Headless Greg’s Annual Review: The Highs & Lows of 2025
Wednesday 14th January 2026
A large part of my job involves making things look neater than they do in real life. As an illustrator and designer, I use clean lines and pleasing shapes to conjure up a world which is far more organised than the one we live in. Headless Greg is polished - and that’s very much by design. Behind the scenes over the past 12 months, however, things have felt messier than they may have appeared.
2025 came with exciting new projects and proud milestones - but it also presented challenges which left me feeling deflated. The neat-freak in me wants to tidy away the mess and never mention it again. But, as a mental health advocate, I feel it may be more helpful to paint a fuller picture; to tell a story that includes both the highs and the lows I experienced last year. So that’s what I’m going to do today…
2025 kicked off with a bit of a bum note as I was informed that my time at Agents for Change, where I had spent the past two years working as Community Lead, was coming to an end. I feel compelled to mention that I wasn’t let go because of something bad I did. Budgets were tighter than ever last year, especially for social enterprises, and the money simply no longer stretched far enough to fund my role.
I missed working for Agents for Change as soon as I left. I missed working with a lovely team (Dorcas Brown and Ciara Phelan from Grand Matter) on a project we were all equally passionate about. I missed being in a role which I felt I was genuinely good at, which boosted my confidence and gave me a sense of legitimacy.
And, I missed having a regular income. Social enterprises aren’t known for making people rich, but having a guaranteed client to invoice at the end of each month does wonders for the nerves of anxious freelancers like me. Financial anxiety is very real, and we don’t talk about it enough.
This was the first time in five years that I didn’t have a regular income from a part-time gig (before Agents for Change, I’d had a similar role at Make Bank for three years). It was unnerving to say the least. A panic set deep in my stomach, and it was quite some time before it even began to subside.
Flyer design for The Brummie Ensemble, an inclusive theatre group my Women & Theatre
Illustration for Scran, a London-based food company specialising in artisanal sandwiches
The Farewell Edition of 91 Magazine, one of my longest running clients
I don’t want it to sound like nothing good happened to me in 2025. I worked on some amazing projects. I illustrated luscious trees for Birmingham Botanical Gardens, collaged theatrical hands for Women & Theatre, and designed a delicious-looking sandwich for Scran. A highlight of my year - and career so far - came when I started working with queer-led studio Studio Lutalica, who I find endlessly inspiring (and interviewed for the latest issue of Headless Friends).
I wrote for new publications, including delving into non-monogamous dating and queer hook-up culture for Impeached magazine, and researching what you should consider before you apply to study at art school for ReadyMag. On the flipside, I wrote one last article for 91 Magazine as they produced their final print issue, saying a fond farewell to a publication I have been working with for 8 years.
All of these projects were wonderful to work on, and they gave my mind focus as I crafted words and imagery to suit each one. The problem was that - with no ongoing client to bridge the gaps - every project felt like it could be my last. I felt overwhelmed with panic; consumed by the idea that the elusive next client would never come, and, as a result, I’d run out of money.
I was looking for a new part-time role to replace my old one; however, in hindsight, I wasn’t in the optimal headspace to actually find one. You need a clear head and thick skin to hunt for a job and deal with the inevitable rejection that comes with that search - and I had neither. I took an anxiety-driven, scattergun approach to applying for new jobs, and it was as successful as you’d expect.
“Headless Greg is so tightly tied to real-life Greg; if one of us trips up, we both take a tumble. For a lot of 2025, it felt like we were in freefall.”
I spiralled professionally, and personally, too. The thing about running your own business is that it's impossible to separate your work and life. Headless Greg is so tightly tied to real-life Greg; if one of us trips up, we both take a tumble. For a lot of 2025, it felt like we were in freefall.
I’m sure you’ll be glad to know that - although it didn’t feel like it was going to at the time - this spiral did end. You may also like to know that I didn’t have to do anything groundbreaking to regain some sense of control. I simply looked around and realised I was far from alone.
