Talks, workshops and resources to nurture and sustain creative wellbeing 

Animated Creative Ecosystem wheel

The Creative Ecosystem is a gentle model for wellbeing, inspired by nature and designed for modern life. Developed by designer and author Emmi Salonen, it blends Finnish forest wisdom with practical tools for everyday creativity and resilience.

DO YOU OR YOUR TEAM FEEL DRAINED OR STUCK?

Emmi presenting on stage in front of a large screen during a conference called 'The Design Conference' in Australia, with attendees raising their hands.

Burnout affects people in the creative industries three times more than the general population*. 

The Creative Ecosystem model has been developed by the design leader Emmi Salonen to support fellow creative thinkers to reconnect with their purpose, develop personalised wellbeing rituals and reduce stress and burnout. 

This is perfect for workplaces, membership organisations, conferences, events, retreats and academia.

*Wellbeing charity Inspire and Ulster University

Who Emmi has worked with

Black background with large outline text reading "RSA" and a smaller rectangle below it. 
LONDON
Logo with the text 'the DESIGN MUSEUM' in black outlined letters on a white background. 
LONDON
RGD logo with the words 'Design Thinkers' in large letters. 
TORONTO
Black square with the letters YCN in bold, with a horizontal line beneath the 'N' 
LONDON
Black background with the text 'CEDIM INNOVATION PROGRAMS' in outlined capital letters 
NUEVO LEÓN MÉXICO
Text reading 'Manchester School of Art' in a stylized font. 
MANCHESTER
Logo for the Wargrave Festival of South African Design with stylized text and a circular emblem. 
MARGATE
Line drawing of a crown above four overlapping semicircles, with an arrow pointing from the semicircles to the crown and text that reads, 'Hierarchy of needs pyramid.' 
LONDON
Black and white photo of a woman with long hair, looking to the right, with her hand on her chin. 
COPENHAGEN
Text that reads "Revert Signs, 23, OKC" in black font 
TOKYO
Logo for ETIC school of technology, innovation, and creation, with the school's name written vertically in Portuguese. 
LISBON
The TDC Australia logo in black and gray on a white background. 
BRISBANE
NU Nottingham Trent University logo with a shield emblem and text. 
NOTTINGHAM
Logo with an eye shape containing four circles and the word 'AGRAFA' below it. 
KATOWICE
Text that reads 'All Flowers' and 'All Flowers' in a stylized script 
MILTON KEYNES
Black silhouette of a horse with a rider on a horse jumping over a hurdle in front of a barrier reading "Chilean Cup" and a crowd of spectators in the background. 
LONDON
Wayne State University logo featuring a shield with stylized 'W' and a star, with the university's name below. 
DETROIT
Logo of Dover District Council featuring a stylized city skyline and the council's name. 
DOVER

“Emmi gave a buoyantly special talk.”


— Cal Thompson, VP of End to End Design, Headspace
Attendee, Design Matters Tokyo, JAPAN

Emmi smiling and leaning forward during a workshop, with two students facing her; a man with red hair and glasses, and a woman with long dark hair, in front of a light green wall with text and a yellow circle labeled 'Activity'.

HOW EMMI CAN SUPPORT YOU

Talks, workshops and events that provide creative people with wisdom, new ideas and enriching tactics to help prevent burnout and support a more fulfilling creative practice. 

INTRODUCING THE CREATIVE ECOSYSTEM MODEL

Balance your creative outputs with nourishing inputs to sustain your creative wellbeing

A black and white logo with a circular design and a wave cutout in the middle.

CONNECTION
WONDER
PAUSE
MOVEMENT
JOY

NOURISHING
INPUTS

CREATIVE
OUTPUTS

“Emmi shared her thoughts with such clarity, humour and grace.”


— Ronan MacEawan, Copywriter,
Attendee, The Design Conference, AUSTRALIA

Next event

Catch Emmi on the road. If you’d like to host a talk or workshop near you, email bookings here.

Poster for Studio Emmi's exhibition at BRNO BOLD, featuring a woman with curly blonde hair wearing a yellow shirt, resting her chin on her hand, with the title 'EMMI SALONEN(F)' in large text across the bottom.

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.

Emmi sitting in a blue chair near a large window with potted plants in the background.

“Everything I do is underpinned by a simple but powerful idea: Positive Creativity. As an established creative practitioner and an accredited Happiness Facilitator, I believe design thinking can bring people together, create sustainable choices and foster wellbeing.”

— Emmi Salonen
Founder of Creative Ecosystem
and Studio Emmi

“A practical, fascinating, warm and very human workshop.”


— Attendee, All Flows, UK