“They’ll be bored of the slop soon enough” – Writing for Design Jury President Holly Kielty

When asked the question, “Is creativity alive?”, my initial reaction was one of irritation. “Why is that even a question? Of course it is!” I ranted. But I was being defensive; my response came from a place of fear, and perhaps the question stemmed from that place, too. We’re all nervous. The planet is on fire, we’re in the middle of a global identity crisis, and society is increasingly divided. Oh, and there’s that small issue of AI. Clients talk to me about using AI in the same tone I use when confessing to the dentist that I don’t floss – guilt-ridden. We’re all unsettled, and this anxiety is the antidote to real creativity. You can’t think freely when you’re rattled. So perhaps the answer is yes: creativity is alive, but it's scared. It’s fear we need to overcome if creativity is to thrive.

Algorithms and AI’s regurgitation of existing ideas to ‘create’ on demand has led to a noticeable creative homogeny. The financial powers that be now have the data-led proof to tell them what works: bland brands with samey stories, playlist-friendly melodies in music, sequels and franchises in cinema, and AI-produced copy with a monotonous, off-the-shelf optimism that bypasses the verbal inventiveness that makes a brand memorable. I worry that as many consumers seek comfort in social media’s addictive drip feed of dopamine and self-actualisation, they will reject the disruption or challenges that real creativity can present. It’s a vicious and ultimately boring cycle.

But that’s not to say creativity isn’t out there. While AI is a tool, creativity is a propensity. It’s in the graffitied England flags on mini roundabouts transformed into Battenburg cakes, in Netflix’s groundbreaking Adolescence, the searing lyrics of Lily Allen’s West End Girl, Tilt Beauty’s inclusive packaging design, Uncommon’s latest British Airways campaign, and the thoughtful hospitality of Eleven Madison Park. It’s present in the real, the reactionary. It’s in our instinct to converse, protect, and provoke, rather than replicate or tick boxes.

‍Creativity is alive where fear is pushed to one side. And while AI has unnerving aspects, I hope it’ll drive us all to be more fearless, audacious, and weird. If we see AI as another instrument, rather than a threat, it could give us more of a beginner’s mindset. Because now is the time to show what we humans can do. We’re competing with instant gratification, slickness and comfortable echo chambers. Let’s not play them at their own game. We can celebrate the imperfections and frayed edges that prove we’re not bots. We can be proud to put our fingerprints on our work, bring ourselves to this strange new toolkit on offer, and use it as an additional means of expression rather than a default setting. There may even be a renaissance of the hand-crafted and the printed – the stuff people can touch and feel. While AI is busy with its slop, we can create in a more physical, emotionally driven and intentional way – and we must, if we’re to show the value of human artistry and give the consumer the real creativity they will crave. Because they’ll be bored of the slop soon enough.

True creativity is about input. AI only has a limited range of inputs to draw on. So as artists we need to deepen and extend our process of absorption and transmission. Investigate consumer behaviours more avidly; be out there, take our headphones off, get under people’s skin. Physically interact with communities, widen our scope and recalibrate our tastes. We’ll need to look to the margins to find the subcultures, undercurrents and codes that aren’t in a client’s eyeline. We must bring our whole selves, with our treasury of experiences, to every project. It helps to approach uncertainty with a sense of wonder and potential – that way we don’t just mimic trends, we expand ideas. If we remove our own fears and express ourselves with more abandon, we’ll delight nervous consumers with inspired intimacy and visceral magic. The kind of magic that wins hearts, not just dopamine receptors.

Bringing more of our human selves to our creative work will of course mean looking inwards as well as outwards. It’s there that a wealth of material can be found. AI has made me feel more self-conscious when writing; I’m hyper-aware of mediocre adjectives and lengthy sentences. I think more about the space between words and the energetic frequency of what I’m putting out there. I try to capture the intimacy that AI flattens, and help brands own more unusual vernaculars and styles. I’m harder on myself, but that’s a good thing. I’ve had to look deeply at my behaviours, identifying the barriers and habits that undermine my creativity. When I work strategically with agencies, creatives and brands on their identities, I force them to be more inward-looking than perhaps they’re used to with consultants, because I want to locate the spiritual essence of them, not just the default, ego-driven stuff. We need to do the deep work if we’re to do the great work.

If creativity is to regain its confidence, we need to transfer our focus from fear to excitement, and see creativity as an instinctive behaviour, not just a result. We need to devote ourselves to the practice of curiosity and curation. It’s in habits that progress is made. Creativity is our spiritual birthright, not just a career choice, so we should put creativity into practice across every aspect of our lives. Only then can we reclaim its power and harness it in ways AI cannot replicate. We are the original alchemists, unfiltered and untamed – we have the skill, vision and taste to bring originality and life to these new tools. In answer to the original question; yes, creativity is alive, because we are alive. It just needs to be lived.