When Creative Work Feels More Isolating Than Fulfilling
A somber reflection on community, creative work, and the loneliness no one warns you about
There’s a question I asked myself recently that stopped me cold:
If I knew then what I know now about how hard it is to run a photography business, would I still choose this path?
Without even overthinking, the answer flew out of my mouth and surprised me.
No, I wouldn’t do this again
Then I asked the same question about my former career working in hospitality and wine. An industry that is incredibly demanding, physically exhausting, and all-consuming even on it’s best days, my answer was just as immediate:
Of course I’d do it again.
That contrast has been sitting with me since November, and it’s revealed some sobering realizations that will shape my 2026.
The Difference Wasn’t the Work, It Was the Community
Both careers required skill, stamina, long hours, creativity, professionalism, and clever problem solving.
Only one gave me something I didn’t realize I’d miss until it was gone: and that’s a sense of belonging through community.
In hospitality and wine sales, I was constantly surrounded by people. We worked together, we worked side by side, we shared intense pressure, and saw each other regularly, not as brands, but as humans.
There was banter, there was support, and there was a sense of we’re in this together.
The Quiet Loneliness of Creative Work
Photography, and much of the creative industry functions in an entirely different way.
It’s solitary by design.
You’re the product and the brand.
You’re expected to be visible, but not vulnerable.
Connected, but not too close.
Even when you meet people in person, the interactions often feel disingenuous and transactional, far less about shared experience and more about resource extraction.
What can I get?
What can I take?
How can this relationship benefit me right now?
And if you’re someone who values mutuality, that kind of dynamic doesn’t just take a toll, it makes you question why you even bothered showing up in the first place.
When Collaboration Feels Like Competition
One of the hardest things to get used to is how guarded this industry can feel. You don’t get here by being the most talented, you get here because you have the financial resources to buy access.
Information is withheld.
Support is conditional and often requires funding
People keep each other at arm’s length, some out of malice, but mostly out of scarcity.
It creates an environment where connection feels provisional, and trust feels expensive.
That’s exhausting if you’re like me and come from a world where:
mentorship mattered
showing up counted
reputation was built over time
community was survival, not strategy
What I Came to Realize is This Isn’t Burnout
For a long time, I thought the exhaustion meant I needed to optimize better systems, set firmer boundaries, and develop a more pragmatic mindset about what work doesn’t provide, and find ways to fill those gaps in my personal time.
Now I’m realizing something else might be true.
This was never about effort, working harder alone wasn’t going to stave off the chronic isolation and loneliness
Flying solo simply isn’t a good fit for me.
Some people thrive in highly individual, self-directed environments. Others are nourished by shared work, presence, and real-time collaboration. Neither is wrong, but pretending I’m built for something I’m not has been quietly devastating.
What I’m Sitting With Now
I don’t regret the work I’ve done, nor do I regret building something from nothing. I also don’t believe choosing rest or change means I’m a failure. I think I’m just finally tuning into what’s been missing from my life for a long time.
I yearn for the company of other people in my work
I thrive in environments where we’re all working toward a collective vision.
I miss a work life where I felt valued and appreciated by others
I have a deep suspicion that I’m not alone in that, so I’ve chosen to admit the quiet part out loud.
If you’re in a creative industry and feel isolated, guarded, or quietly lonely, please know you’re not alone in those feelings
You might just be wired for something more communal than this system will ever allow.
And that’s worth paying attention to.
Hi! I’m Stacy, a Dallas Fort Worth based Commercial Photographer specializing in interior design, architecture, product, and food photography.
When I’m not creating imagery for clients, you can find me planning my next vacation, spending time outside pruning my backyard prairie garden, or spending time with my family.
