A recent Ulster University study has revealed that people working in creative industries are three times more likely to experience mental ill health than the general population. Long hours, unpaid work, unrealistic demands, and late-night messages from managers contribute to exhaustion, undervaluation, and burnout.
Finnish designer and author Emmi Salonen, who faced these challenges herself, addresses the issue in her new book The Creative Wellbeing Handbook, published by BIS Publishers on 12 November 2025 in Europe and in April 2026 worldwide. Salonen founded the London-based Studio Emmi in 2005 but reached breaking point after more than a decade of running it. “I was running a successful London studio and still felt depleted,” she recalls. “It wasn’t a time-management problem, it was a cultural one.”
Neglecting her health, relationships, and passion for design, she set out on what she called an “inspiration expedition” through the Marquesas Islands, Ethiopia, Colombia, and the Finnish archipelago. From these experiences she developed the Creative Ecosystem, a five-part framework designed to support sustainable creativity.
The creative ecosystem framework
- Connection: Linking personal identity with work to nurture purpose.
- Wonder: Encouraging curiosity in everyday life to spark inspiration.
- Pause: Creating space for solitude and reflection to strengthen intuition.
- Movement: Building adaptability to support resilience.
- Joy: Immersing in energising activities to restore vitality.
“It’s a flexible framework inspired by the archipelago forests where I grew up in Finland,” Salonen explains. “The five inputs Connection, Wonder, Pause, Movement, and Joy help creatives sustain energy, purpose, and emotional resilience.”
Global perspectives in the handbook
The Creative Wellbeing Handbook combines Salonen’s lived experience with Nordic wisdom and includes insights from more than 100 creatives across 26 countries. Among them are Stefan Sagmeister, Jean Jullien, and Zipeng Zhu, whose stories and practices appear alongside research-backed exercises.
“Emmi has created both a toolkit and a treasure chest,” says Diane Davies, a design and content consultant. “It’s an emotionally intelligent, visually surprising, and quietly radical invitation to redefine what success really means.” Sevra Davis, director of architecture, design and fashion at the British Council, adds, “Emmi’s journey from burnout to flourishing resonates throughout the book, and her practical guidance…is both a privilege and incredibly useful.”
Grounded in creative practice
Salonen’s professional background strengthens the book’s authority. She is a graphic designer, creative director, and educator, as well as a Happiness Facilitator and RSA Fellow. She has contributed to Harvard’s AI for Human Flourishing think tank and teaches a Domestika course on sustainable branding. Her ethos of Positive Creativity, which emphasises design as a way to connect people, enhance well-being, and encourage sustainable choices, underpins the handbook.
“I went through burnout and lost touch with my creativity,” she reflects. “While travelling and resting, I began asking other creatives how they stay inspired. I realised we need tools to support creativity as a way of life, not just a career.”
A guide for today’s creatives
The book is aimed at freelancers, students, studio leaders, and brand strategists—anyone whose work depends on creative energy. “Whether you’re stuck, burned out, or just looking to re-energise, this book is a gentle and practical guide,” Salonen says. It also critiques hustle culture, urging creatives to slow down and reconnect with meaning. “Happiness isn’t about constant positivity,” she notes. “It’s about being attuned to yourself, even in difficult seasons.”
With its mix of cultural critique, personal testimony, and practical exercises, The Creative Wellbeing Handbook responds to the growing mental health crisis in creative industries. It provides both strategies and a cultural reset, guiding readers towards resilience, clarity, and joy.