I spoke to friends and family (thanks, mum) about how difficult I was finding work and, as a result, life at that particular moment - they acknowledged how difficult it was and assured me that, even though it might not feel like it, I was on solid ground, putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward, just like everyone else around me. I forced myself to take time to rest and do things I enjoyed that grounded me and didn’t allow my mind to run away with itself - books, films and collaging with friends provided some much-needed escapism.
I also sought some professional help to deal with my work-related stress and the new variety of anxiety that had sprouted within me. When you are struggling, it is always a good idea to ask for help.
Several helping hands caught me mid-air and gently guided me back to solid ground. Freelancing may be a solo venture in many ways, but you truly cannot do it alone.
As I slowed down and my mind cleared, I was able to take a good, hard look at Headless Greg and question how I could prevent this from happening again. While I hope this story is read with empathy, I also don’t want to paint myself as the victim. Headless Greg is my business, and the fact that it ended up in a bit of a mess in 2025 is, in part, my fault.
As a freelancer, placing so much importance on one client is not a good idea. Putting all your eggs in one basket is a famously bad idea - and throwing your self-worth in there too is just silly. I had been lucky that Headless Greg had grown organically as a business over the years, but, as a result, I had naively neglected to continually build and nurture my professional network - and that’s the thing that ensures the sustainability of a business. That’s the thing that makes it not feel like the end of the world when you lose one client.
“Putting all your eggs in one basket is a famously bad idea - and throwing your self-worth in there too is just silly.”
At the end of last summer, with this harsh but fair assessment of my business complete, I decided to treat the post-spiral period as a fresh start for Headless Greg. I overhauled my illustration and writing portfolios and created a brand new, expanded PDF portfolio (which I am happy to share if you fancy a look). I also completely redid my CV and cover letter, and added a community-building page to my website, detailing all of my previous work with social enterprises. I even refreshed Headless Greg’s branding as a subtle nod to the beginning of this new era.
I made sure to take my time with each aspect of this business reboot. Even when my anxiety questioned whether I was taking too long, I kept a steady pace. I didn’t want to hurriedly throw anything together to save time, as I had been guilty of doing in the past; I wanted every outward-facing aspect of my business to feel considered and genuinely well thought through. Ultimately, I wanted to feel confident sharing Headless Greg again - and now I do.
One of my favourite illustrations I created during Peachtober
Issue four of Headless Friends is out now!
Along the way, I also made time for some fun. I took part in Peachtober, creating 31 illustrations in 31 days inspired by prompts from Furry Little Peach. I also poured time and care into Headless Friends, a digital magazine for creative queers with strange brains, which has become my favourite ever side project. In different ways, these personal projects reminded me why I do what I do: to make pretty pictures and talk about things I really, really, really care about.
As the year drew to a close, I found myself a new part-time role - a happy ending to the story of 2025. I am now the Marketing & Social Media Coordinator for Together St Paul’s, a children’s charity which supports young people and their families through education and play. My new role feels like a natural continuation of my previous socially-driven work while also being different enough to feel like an exciting challenge.
While I am determined not to make the same mistake as before (I’m keen to continue growing my network, so please do say hello), having another regular income has further reduced my stress. Anxious freelancers like me do well with a regular income - and that’s a very useful thing to know about yourself.
Amongst the chaos and mess of 2025, I celebrated the fifth anniversary of launching Headless Greg. Despite my wobbles, I can say that I am genuinely proud of the creative studio I have built - perhaps now more than ever. And despite being half a decade in, I feel as though I am only just getting started in many ways. There is nothing like the aftermath of a big blip to give you a new lease of creative motivation.
With all this said, I am entering 2026 slowly, cautiously, but optimistically. I spent such a large proportion of last year scambling around; I didn’t get to make nearly as many things as I would have liked to. This year, I want to write more and illustrate more. I want to talk about things that matter and conjure unexpected creations.
It’s safe to say there are aspects of 2025 I am glad to see the back of. However, the steep learning curves have left me with lessons I will gladly take into 2026 and beyond. Here’s to holding honest conversations and supporting one another in 2026.