Out 12 November 2025 (Europe)
13 April 2026 (International)
The Creative
Wellbeing Handbook
A beautiful and practical guide to sustaining creativity in a challenging world. Based on the Creative Ecosystem model.
Hi, I’m Emmi. A designer, speaker and advocate for creative wellbeing. I wrote this book for anyone who’s ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or simply in need of a spark. Over the years, I’ve learned that staying creatively energised isn’t about doing more, it’s about tuning in to what we really need. I hope this handbook becomes a supportive companion on your journey, as it has been for me while writing it.
Looking for creative fuel?
If you're a designer, writer, artist, or anyone trying to stay inspired while juggling life’s demands then this book is for you.
The Creative Wellbeing Handbook offers practical tools to help you reconnect with your creative energy, without needing more discipline, time or hustle.
This isn’t another self-help manual. It’s a gentle companion full of visual inspiration, lived wisdom from over 100 creatives, and Emmi Salonen’s personal story of burnout and renewal.
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A creative career is full of possibility – but it can also be exhausting. Today’s creatives are under pressure to be always on, inspired and ready to deliver at a pace that often leaves them feeling stuck or burnt out.
The Creative Wellbeing Handbook is a practical guide to help you rediscover joy in your creative work and in your life. Whether you’re a student, designer, artist, writer or other creative thinker, this book offers everyday tools to help you feel motivated and clear-headed.
At the heart of the book is the Creative Ecosystem, an adaptable model built around five areas: Connection, Wonder, Pause, Movement and Joy. Through stories, exercises and research-backed ideas, you’ll learn how to sustain your creativity by caring for yourself. You don’t need more time or discipline – just a way to refuel with the resources you already have.
“The book doesn’t push me, it holds me.”
— Dominika, Graphic Designer (Austria/Portugal)
What you’ll find inside
60+ gentle exercises to help reset creative energy
Emmi’s story of burnout, recovery and renewal
The Creative Ecosystem model: 5 flexible pillars to support your wellbeing
Reflections and tips from 100+ creatives across 26 countries
A calming, design-forward reading experience with space to reflect and breathe
Research-backed insights
Emmi’s reflections on a topic
Quotes by creatives
Exercises and activities
Emmi’s story
‘Inspiration Expedition’ travel notes
Creative leader interviews
Creative process and work photos
“This workbook brought back the hope-giving reality that sustaining creativity doesn’t have to be a guilt-driven, 20 steps, 5 week course.”
— Rachael Seatvet, Designer (Canada)
Preorder your copy and receive a creative gift
Preorder before 1 November and receive an exclusive 40-minute soundscape recorded by Emmi, inspired by forest birdsong and designed as a restorative backdrop for your next creative session.
The book features insights from over 100 creatives in 26 countries, including
conversations with voices from:
Women of Type, Google, Mucho, karlssonwilker inc., Vault49, The Now Work, Nice and Serious, Injiri, The Frameworks, DMJX and Luminary, alongside independent artists such as Stefan Sagmeister, Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian, Zipeng Zhu, Emily Forgot, Jean Jullien, Nicola Hamilton, Guillermo Flores Pacheco, Shelaine Prince, Ji Lee, Kevin Finn, Elizabeth Olwen, Shoji Yamasaki, Kangan Aurora, Kibir La Amlak, June Mineyama-Smithson, Sam Furness, Jenny Bowers, Daniel Eatock, Elsa Salonen, Radim Malinic, Catalina Estrada Uribe, Stefan G. Bucher and Julie Solvstrom.
Emmi Salonen is a graphic designer, creative director and educator known for her ethos of Positive Creativity – the belief that design can connect people, foster wellbeing and support sustainable choices.
After experiencing burnout, Emmi developed the Creative Ecosystem model to help herself, and others, stay inspired without running on empty. She now speaks internationally on creative wellbeing and teaches design with a focus on sustainability, balance and joy.
Her work spans over two decades, from founding Studio Emmi in 2005 to collaborating with organisations like Tate Britain, Somerset House, and the AI for Human Flourishing think tank at Harvard’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science. She is a certified Happiness Facilitator, an RSA Fellow and has a course on Domestika.
The strategies in this book helped Emmi recover from burnout - and they can help you build a more joyful, sustainable creative life too.
Europe publication date:
12 November 2025
Global publication date:
13 April 2026
For stock and bulk sales:
Media kit:
“This is a positive and supportive book that highlights the need to actively tend to my creativity. It is full of engaging exercises and real-life insights from a wide range of innovative professionals. It’s perfect for newcomers and experienced creatives alike.”
— Mirja Valkeasuo, Creative Director (Germany/Finland)
Host a book club
Start a Creative Wellbeing circle with our free guide and Emmi’s support. You’ll get access to a kit including discussion prompts, soundscapes, downloadable slides and a celebratory session with Emmi once you've finished reading.
Q&A with Emmi Salonen
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I went through burnout and lost touch with my creativity. While travelling and resting, I began asking other creatives how they stay inspired. I realised we need tools to support creativity as a way of life, not just a career.
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It’s a flexible framework inspired by the archipelago forests where I grew up in Finland. The five inputs - Connection, Wonder, Pause, Movement and Joy - help creatives sustain energy, purpose, and emotional resilience.
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Anyone whose work depends on creative energy, from freelancers and students to studio leaders and brand strategists. Whether you’re stuck, burned out, or just looking to re-energise, this book is a gentle and practical guide.
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Happiness isn’t about constant positivity. It’s about being attuned to yourself, even in difficult seasons. The Creative Wellbeing Handbook encourages a slower, more honest kind of joy; grounded in self-connection and creative flow.
“Emmi has created a toolkit and a treasure chest. Throughout, she interweaves her own story with case studies, practical exercises, inspirational jewels and visual surprises. It’s a generous and relatable guide, from one creative to many others.”
— Diane Davies, Design & Content Consultant (UK)
Book tour
Catch Emmi on the road. If you’d like to host a book stop near you, email bookings here.
BRNO Bold, Chechnya
18. November 2025
A conference by designers, for designers, yet open to all creative minds hungry for fresh perspectives. Top speakers from across Europe will challenge the way you think about design, process, and the future of creativity.
Emmi’s talk marks the launch of her new book, introducing the Creative Ecosystem model she developed to sustain creativity. It also marks 20 years of Studio Emmi, a design practice shaped by her ethos of positive creativity.
Reader hub
A cosy corner for readers with downloads and reflections to support your journey.
Downloads
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Here you’ll find everything you need to share the book, from press release and images to key messages and talking points.
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Here you’ll find a cosy corner for extras, reflections and small creative pauses to accompany your reading journey.
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Gather at least five readers to join the Creative Wellbeing Book Club and receive a group session with Emmi to celebrate your journey together.
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Preorder below to receive your thank you gift.