Of Uncertainty, Intuition, and the Creative Industry

# Of Uncertainty, Intuition, and the Creative Industry Planted: 16 May 2026 Last tended: 17 May 2026 When I began writing the first draft for this entry, I wanted it to be focused mostly on the state of feeling uncertain. A feeling I myself faced repeatedly and almost continuously for the past few years. Though, as I was basing it on experiences from my own life, it quickly turned into covering far more, from struggling to form connections in a new environment to the difficult state of the creative industry. Thus, I decided not to focus on this single feeling in my writing, but a period of my life that was defined by it. To establish context, I moved to a different state when I was accepted to the university where I would do my bachelor's degree. The city I lived in, as well as the company I began working at during my studies, were both meant to be temporary chapters. But somehow, I stayed, in both cases. And in retrospect, this never felt like an active decision, but rather something I felt like I *had* to do. The consequences only revealed themselves gradually over the following years, because especially in regards to the city I lived in, I had a reason for not wanting to stay beyond finishing my studies: I never managed to form connections. Whether with the city itself or the people. To this day, I cannot define what it was, but I never felt comfortable living in this city, nor being able to see it as my home. I never felt like I was able to simply lean back and relax. The only connections I managed to make in all these years were my colleagues. It is interesting looking back on this today, as I met multiple people in the past year facing the same situation, and especially after my own experience, I feel like I understand such predicaments much better than I could have before. My circumstances at the time made it difficult to simply move. Thus, for months, I tried to force myself to adapt and find connection. I remember how I more often than not decided to walk the final part of my way home, instead of taking the tram, to think about my state of mind and what to do about it. Even browsing Reddit threads of people who faced similar situations. *'Give it more time'* was the most common response, which I eventually forced myself to settle on. But unfortunately, it wasn't only the city. The company I worked for was going through structural changes, with the leadership and forecasts also creating a concerning atmosphere. Additionally, the creative industry was going through one battle after another, from protests to mass layoffs, to the still-uncertain implications of artificial intelligence. Suddenly, I faced far more than my existing discomfort, but something that would reveal itself to be an existential crisis. At only 23 years old, I lived in my first own apartment and carried far more responsibility than was ever acknowledged at my workplace, while also being the main financial pillar, not only for myself, but for others as well. All this, with me having invested in a career for years, be it through time or money, now increasingly being framed as one of the worst possible bets for the future. My already present uncertainty deepened, and grew with every passing month. A very persistent inner urge to move back home emerged, though not only from my negative feelings associated with the city I lived in. It was mainly driven by the uncertainty that my own career faced, and its future. The pillar my life in this city was built on felt too fragile and risky, and if it were to break, I would find myself in an incredibly rough position. And deep down I felt that things would eventually collapse. For years, I brushed this feeling off as me simply having a silly problem, as did most around me. But the moment it started to feel serious, my intuition urged for a move as if my life depended on it. Thus, I pushed for a move, which eventually happened in 2024; just in time, as I'd eventually learn. Everything I feared would happen happened in the course of the year after; and unfortunately, far more than just that. But acting on my intuition turned out to be my best decision regardless. And if it wasn't for it, I don't even know how I would've handled everything that was to come at that time and place. 2025 turned out to be the darkest and most challenging year of my life. I never got closer to simply giving up. But it also justified how important the move back was. I had a safety net I wouldn't have had otherwise. And over time, I managed to build connections I would've never built if I wasn't here. Most importantly, I felt more understood in certain contexts than ever before. Especially when I talked about not finding any connection with the city I used to live in, I never felt understood. It was always brushed off as either me being weird about it or something else. And I sometimes wonder if this is something you can only relate to if you've experienced it yourself. The conversations I had with friends I made recently who had faced the same situation in the past, or even at the present moment, felt almost healing. Because finally, it wasn't just brushed off as something silly. And I also saw how good it felt for the other person to be understood. 2026 marked a profound reset. In every single aspect, it reflects the *'new year, new me'* mentality. I believe independence is the most important pillar I built over the past months, which was something I lacked, as I wrote about in [[Of Emotional Dependencies and Solitude]]. For once, emotional independence, as well as a foundation not entirely dependent on the creative field anymore. I don't want to participate in framing creative professions as the worst possible bet for the future. I don't believe that's the case, and I despise the current posts all over platforms, declaring the death of certain creative fields, mostly due to artificial intelligence. Regardless, it is a challenging field causing a lot of uncertainty, especially in this day and age, and justifiably so. Looking at current news, it's an industry that continues to struggle with mass layoffs and the still-unknown implications of artificial intelligence. [A recent example is Disney laying off Marvel's visual development team.](https://www.forbes.com/sites/robsalkowitz/2026/04/14/disney-layoffs-hit-marvel-studios-hard/) I guess the conclusions that can be drawn from this are manifold. For once, I learned that forcing myself into an environment I simply don't fit in, isn't the solution. If I had put that effort into finding a solution or compromise compatible with my circumstances at the time, it probably would've been more effective. Then, uncertainty and intuition. When uncertainty grows and intuition reaches a point of calling to action, I would never ignore it. So far in life, I was actually never wrong when listening to it, even if it appeared irrational on the surface. I'm not at all a superstitious person, but when it comes to intuition and gut feelings, I believe there is always a reason for their presence. Especially when they reach an alarming state. In regards to the creative industry, I consider writing a separate piece on my thoughts and concerns as a creative working in the industry. I believe it to be a better fit for a dedicated entry.