How is everyone currently finding it in the creative industry at the moment?
Even with me now being open to permanent positions there are still very little opportunities out there. Changing industries and re-training with an apprenticeship somewhere has crossed my mind a few times.
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- @Dorrell Merritt please see my post to Franscico, if you feel you could benefit speaking to me, please reach out. Yasmine
- Hey Franscico! It can definitely be challenging.What I would say is - are you laser focussed on what you are looking for? And also have a think about the ways in which you are looking and approaching.Although things are slow, there are still many opportunities available.I’m a Creative Coach btw and happy to offer you a free session to see if I can help you. Just drop me a private message if you’re interested! Yasmine
- With it being so quiet, have you taken other temp jobs just to keep going? Only so long savings will last- so just curious what others are temping in?
- Its quiet.I was in different position when I started however for past 10+ years I think now is the most quiet time. Having some long term clients helps for sure.Just I am that type of a person who likes to get something going from ground up and work with new projects. And past half a year has been pretty weird. Projects cancelled or paused.Though I believe if something crazy doesn´t happen September looks brighter. Have heard from multiple sources that startups are already getting back on track and nobody wants to miss another growth oportunities. We will live and see.
- As someone who's been cold-emailing agencies and pitching magazines for nearly a year consistently with almost no success, all of the comments below say exactly what I've been thinking and feeling (and lots more). My creative practice feels, in a word, Sisyphean.I will say though, that you're not alone in thinking about changing, industries and re-training— between my current day-job (in hospitality) and my creative practice, big and radical change is needed, regardless of how overwhelming and panic-inducing that feels...Hope things pick up for you.
- @Daniel Hawley-Lingham Very valid points here Daniel, thanks for sharing. I know were not the only industry suffering at the moment as I know people in hospitality and the property industry who are having a really bad time but as time goes on it's getting harder to get noticed and sell your worth in the creative industry down to many point you have mentioned.
- @Abigail Baldwin @Luke Freeman ✓✐ @Abigail BaldwinLike you mentioned Abigail it's kind of comforting hearing that there are many others going through the same situation but at the same time not great. I'm fairly new to freelancing (2 years) but I've only noticed the struggle over this summer so far, hopefully things pick up slightly to keep us all ticking along and be able to ride out this period of uncertainty.I've been speaking to some other freelancers that have been in the game for 15/20 years and have mentioned they've never seen it this bad even compared to the past recesion in 2008 :( I guess it all depends on which sectors everyone works in and with, when I was perm back in 2008 the recesion didn't effect the agency I was with at all, if anything it was booming for us back then.Its just those moments at BBQs / get togethers with friends and all you hear is how busy someone is in their jobs whether that be a carpenter or someone that fits security systems, it gets you thinking about alternatives... but I'm trying to remain positive and like we all know this won't last forever, it will just come down to people's individual financial situations and how long you can hold out for.
- My personal, and anecdotal position is this - for a number of reasons we are seeing a shift in attitude towards the creative industries. One that continues to devalue it. The factors involved are:1. **Persistent Austerity:** Years of austerity have ingrained a culture of fiscal caution, making it difficult for the creative industries to secure sufficient funding and investment.2. **Recessionary Woes:** The ongoing recession further exacerbates the financial strain on individuals and organizations, leaving little room for non-essential spending, which includes creative work.3. **Commodified Education:** The education system's focus on quantity over quality has led to an oversupply of "qualified" candidates in the creative industries, saturating the job market and driving down wages.4. **Race to the Bottom:** The ease of entry into the creative market has created intense competition, forcing creatives to accept lower prices for their work to secure any opportunities at all.5. **Post-COVID Slowdown:** The pandemic's lasting impact has resulted in a workforce with reduced motivation and enthusiasm for pursuing creative ventures, further dampening the industry's prospects.6. **Wealth Inequality:** The ever-widening wealth gap means fewer resources are available for the majority, making it challenging for them to invest in or support creative endeavors.7. **Negligible Support from Government:** Reluctance to tax the wealthy or allocate funds to support the creative industries hampers their growth and perpetuates their undervaluation.8. **Government Disparagement:** Right-wing governments continue to belittle the value of the arts and humanities, undermining the importance of creative contributions to society.9. **Exclusion from Financial Aid:** Freelancers and micro-businesses in the creative sector often receive inadequate financial assistance during crises, leaving them vulnerable and unsupported.10. **Consumption Saturation:** The market for creative products and services has reached saturation, with consumers overwhelmed by choices, leading to stagnating demand.11. **Resource Scarcity:** Factors such as peak oil and wars can drive up production costs, further squeezing creative industries' profitability.12. **Escalating Cost of Living:** The rising cost of living makes it difficult for individuals to prioritize spending on non-essential items, including creative works.13. **Greedflation:** The pursuit of profits at the expense of societal well-being leads to inflation and erodes the purchasing power of the majority.14. **Mental Health Epidemic:** Mental health issues hamper creativity and motivation, impacting the overall vibrancy of the creative industries.15. **Strained Healthcare System:** A broken healthcare system may lead to individuals neglecting their health, contributing to an unhealthy and unproductive workforce.16. **Corruption and Ineffectiveness:** Rampant government corruption in the UK and elsewhere undermines public trust and impedes effective policies to support the creative industries.17. **Self-Centered Culture:** An individualistic society prioritizes personal gain over collective well-being, making it challenging to rally support for creative initiatives.18. **Offshoring:** The offshoring of creative work to countries with lower labor costs further devalues the contributions of local artists and professionals.19. **Brexit Uncertainties:** Brexit has created a climate of uncertainty for international trade, negatively impacting the export and import of creative products and services.I'm sure it will all be fine lol
- There has been one challenge after the next over the last few years. We had COVID, governmental issues, then there's the cost-of-living... It's all adding up! I'm glad others are feeling the same pinch, although, I wish we weren't! Things do come around in cycles, so we need to ride the wave, and look for new ways to solve new problems. Keep the faith.
- Because we’re in a recession, times where businesses (clients) are cutting back their project budgets. Which means design studios, agencies are cutting back on hiring or reducing staff to keep the outgoings costs down.If you look through the lens of art history it’s all too common in our sector.
- It's a barren wasteland Francisco! Save yourself while you still can!!But in all seriousness, it's tough out there. I'm a filmmaker and it's been a slow couple of years. I'm hearing similar things from other creatives across Europe. I feel like it's an echo of the pandemic mixed with the cost of living/cost of creating crisis which isn't going away any time soon.But you gota keep the faith and hold in there! Things are always changing and this period will pass.Good luck out there (everyone)!
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