Redundancy is hard enough on its own. When the whole industry around you appears to be contracting, the question of whether to keep going or walk away entirely can feel overwhelming. This is exactly the kind of honest, difficult question that Asking For A Friend was built for.

This question was answered by Andy Wright, host of Asking For A Friend on Never Not Creative, alongside Emma Keen, a mental health expert whose work centres on helping people navigate major life transitions, and Wez Hawes, a creative industry leader who brings hard-won personal experience of redundancy to the conversation.

Give yourself permission to feel it

Emma's first instinct was compassion. Before reaching for silver linings, she encouraged the person asking to sit with the fear and acknowledge just how disorienting redundancy can be. The emotional weight is real, and rushing past it rarely helps.

Look for what you can take forward

Rather than focusing on what has been lost, Emma suggested looking for what has been built. Skills, relationships, and lessons learned do not disappear with a job title. She described resilience not as bouncing back to where you were, but bouncing forward into something new, using the experience as a launchpad rather than a setback.

It is not personal, even when it feels that way

Wez was candid about his own experience, noting that both he and his wife faced redundancy recently. He was clear that these decisions are almost always structural, not a reflection of someone's talent or worth. That knowledge does not make it hurt less, but it matters.

A sideways route is still a route

For anyone facing real financial pressure, Wez pushed back gently on the idea that staying in the industry at all costs is the only valid path. Taking a role outside your ideal lane to keep yourself stable is not giving up. It is being practical, and there is no shame in it.

Be a face, not just an application

Perhaps the most practical takeaway from Wez was this: most jobs are not won through applications alone. Showing up to events, building community, and becoming a recognisable presence matters enormously. His wife found her new role through a personal connection, not a job board.

If you are in this position right now, the message from both Emma and Wez is clear: be kind to yourself, stay connected, and keep moving forward in whatever way you can.