Working in a creative field can have its emotional ups and downs. While it can be deeply rewarding, there are some challenges intrinsic to these industries that make it hard to prioritise our mental health. Being a creative person can be awesome but also nerve-wracking. We want to make art or tell stories, but we need to pay our rent.
What if our art doesn’t pay the bills? Does that mean we’re not talented or worthy of our creative calling? What if our peers are more successful? What if our friends and family don’t understand or value what we do?
Many of us think we’re alone in our struggles. But we’re not.
According to an Australian Entertainment Industry report, 57.9% of workers have problems finding time for their families, 63% have trouble maintaining a social life and 44% of industry workers have moderate to severe anxiety. This is 10 times higher than the general population. The levels of depression are five times higher than general population scores.
In the screen sector a recent Screen Well Life Balance survey reported that 83% of screen directors think the overall pressures and stressors of working in the industry contribute to poor mental health, and 57% of screen directors have known a colleague who has left the industry because of work/life balance. Exposure to suicide is also prevalent among screen directors, with one in three knowing a colleague who has taken their own life.
While the majority of Australian entertainment industry workers express an overwhelming passion for their creative work, there is also a powerful, negative culture within the industry, including a toxic, bruising work environment, extreme competition, bullying, sexual assault, sexism and racism. And due to the short-term nature of project work, there’s often no human resources manager to report bad behaviour. So we suck it up. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
We need to do better – for ourselves and each other – and we need targeted mental health initiatives that understand these particular struggles.
A former sound engineer and registered counsellor, Aimee Davies founded the Hey Mate Project in 2019 after seeing the desperate need for mental health support and wellness education specifically for the arts and entertainment sectors.
Media Mentors asked Davies to tell us about the Hey Mate initiative, and share some useful takeaway tips on thriving and supporting mental health for creative people.
Aimee Davies: Hey Mate is a social enterprise that delivers well-being support and education to the creative industries. We are entirely self-funded, working with individuals, communities and workplaces/organisations for a happier and healthier industry. It was created out of necessity providing creative industry specific support and education that is not limited to fundraising and grants. All the proceeds from our services are then reinvested into our community to access services for low or no cost.
When I was making the transition from creative into mental health practitioner I was having a really hard time finding suitable supports to refer community members on to. A lot of them were limited by strict eligibility criteria, or didn’t have an understanding of the industry, and then there were financial and geographical barriers. After some research and development we decided to “be the change” and create an organisation that addressed all of the barriers we were seeing.
Employers and communities can start the conversation on what is required to support a happy and healthy work environment. Prioritising the “like-to-haves” versus the “must-haves” when it comes to deadlines and times of high pressure, and holding space to destigmatise mental illness in the creative industries, as well as making resources and support available.
Support Act Wellbeing Helpline: A free phone counselling service for anyone working in Australian music or the arts, easily accessed by calling 1800 959 500.
LifeLine: 13 11 14
Screen Well
Hey Mate
Arts Wellbeing Collective
Beyond Blue
SANE
Media Mentors Australia and The Hey Mate Project are partnering for a FREE workshop on Wellbeing For Creatives on Saturday 26 August. Book your spot here.
