With all the end-of-year summaries floating around (including our own), we thought we’d do something a little different for our final post of 2022. We wanted to round off this year with something that is always at the top of our priority list—you! This is for all you talented designers and creatives who make up our Wix Playground community! We were interested in learning what this year has been like for you—how it felt as a creative, what your challenges were, and how stressful it has or hasn’t been.
Earlier this month we posted an extensive poll on our Instagram, asking you to participate and respond to our questions, with topics covering everything from job and career development to inner challenges and creativity.
In addition to being a valuable source of information, we also thought that this could provide you with a chance to pause and reflect on where you are and how this year has gone for you. Sometimes all you need is just someone to ask you the right questions at the right time for you to gain some valuable introspection. So for those who took part, we thank you! We hope you enjoyed this opportunity.
And now, let’s dive straight into it—2022 & You—and find out what this year was like for the Wix Playground community.
The first category - Me, myself & I
Reflecting on your journey and growth
Question 01 - Looking back at 2022, the overall sentiment you have for it is…
We’re glad to see the majority of you are finishing the year on a good note! Two out of three isn’t bad at all and after such a tumultuous year, the fact that so many of you were able to maintain such an optimistic attitude speaks volumes. And for those of you who didn’t feel so great, well, here’s to a better 2023! ✨
Question 02 - My main challenge was around my…
Although leaning slightly more towards career issues, it seems you all are facing challenges almost equally on both sides of the fence. Dare we say that’s a good balance..?
Question 03 - I was focused on growing as a…
Looks like improving your craft and learning technical skills were on your mind a bit more this year. We wonder what those skills might be. Coding? Motion? Typography? We look forward to seeing what you create with those newly learned abilities.
Question 04 - When I experienced rejection or failure I…
Mental health has been an overarching issue this year, and it seems you’ve taken it into your own hands. Dealing with rejection is never easy, and learning to do so in a healthy manner is a lifelong mission. Looks as though you’re on the right path—almost 75% of you have dealt with it well. Nicely done!
Question 05 - In the past year I cared more about
It’s all about following your own authentic voice, isn’t it? This year the majority of you were dedicated to your truth and your own style within. Could this turn out to be the next big trend?
The second category - Design as a career
Making a living from your passion
Question 06 - In the past year did you:
Whether due to the changing market or your own personal choice, 2022 was the year of new beginnings! Nearly two-thirds of you embarked on a new path and started a new job. And for those of you still looking, we wish you the best of luck in 2023 🙏
Question 07 - Did you experience burnout?
Looks like three-quarters of you are experiencing a bit of burnout this year and in desperate need of some air. You’re not alone—in a recent Asana research, surveying over 10,000 workers, 70% reported feeling the same. In this age of uncertain economic times and immense job pressure, we urge you to remember to take good care of yourself.
Question 08 - Did you think about changing your profession?
They say a creative path chooses you more than you choose it, and your answers seem to reflect that. Even with all the struggles that come along with a creative career, more than half of you still can’t see yourselves doing anything else.
Question 09 - How would you describe your career path this year?
When life throws you curveballs, all you can do is react! It will be an understatement to say that 2022 was full of unexpected surprises—the lingering pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the looming economic crisis are just a few of the issues we’ve all had to deal with this year. And it seems your career path followed a similar pattern, with 65% of you stating your career is not where you expected it to be.
Question 10 - Has your view of being a successful creative:
Change often brings about a new outlook on life and it seems that a lot of you have adopted and adapted to a new perspective. As an example, many of our own Playground Academy graduates whom we interviewed this year shifted more toward prioritizing workplaces that care about diversity and mental health, rather than chasing that big paycheck.
The third category - Creativity & inspiration
Skills, craft, and design practice
Question 11 - When I was creating this year, I tended to be more
Bring on the fun 🥳! Playing and experimenting were at the top of your list, with innovative creativity taking the lead this past year. We constantly see how interested our community is in learning new skills, so we have to say this comes as no surprise.
Question 12 - This year, have you had the chance to initiate a passion project?
We get it, side projects are tricky! Everyone talks about how passion projects are a gateway to personal development and success, but it can be difficult finding the time to actually execute them. We were pleased to see that more than half of you were able to accomplish that this year—well done!
Question 13 - Did you use your creative skills for a good cause this year?
It’s no surprise so many of you decided to use your most precious resources—time and talent—towards the good of others or the world. As we saw in Design Threads, our collaboration with Porto Rocha, this is an issue that’s on everyone’s mind and designers worldwide are trying their best to take action.
Question 14 - When it comes to showing my work…
Even though we all scroll Instagram for inspiration, it is not your preferred channel for showing your own work. The vast majority of you agree that when it comes to your portfolio and showing who you are as a creative, a website is still the best practice.
Question 15 - I consider myself
It’s interesting to see that so many of you—more than 80%—define your practice as interdisciplinary, something resembling a ‘jack of all trades’. This is an interesting shift we could be seeing—moving from specialty roles to more open-ended and cross-discipline creativity.
And one for next year!
Question 16 - In 2023 I am…
Finishing up with your collective new year’s resolution, the general vibe is towards hard work 💪🏼 We are always behind you and we’ll happily provide you with all the resources and inspiration to help you along your road to success.
