Working in the creative and marketing field isn’t all cool brainstorming sessions and pitch meetings. Behind the vibrant campaigns, bold designs, and punchy copy is a lot of pressure. Pressure to perform. Pressure to innovate. Pressure to deliver … constantly.
And that pressure comes at a cost.
Mental health isn’t a side conversation anymore – it’s central to how we work, connect, and live. But in creative industries, there’s this lingering idea that stress is just part of the job. That if you’re not constantly pushing yourself to the brink, you’re somehow not ‘hungry enough.’
That mindset needs a serious refresh.
A Silent Struggle More Common Than You Think
Creative professionals are often seen as passionate, imaginative, full of ideas, and most of that’s true. But here’s the thing that doesn’t always get acknowledged: creativity is emotional labor. It demands vulnerability, persistence, and resilience, all rolled into one.
In 2022, a UK-based survey of marketing professionals found that a whopping 60% had experienced poor mental health in the past year. And that’s just the people who were willing to say it out loud.
Designers, developers, writers, strategists, UX pros, freelancers, digital marketers… they’re all navigating a world where expectations are sky-high and turnaround times are short.
Add to that remote work isolation, global instability, and job uncertainty in tech and agency spaces, and you’ve got the perfect cocktail for anxiety, burnout, and everything in between.
Why Are Creative Jobs So Mentally Exhausting?
At a glance, creative jobs can seem like dream gigs. But there’s another side to it. Here’s what often gets overlooked:
- You’re always ‘on’. Creativity isn’t 9–5. Your brain doesn’t magically shut off at 6pm, especially when a campaign idea is half-baked or a client’s feedback was just, ‘make it pop.’
- You’re your work. When you develop, design or write something, it feels personal. So when your work gets picked apart or outright rejected, it’s hard not to take it that way.
- Perfectionism runs deep. The need to impress clients, win awards, or even just meet your own high standards means you’re always reaching for more.
- Unclear boundaries. Remote and hybrid work have blurred the lines between work time and personal time. ‘Just a quick tweak’ at 9pm.? Sound familiar?
- Feedback overload. Design by committee. Endless revision rounds. Vague critiques like ‘make it edgier’ or ‘I’m just not feeling it.’ It wears you down.
All of this makes for a pretty intense emotional workload, even if you’re doing what you love.
The Culture Problem We Don’t Talk About Enough
Hustle culture still haunts creative work.
There’s this deeply rooted idea that to be successful, you have to grind endlessly. That your worth is tied to your productivity. That you should be grateful to have a creative job at all – so quit complaining and power through.
But that thinking is outdated and dangerous.
It leads to burnout. It silences people who are struggling. And it creates environments where asking for help feels like admitting failure.
When a creative team is running on empty, the work suffers. But more importantly, the people suffer. And no deadline or campaign is worth that.
What Can We Do to Fix This?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to better mental health. But there are small, meaningful actions we can take (as individuals, teams, and leaders) to build healthier, more supportive workplaces.
1. Normalize the conversation
The first step? Start talking.
Mental health should be part of everyday conversations at work, not just something you bring up in crisis. That means managers checking in without an agenda. Coworkers looking out for each other. Leaders being vulnerable about their own struggles.
It doesn’t have to be heavy. Just human.
2. Redefine productivity
More hours ≠ better work.
Let’s stop glorifying the all-nighters and endless Zoom calls. Creative thinking needs rest, space, and time. Encourage your team to log off on time. Celebrate smart workflows, not just long ones.
If someone hits a deadline without sacrificing their weekend? That’s the win.
3. Set (and respect) boundaries
You don’t have to be ‘always available’ to be a good teammate.
Turn off Slack notifications after hours. Protect your calendar from back-to-back meetings. Block time for focused creative work, and guard it fiercely.
Leaders should model this, too. If you send emails at midnight, your team will feel like they have to as well.
4. Make mental health resources easy to access
If your workplace offers counseling, mental health days, or EAPs – great. But don’t just include them in the onboarding folder and forget about it. Make it easy and normal for people to use them.
Even small perks, like subscriptions to mindfulness apps or mental wellness budgets, can make a difference.
5. Rethink feedback culture
Constructive feedback is part of the job, but it doesn’t have to be soul-crushing.
Learn how to give feedback that’s clear, kind, and actionable. Ask clarifying questions before defaulting to ‘this doesn’t work.’ And remember that behind every piece of work is a human being who tried.
6. Celebrate the person, not just the output
We’re more than our to-do lists.
Take time to appreciate people beyond their deliverables. Acknowledge the effort, not just the end result. Say thank you. Recognize growth. Give space for people to be people.
A Final Thought: Creativity Needs Care
At its best, creative work can change minds, spark movements, and tell stories that stick with people. But none of that happens in a vacuum.
It happens when creative people feel safe, supported, and seen.
So let’s keep having the hard conversations. Let’s make space for vulnerability. Let’s build workplaces that don’t just expect great ideas, but nurture the people behind them.
Because protecting mental health isn’t just a nice idea – it’s essential to doing our best work, together.
Hear from the expert
Stephen Neville, former agency owner and CEO of BugHerd (leading website feedback platform), caught up with Andy Wright, founder of Never Not Creative, an Australian company that focuses on the mental health issues faced by the creative, marketing, media industry. They discussed concrete strategies that agencies and individuals can use to build healthier and more sustainable work environments.
You can watch the full webinar on demand here.
Resources
Psychosocial Safety – A resource hub developed by the MFA (Media Federation of Australia). Many of the resources are open access.
Book: Brave New Work – This book references the concept of organisation debt as well as other concepts that really get you thinking about the possibilities for the future of work.
Mentally-Healthy Research – Here you’ll find the full research report from Andy Wright’s 2024 survey into the mental health of the creative, media and marketing industries.
SMARTwork Framework – The research-backed framework for designing motivating and meaningful work.