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Right now, something bigger than a seasonal slowdown seems to be happening. We take the temperature of the creative community, and some of their experiences may shock you.
A designer posted a question on Creative Boom’s Instagram last week that made my stomach drop in recognition. They’d lost their job, gone freelance out of necessity, and now they’re watching projects dry up whilst everyone talks about AI, layoffs and “streamlining”. And so their question was simple and devastating: “Is this the end of my creative career?”
I’ve been freelancing for just over a decade, and I’ve seen slow periods before. But when I read through the 40+ responses to that post, I realised something unsettling.
This isn’t just another quiet January-February. The creative industry is experiencing something fundamentally different. And pretending it’s business as usual isn’t helping anyone.
This isn’t slow season anymore
“Honestly, it just feels bleak right now,” writes illustrator Louise Rosenkrands. “It doesn’t even feel like ‘slow season’ anymore. More like the work just isn’t circulating at all.”
That sentiment echoes through the thread like a refrain. Illustrator Lara Paulussen is even more direct. “I don’t think this is still slow season: it feels more like a complete industry dying.”
For graphic designer Mike Williams, this hasn’t just happened overnight. “Slow season has lasted 18 months for me,” he says. “Every project and studio wants a unicorn; all the job boards want three or four specialist roles filled by one. It’s the same across many industries; a knock-on effect from global recessions impacting marketing budgets, filtering to studios and then freelancers.”
Illustrator Luke Spicer tells a similar story. “I haven’t had a commission in at least 18 months and have given up, for now,” he says. “It was hard enough finding work five years ago. Now it feels almost entirely futile. If and when things ever improve—whether it’s the AI bubble bursting, the economy improving, or an increased demand for human-made art—I’ll give it another shot. For now, I’m stuck in my unfulfilling part-time office job that barely pays the bills.”
These aren’t panicking newcomers or people who haven’t weathered difficult markets before. These are established creatives with skills, portfolios, and years of experience. And they’re all saying the same thing: something has shifted.
The usual reassurances about seasonal dips and budget cycles don’t quite land when you’re staring down a year and a half of drought. This isn’t about Christmas budgets or summer holidays. The work genuinely isn’t circulating the way it used to.
The side hustle isn’t selling out
One of the most striking patterns in the responses is how many successful creatives have taken on other work… and how unapologetic they are about it.
Designer Alison Bick‘s story particularly resonates. Ten years ago, she took a part-time admin job at a tiny heritage charity “to tide over the hard times” whilst building her design business. “The charity now employs 20 people, and I became the designer about eight years ago,” she writes. “I could never have imagined I’d now be doing my dream design job for the same organisation. And my dog comes to work too.”
Similarly, designer Jade Douglas works evenings and weekends at a board game pub to cover rent and bills. “It’s definitely helped take the pressure off, and it’s also something interesting to talk about when I introduce myself to new potential clients.”
There’s no shame in these stories. If anything, there’s relief. The myth that “real” creatives support themselves entirely through their craft has always been more damaging than aspirational.
Plenty of extraordinary artists throughout history had day jobs. Having another income stream doesn’t make you less of a designer; it makes you a designer who can pay rent.
As brand designer Chloe Marie Doyle puts it: “We can tie so much of our sense of self to our work. Almost to the point where we can’t see ourselves doing anything else as a job. But it’s okay to look outside of our usual working perimeters when things are slow.”
Work is still out there (apparently)
On the plus side, not everyone in the thread is despairing. Some designers report turning things around through strategic changes.
For example, brand identity designer Amy Goodall had a terrible 2023. But then, she says, “I started to really look objectively at my own brand and my marketing activity. I rebranded, repositioned myself, started marketing and changed up my messaging. So much of the right work is flowing to me now.”
Graphic designer Jackson Hallman adds: “The work is out there, the budgets are there, the people who want real designers and not just AI exist. But it’s not always easy to find them. You need to be creative in your approach.” For instance, two years ago, designer Courtney Flannagan left her job, went freelance, and focused on Pinterest as her main platform. “I rarely pitch for work as Pinterest provides 90% of my clients,” she reports.
Key takeaways
I read these success stories with a mixture of hope and scepticism. Yes, some people are thriving. But when the majority of responses describe an 18-month drought, saying “just market better” feels inadequate. It’s like telling someone to bring an umbrella during a flood.
So what do we actually do? If I’m honest, I don’t have a neat answer.
The creative industry is changing in ways that feel both glacial and sudden. AI isn’t going away. Budgets aren’t magically expanding. The gig economy continues to devalue creative labour.
But here’s what I do know from reading through that thread and from my own experience:
This isn’t your failure. When dozens of talented, experienced creatives are struggling simultaneously, the problem is systemic, not personal. So here are my three key takeaways.
Survival looks different for everyone. Some people will pivot entirely. Some will find part-time work. Some will double down on marketing. None of these paths is wrong.
Community matters. The most valuable part of this thread isn’t the advice; it’s the validation. Knowing you’re not alone in this doesn’t pay the bills, but it does make the struggle feel less like a personal failing.
Adaptation is inevitable. Whether that means learning new tools, finding new revenue streams, or completely rethinking what a creative career looks like, the industry that existed five years ago isn’t coming back.
Illustrator Connie Noble perhaps says it best. “It sucks right now, and everyone is scared—not just creatives—and it’s okay to be worried. Your career is not over because being a creative doesn’t leave you when work stops.”
She’s right. The work might stop. But the identity doesn’t. And maybe that’s the distinction we all need to remember whilst we figure out what comes next.
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