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Can creativity change the world?

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How can creatives change the world? We are just about coming out of a society-shattering pandemic, one that brought a cataclysmic series of changes into our daily habits. With the gap between consumers and brands now shrinking by the day, the creative industry has wholly realised the potential of brand purpose and what it means to embrace concepts like community, diversity, inclusion, empathy, authenticity and transparency.

Still we see some of the world’s greatest polluters going ahead with little question, some pretending to change their ways whilst simultaneously working to fill their own pockets with some green-laundered money. Activists all around the world have been attempting to fight this for decades, and only now we all seem to be growing more aware of the issue and where it stands. The creative industry has a huge part in this.

As the industry tasked with helping its clients sell more stuff, Adland has more responsibility than it will ever admit. Brands make what we consume; what we consume makes what we believe. If authenticity, humanity and social good values were embedded into every single piece of creative out there, the world would already be a much better place. Or at least we can hope that way.

As a chronic introvert, I am a strong advocate of the mind-opening power of creativity. Being creative or having a creative hobby can change not only the world, but the human race with it. The reasons are plenty and way more than a single article on a Friday could ever discuss, but we can at least dip our toes into it. What makes creativity so special? And can we, as creatives, ever hope to change the world with our craft?

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Image credit: Juice

Creativity is… Playful

Life is serious as it is. Creativity is what makes it fun. Indulging in one’s hobbies or personal projects, embarking on a journey of self-improvement and self-development – all of this makes creativity incredibly healthy for the mind, and a pleasure for the senses.

Have you ever looked back at one of your very first creative projects from where you were back at uni? Perhaps one of your first ever drawings? Looking back, it’s always incredibly encouraging to realise how far we’ve come and imagine where we’ll go next. Creativity gives us the power to push forward and be more positive about ourselves. We all know the myth of the entitled and cocky designers, but with all the people I’ve met here at Creativepool, I’m yet to find a leader who fits that archetype.

Though it may sometimes bring us down with self-doubt and a healthy dose of impostor syndrome, creativity is an incredible anti-depressant. It is cathartic. It is addictive. It traps you in a spiral of positive thinking that can only ever create good people. And who better than good people has the power to change the world for the better?

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Image credit: Juliana Paracencio

Creativity is… Progressive

Because creativity is such a huge and constant learning process, it has the potential to expand one’s mind and lead to progressive ideas. We are always looking forward, onward, to what’s next. We are always looking for the next big thing. We want to share our success with others and leave the worst of the past behind.

In the digital age, it is so easy to screw things up, but very few agencies in this industry make something that is actually harmful for us all. With the huge shift in consumer habits and this newfound interest in brand purpose, consumers want to connect with brands and we work at the intersection to ensure that happens. Our creative ideas can shape a better future for us all, and for some reason, being exposed to these ideas makes us stronger advocates for climate, community, inclusion, diversity and more.

If there is a clear link between progressive thinking, community and creativity I do not know – and perhaps it is something worth exploring in another piece. What I do know is that this industry is filled with amazing people, with groundbreaking ideas and arresting campaigns that squeeze our heart in two hands. The more time we spend creating with other people, the more positive and connected we become. That is the true power of being creative.

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Image credit: Gary Brosnan

Creativity is… Useful

Being creative means rearranging existing elements to create something new. Whether it be to fulfil a need, fill a gap in our life or give us a boost in brain activity, creativity solves problems. Because Adland is pretty much founded on solving problems, creativity becomes one of the most useful tools the world has at its disposal.

Innovative and sustainable packaging techniques, initiatives to promote inclusion and diversity or something else entirely – creativity is useful. It is the fuel for innovation, the food for groundbreaking ideas and what propels this world forward. By brandishing creativity, Adland has the power to influence future generations in ways we could never imagine. Who knows what the meat industry will look like in 10 years? Will there even be a meat industry, or will innovative plant-based solutions replace it entirely? Will sustainable farming become the only possible standard? We can’t know for sure now. But what we can anticipate is that creativity will be at the core of it all.

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Stephen Berry recreates iconic film scenes with toys and publishes short stories alongside his photography. Make sure to connect with him!

Creativity is… Stories

I may be one of those few people in this world who still think that literature can change the future. As a writer I love to indulge in the thought that my stories may make a difference someday, and that all the words I’ve ever put onto (virtual) paper will someday matter to someone, somewhere.

We humans live for stories. We spend most of our lives looking for new ones to tell or hear, we crave conflict and resolutions, we want to know about other humans (or creatures) who triumph over struggles. Creativity gives us the power to imagine those things as we both create and consume it. Creativity gives us the stories that we want to live, the conflicts that we want to solve, the challenges we want to defeat.

Through hardship, we always find creative solutions to push forward. This past year has proven that much. Rather than coming to a halt altogether, society moved to remote working and new ways to let the economy flourish have boomed. Through stories, the world has lived to see another year. All we needed were simple ideas, communicated clearly and with creative flavour, to have us stay indoors or wear facemasks on the streets (well, some of us at least).

Stories help us build a better world. Creativity helps us build a better world. And we, as creatives, have the power to influence all that. We have the power to change the future with our stories, designs, ideas and concepts. We have the power to help a mother get through the loss of her child, to give James the strength to embrace his new name, to bring forth positive change and thinking at a time when the world needs it the most.

We don’t need walls built at a border to separate different cultures. We need hammer and chisel to bring those walls down.


Header image: Richard Wadey
 

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