Nearly a decade of experience and four redundancies to show for it. It is an exhausting place to be, and it raises a question that more creative professionals are asking than you might think.

This question was answered by Aimee Davies, Mental Health Expert, whose work focuses on psychological wellbeing in professional settings and who brought both compassion and practical clarity to this conversation; Nick Hunter, Industry Leader, who offered a candid perspective on how personal energy shapes the impressions we make when we are back out there looking; and Andy Wright, host of Asking For A Friend on Never Not Creative, who guided the discussion with characteristic warmth.

Your worth is not the industry's instability

Aimee was clear on this point: four redundancies say a great deal about the state of the creative sector, and very little about the person experiencing them. Research from Creative Australia's 2025 Creative Workplaces Scoping Study confirms that precarious work conditions, economic pressure, and nonlinear career pathways are a structural reality of the industry, not a personal failing. Separating your value from the volatility around you is not just good advice, it is essential groundwork for moving forward.

It is not starting over, it is a pivot

Aimee reframed redundancy not as a hard stop but as a moment of redirection. After ten years, you are not returning to zero. You are arriving at a fork in the road with a decade of skills, relationships, and instincts behind you. This can be a genuine opportunity to take stock, reassess priorities, and consider whether the next chapter looks like a similar role, a different kind of agency, or an entirely new creative direction.

Fill your cup while you wait

Keeping momentum between opportunities matters too. Aimee suggested personal projects, volunteering, or community involvement as ways to stay engaged, develop new stories to tell in interviews, and maintain a sense of purpose during uncertain periods.

Energy is something people notice

Nick made a point worth sitting with: the way you show up, your enthusiasm, your presence, leaves an impression. If discouragement has crept in, it can surface in interviews and meetings without you realising it. Taking the time to genuinely process and rebuild before going back out there is not a delay. It is a strategy.

And if any of this is affecting your sleep, appetite, mood, or relationships, Aimee was emphatic: support is available and absolutely worth seeking, whether that is a mentor, your GP, or a trusted community around you.