Hello, I’m Katy, the editor of Creative Boom, and both personally and professionally, I’ve had a fantastic year. Which is going to make this article summing up 2025 quite a difficult one to write. Because I’m not daft: I know what’s going on. I hear it daily from creatives all over the world.

Freelancers are struggling to find work. Jobs feel harder to come by. Studio budgets remain tight. Confidence has taken a knock. Some illustrators, in particular, have described experiencing months of nothing; the worst dry spells in years.

In this light, the end of the year brings a moment to pause, take stock and share what we’ve learned, while trying to stay human in a very un-human time.

If you’ll allow me, I’ll be open about my own 2025 story; not because of my ego, but because I believe that if we can all be transparent about what’s going on in our lives and careers, the more we can learn from each other and move forward together.

Time for reflection

For me, this year followed one of the toughest of my life. A serious back injury in 2024 meant I literally could only work lying down on the floor.

As you might expect, this forced me to slow down. And when that happens, it gives you the space to reassess. I started asking myself some uncomfortable questions about what Creative Boom needed to do next, just as algorithmic changes on social media and the rise of generative AI were rattling our profession.

The answer, it turns out, wasn’t more noise. It was more presence.

When I was finally able to start sitting, then standing, then (thank God) walking, I started showing up again. Putting my own face back on Creative Boom. Speaking more openly. Listening harder. In hindsight, it was one of the wisest decisions I’ve made. Because what people seem to be craving in the mid-2020s isn’t perfection or polish; it’s connection.

With the lovely Chris Wilson, of Stckmn

The Studio: a community that grew itself

In February, we launched The Studio, Creative Boom’s private community. I’d spent months hearing about how creatives were no longer getting any traction on social media due to changing algorithms that favoured clickbait, ragebait and short-form video. I thought: why are we relying on platforms built by billionaires in California when we could just make our own? So, we did just that.

I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would people turn up? Would they stick around? Would it feel forced? Within four days of going live, a thousand people had joined. Today, that number sits at nearly 7,000. But more importantly, what actually happens inside The Studio has genuinely surprised me.

Each morning, people greet each other. Sessions with creative leaders are packed. Resources are shared freely. The atmosphere is warm, supportive and real in a way I’m not sure I’ve seen anywhere else online.

Creative Boom IRL in Manchester, via The Studio.

It’s become the kind of place where someone can ask a question about pricing their work at 9am and have five thoughtful responses by lunchtime. It’s a space where people celebrate each other’s wins without a hint of jealousy, and where creatives who’ve been working in isolation for years suddenly feel part of something bigger.

I think what makes it work is the lack of a hard sell. There’s no performance; just people who understand what it’s like to do creative work, in this economy, right now.

From digital to IRL

The Studio also gave birth to something we didn’t quite plan for: Creative Boom IRL.

It turns out that when you create a safe space online, people start wanting to meet face-to-face. We did something slightly mad and launched a series of grassroots networking events across the UK, all run by volunteer hosts from within the community.

We now have eight locations, from Belfast to Brighton, with more in the works for 2026. But these aren’t polished industry events. There are no talks, no panels, and no keynote speakers droning on for 45 minutes.

Creative Boom IRL in Leeds. Photography by Jemma Mickleburgh

Creative Boom IRL in Birmingham. Photography by Dray Darnell

Why? Because we surveyed the community before we started, the feedback was clear. People were fed up with being talked at. They wanted conversation, connection, and a pint with someone who "gets it". And that is precisely what we’ve built.

Low-key, high-value, no pretence. Just creatives showing up for each other.

YouTube and opening up

We also launched our YouTube channel this year, and I’m so glad we did.

The idea was simple: meet creatives where they work, travel to cities and festivals, remove the mist and pretension that can cling to this industry, and get into the minds of some brilliant creatives. We’ve shared studio tours, city adventures and creative festivals galore. It’s been about meeting people in real life and having actual conversations.

Touring James Cropper for our new YouTube channel

A vlog in Amsterdam

I’ll be frank: this is exactly the kind of content I wish I’d had access to when I was starting out. When the industry felt impenetrable, and everyone seemed to know something I didn’t.

Now we’re producing that content at Creative Boom. Putting faces and voices to the work, and demonstrating that even the most revered creatives are simply people trying to figure it out, just like the rest of us.

