The pandemic led many creatives to abandon bustling cities for rural areas, seeking space and cleaner living conditions. However, relocating presents challenges, such as sacrificing community, career opportunities, and essential infrastructures found in urban settings. Creatives like Ryan and Emma Todd transitioned from London to Somerset, establishing a creative space called Makers' Yard. Despite their successful careers, they faced unexpected difficulties from the lack of creative recruitment and resources they previously relied on in a city. Their journey reflects the complexities of moving away from a metropolitan lifestyle.
It was the accumulation of these smaller, more invisible gaps that felt the hardest to acclimate to.
We knew things were going to be a lot more difficult when we moved to Somerset. However, we thought we'd done a thorough job in weighing up the pros and cons before we moved - career compromises, cost of living, cultural trade-offs.
What caught us off guard were the less obvious provisions and hidden infrastructures we hadn't realised we relied on in London.
The realities are more complex, of course. Leaving behind the infrastructure of a major city means losing community, opportunities and many more benefits of centralised, long-established creative hubs.
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