When clients start pulling briefs and budgets tighten, it's natural to feel that familiar knot in your stomach. The question "should I worry about my job?" starts circling your mind like an unwelcome houseguest. You're not alone in feeling this way, and your concerns are completely valid.

The creative industry has always been project-based and somewhat unpredictable, but recent years have taught us that uncertainty can hit harder and faster than we expect. When you're seeing cancellations around you, it's worth understanding what this might mean for your career and wellbeing.

This question was answered by Andy Wright – Host, CEO Streamtime and founder of Never Not Creative, with extensive experience leading creative businesses through various economic cycles; Renee Hyde – Client and Agency Leadership at Howatson+Company, specialising in running large integrated clients both locally and globally; and Martine Beaumont – Mental Health Expert, founder and CEO of Select Wellness with over 30 years of experience supporting workplace wellbeing.

Look at the bigger picture, not just the projects

When clients cancel briefs, Andy suggests stepping back from the immediate panic. "I wouldn't look at one singular client or singular project," he explains. "I'd look at the agency overall... any kind of well-run agency with a really good history of looking after their people will be able to weather a couple of projects being cancelled."

This perspective shift is crucial. Individual project cancellations have always happened in our industry. What matters more is how your agency responds and whether they have the resilience and leadership to navigate through tighter times.

Trust your leadership (or recognise when you can't)

The quality of your agency's leadership becomes especially important during uncertain periods. Andy recommends asking yourself some key questions: "If you trust the leadership of your agency, if you trust that they're running a good business, I think there's no need to be worried certainly not at this stage."

However, he also acknowledges the flip side: "If you're not really clear on what the strategy is... if you're a smaller agency where there's probably less flexibility, maybe that's cause for concern."

Renee adds that many agencies have become more transparent during recent challenges: "Organisations have found ways to be more transparent, more authentic, more upfront about and sharing of the challenges that are facing the business and treating the people that work with them as adults that can help contribute rather than be kept in the dark."

The anxiety spiral is real (and manageable)

Martine addresses the mental health side of job insecurity with characteristic directness. "If you're predisposed to anxiety or if you're a ruminator worrier, that sort of makes it worse because brains are like sort of heat-seeking missiles with anxiety. If you stop worrying about one thing they'll go and find something else to worry about."

Her advice focuses on self-soothing and perspective: "It's coming back to our lived experience of what we've got through in our past and what we'll get through again and the resources we have and the support we have, the friends we have."

If the worry becomes overwhelming, Martine suggests seeking support: "If you're noticing it's really like going round and round and round I would actually go and talk to somebody because it's not a nice way to live."

The industry has grown up

There's some genuinely encouraging news here. Andy notes that recent research shows "businesses handled it pretty well" during the last crisis. "There was a lot more respect for leadership coming out of that crisis around covid, leaders were more empathetic, empathy was appreciated a lot more."

This suggests that agencies have learned from previous challenges and are better equipped to support their people through difficult periods.

What you can actually do

Rather than spiralling about things outside your control, focus on what you can influence:

• Have honest conversations with your leadership about the agency's overall health and strategy
• Use anonymous feedback channels if your agency has them
• Look at the broader signals of your business, not just individual project cancellations
• Remember that a project-based industry means there are always new opportunities emerging alongside the ones that disappear

You've weathered storms before

The creative industry is inherently cyclical, and while that can feel unsettling, it also means you've likely navigated uncertainty before. As Martine reminds us, coming back to "our lived experience of what we've got through in our past" can provide genuine comfort and confidence.

Whether this particular moment develops into a broader crisis or passes as another bump in the road, focusing on what you can control, maintaining perspective, and seeking support when you need it will serve you well. You're not powerless in this situation, even when it feels that way.

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