Podcast insights

The Creative Boom podcast kept rolling this year too, with another two seasons under our belt. Our guests have included Pentagram’s Ashley Johnson, Hollywood legend Kenny Gravillis, and Brian Collins, co-founder of COLLINS. Big names, yes, but more importantly, generous people who are willing to share what they’ve learned along the way.

Somewhere in the middle of all this, we surpassed one million downloads. It felt strange to shout about this when so many people are struggling, but it’s a milestone worth noting. A million times, someone pressed play and decided our conversations were worth their time. That’s not nothing.

Social strategy and design that still works

Despite The Studio’s success, we didn’t want to abandon social media entirely; it’s still where many of you prefer to interact with us. But to be brutally honest, algorithmic changes meant our social reach dropped. And while we did a fair bit of moaning about that, we couldn’t just keep moaning forever.

Instead, we worked with Love & Logic in Manchester to overhaul our social strategy. And guess what? It worked. Turns out that quality design still matters. Good content, thoughtfully presented, still cuts through the noise. Who knew? It was a reminder that sometimes you just need to step back, work with smart people, and trust the process.

AI and staying human

Obviously, I can’t write a year-in-review without mentioning AI. It’s dominated every conversation, conference and anxious message in my inbox. At this point, illustrators have been hit the hardest. I’ve watched talented people question whether their skills still matter, or if there’s a future for them at all. It’s brutal and unfair. I won’t pretend otherwise.

But here’s what I think: AI isn’t going away, any more than analogue-based creatives could wish away digital media or the internet back in the 1990s. Just like the web was then, AI is rapidly becoming the infrastructure on which everything will eventually be built. Denial won’t help anyone.

What will help is adaptation, honesty and support. So we’ve tried to take a balanced approach at Creative Boom, acknowledging the challenges while exploring how creatives might work alongside these tools, rather than be replaced by them.

I don’t have all the answers; nobody does yet. But I do know that the human instinct for creativity, connection and meaning isn’t going anywhere. That’s what we’re protecting.

Partnerships that keep us going

Ever noticed how Creative Boom just seems to "happen" without anyone trying to get you to subscribe or asking for donations? None of this is possible, though, without support. Thankfully, we’ve had the privilege of working with some brilliant brands this year, who genuinely care about the creative community.

Adobe. Thames & Hudson. Stills. James Cropper. These aren’t just logos on a page. They’re partners who understand that maintaining Creative Boom means keeping a space open for creatives to learn, connect and grow.

Touring DixonBaxi and meeting Simon Dixon and Aporva Baxi

I’m truly grateful for that. It means that, along with the community work, events, podcasts, and videos, we’ve published over 800 articles this year. Our journalists have spoken with people across the industry and attended events here and abroad, covering stories that matter and amplifying voices that deserve to be heard.

We also ran 10 Under 10K on Instagram again, spotlighting emerging creatives who are doing incredible work but don’t have massive followings. It’s about creating real, measurable impact for people who need it most.

A personal note

On a smaller level, I’ve also started sharing my outfits and writing about personal style on my new Substack, The Cut Dispatch. This might seem trivial, but for me, it feels symbolic. I’m rising from the ashes as I approach 50, giving myself permission to take up a little space.

We were always taught as journalists that it’s "not about us"; it’s about the people we interview and the stories we tell. But I’ve come to realise that sometimes, it’s okay to step into the light and say: "I’m here too. I exist. I have something to offer beyond the platform I’ve built." And if that gives just one other person permission to do the same, it’s worth it.

Looking ahead

Ultimately, Creative Boom has just enjoyed its strongest year yet as a media platform, and I say that carefully. Not everyone is feeling hopeful right now, and I never want to gloss over that. But I do believe there’s something quietly powerful happening beneath the surface. People want "real" again. Real people, real conversations, and real connections; both online and off. That instinct I had at the start of 2025, that pull towards community and showing up as my true self, feels more right with every passing month.

Looking ahead, there’s a lot to be excited about. Next year, we’ll be supporting festivals like the Northern Design Festival and All Flows, bringing you stories from Mexico, Abu Dhabi, Miami, New York, and Barcelona. Plenty more chances to meet creatives, wherever they are.

If 2025 has taught me anything, it’s that survival isn’t about standing still. It’s about adapting. Staying curious. Being open to change without losing your values. That’s how Creative Boom has endured, and it’s exactly what will carry us into 2026 and beyond.

We’re not out of the woods yet, but we’re walking forward together. And that feels like something worth holding on to.