt out and so hyper-focused on output that they frequently overlook or completely neglect their need for input.
The findings highlight the urgent need for a shift towards a more empathetic creative industry, where wellbeing, balance and adaptability are prioritised. One participant poignantly captures the industry’s disparity: “I’m conflicted between what I believe success should be (contentment, leaving the world better than found) and the ingrained learnings of money, control and recognition.”
The challenges are tangible: creative professionals face a combination of motivational drain and self-doubt, whilst needing to make ends meet. 67% of responding creatives regularly experience a lack of motivation, combined with 66% experiencing anxiety.
