Is there a retirement crisis in the creative industry?

Right now, senior creatives are planning to exit the industry much earlier than expected. So what exactly is going on?

There’s a conversation in creative industries right now that’s largely going under the radar. It’s happening in DMs, in whispered conversations at industry events, and at 3am when people can’t sleep. The conversation starts with this: “I think I need to retire.”

Take illustrator and designer Jason Roberts. “I’ve gone from thinking ‘I might never retire’ to ‘I might have to retire early’ in a pretty short space of time,” he admits. “I genuinely thought I’d never earn enough to truly retire. But if AI forces me out of my own industry, I might need to retire early, find a way to get by, maybe sell my home and downsize.”

He’s not alone. From many conversations we’ve had recently, it’s emerged that house moves are being postponed, holidays are being cancelled, household budgets are tightening, and people are rushing to boost their pensions and savings.

Those of us who are living from paycheck to paycheck and struggling to keep their heads above water might think “Huh, chance’d be a fine thing”. And just to be clear, I am personally very far from being in a position to retire any time soon. But the fact that so many senior creatives are both serious about it and in a position to make it a reality could well become a big deal over the next few years.

Why’s this happening?

So why is this happening, exactly? As design consultant Richard Brandon Taylor puts it: “I think the design game for many has got tougher post-COVID. If you live in the world of consumer goods it’s especially hard: wars have pushed raw ingredients through the roof and manufacturers thin margins have become non existent.”

The world of AI may have helped the design industry in terms of productivity, but at a macro economic level it’s made raising finance more difficult. “People are removing their investments and place them into tech,” Richard points out. “What was once the safe double-digit growth stocks have become the boring ones. That pressure has led to global restructures and less investment in brand.”

Then of course there’s the impact of AI on design in general. “It’s in my mind’s eye a great running partner and we should lean into it,” Richard says. “But many are exhausted by where the industry is going and has gone. Most design businesses were running on low profit margins, when they are evaporated what’s left!? I can see why we see so many leaving the industry and retiring early. It’s a testament to the times that surround their lives.”

Not a silver bullet

That said, retirement isn’t always everything it’s cracked up to be. In my town of Weston-super-mare—a seaside resort where people dream of moving post-career—I’ve met loads of retirees who rely on a second income from things like Airbnb, only to find out that running a business is no picnic, and that said income proves neither steady or generous.

Even if it does, retired life has a habit of throwing you curveballs, just like life as an employee or freelancer. For instance, creative director Myriam Lopez retired at 50 from corporate media and trained as a Pilates teacher. She thought she had a plan. Then her pension shrunk by a third. She eventually recombined her two passions into a new business.

Her takeaway: “Even if you do the sensible thing, saving, and even build a plan B, there’s no guarantee on anything retirement promises you. But here’s the part I love: none of what I built in 30 years got thrown out to make that pivot work; it just got recombined.”

Where work still exists

We wouldn’t want you to panic unduly. Right now, human skill still matters, and is sure to be demand for some years to come. As designer Helen Law puts it: “AI artwork is rarely print-ready, especially for clothing. It still takes a creative eye and technical expertise to refine the design, make it original, ensure it works at the required size, choose the right colours and optimise the placement.”

Brand strategist Jacob Cass takes a similarly optimistic view. “I think the fear is real, and I’ve been having similar conversations with members in my community,” he says. “But my view is that AI isn’t just replacing work, it’s redefining what clients value.

“If our value is producing visual assets, then yes, I’d be worried. But if our value is helping businesses make better decisions, solve complex problems, build trust and connect strategy with creativity, I think the opportunity actually grows. We have to shift our role from creative executors to brand builders.”

And bear in mind, uncertainty over AI cuts both ways. “I’m predicting a big bust soon,” says motion designer Matt Wilson. “OpenAI’s profit and loss report is eye-watering. They’re burning cash at an unsustainable rate. The only way they can turn it around is to raise subscription prices majorly, but I don’t think they can without scaring off the user base.”

Key takeaway

So what have we learned? In summary: yes, the threat is real, and yes, production-based work is under genuine pressure. And yes, the uncertainty is causing people to plan for early retirement in ways they never expected to.

But as far as the Creative Boom community is concerned, the idea of a complete collapse in creative work is far-fetched. What seems more likely is a transition period where some work disappears, some shifts upmarket toward strategy, and some persists because clients value handmade or highly specialised craft.

The creatives who’ll survive are the ones who can move upstream into strategy, who can specialise in the (many) areas AI struggles with, and who can adapt their skills. The people who’ll struggle are the ones still competing on production speed and cost in five years.

For most of us, then, the answer probably isn’t to retire early: it’s to start repositioning what you offer and where you offer it.