In the last two years, we’ve seen daunting challenges to social and environmental justice, whether it’s outside the Supreme Court or inside the U.N., and in 2023 there will be no shortage of causes worthy to support. In the process, we’ve also been witnessto an inspiring masterclass in innovative, out-of-the-box problem-solving: from large-scale vaccination campaigns to online guerilla efforts by Gen Z to hold public officials accountable to their promises and mistakes.
This type of audacious creativity will be just as critical in navigating the new and familiar terrain to come in 2023. Whatever your path in communications, well-honed creative thinking can become the flashlight in your toolbox, helping you to think critically under strain, find solutions and provide the fresh perspective that sets us on the path to progress.
No matter what cause you’re looking to help solve or shine a light on, preserving mental health and confronting burnout, empowering diverse perspectives, and looking at the world through a critical, nuanced lens will be essential to catalyze change.
Mental Health and Protecting Time
The pandemic exacerbated an already fraying mental health situation, especially for younger generations, whose outlooks on the future, both personally and professionally were dramatically altered. As we spend more time tethered to our devices, we’re also met with a constant barrage of push notifications and alarming headlines. The nature of creative communications requires that we stay on top of our scroll, but that doesn’t mean we should be capsized by the deluge.
The best insights and the best creative comes when you’re inspired—or outraged—enough to consider and act upon innovative solutions and a wider picture. That perspective is hard to come by when you’re burnt out simply keeping up. So, it’s important to step away, whether through a dedicated block of time on the calendar or by reassessing boundaries between you and your scroll. Your work, and your team’s, will be better for it.
Diverse Perspectives
Creative solutions to complex problems don’t happen in a silo, and they definitely don’t happen in a room of people who all look or think alike. The challenges we face today, and those we’ll confront tomorrow, will span across borders, generations and industries. They’ll require diverse thought, input and perspective in order to authentically connect with audiences and impact change.
Rigid thought, and “the old way of doing things” will need to give way to bold new solutions and perhaps even uncomfortable conversations that will steer us away from the status quo. We need to recognize that movements are not moments or trends to be tapped but require long term commitment, substantive action and follow through.
News Literacy
We have more access to information than at any point in human history, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we understand more. A constant barrage of breaking news chyrons and trending Twitter threads have created a chasm between a depth of understanding and a breadth of knowledge. Separating signals from noise, thinking critically about purported “trends” and not getting caught up in groupthink is becoming an increasingly difficult, yet crucial skill needed to navigate today’s news cycle and produce breakthrough creative work.
As we look to the year ahead, 2023 will continue to challenge our technological and social limits, simultaneously straining resolve and necessitating collective action; the path toward an equitable and sustainable future certainly won’t be less winding than it is today. The future demands collaborative, diverse and empathetic approaches to institute change. Even if creativity isn’t always the means to that end, it is often the means of illuminating how to start.