What To Expect

Creative work is meaningful, demanding, and deeply personal. But in an industry built on tight deadlines, constant feedback, and high expectations, many designers and creative professionals find themselves burned out, anxious, or disconnected from the work they once loved.

Thriving Creatively: Designing a Sustainable Creative Life is an in-person workshop and talk led by Barney and Alisha Abramson, co-founders of Thriving Creatively. Together, they bring a rare blend of lived creative experience and therapeutic insight to explore what it actually takes to sustain a creative career over time.

Barney, a Creative Director with over 20 years in the industry, shares his personal journey through burnout and recovery, including the pressure to perform, imposter syndrome, and the toll creative work can take on mental and physical health.

Alisha, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, offers accessible, research-backed tools creatives can use to better manage stress, protect their energy, and build healthier relationships with work.This session combines storytelling, practical frameworks, and guided reflection.

Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how burnout shows up in creative careers, simple strategies for managing stress and mental load, and a renewed sense of agency over how they show up at work.Designed for designers, creatives, and creative leaders at any stage, this workshop creates space for honest conversation, learning, and connection. Because thriving creatively shouldn’t come at the expense of your well-being.

Code of Conduct

By registering to attend this event, you agree to abide by AIGA Chicago Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct may be found here. https://www.aiga.org/code-of-conduct