I just got back from time in Goolwa with my family. My family (minus Miss 20 in Japan for Uni), my brother’s family, mum and her partner, and dogs, all in the same house. We’ve been coming together like this for the past 15 years since my father died, which now seems like a lifetime ago. The forced togetherness is nice, and even though we all have different values and interests, it’s nice to share the time.

Such beach trips allow much time for walking, and cycling, for talking and thinking. We all live busy lives, so pausing is nice.

I needed to drive up separately, which I also quite like. Time to listen to music, a podcast or audio-book. During the couple trips up and back I managed to finish the book Faith, Hope and Carnage, a 2022 memoir and dialogue between Nick Cave and journalist Seán O’Hagan based on 40 hours of interviews conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The audio-book was read by Cave and O’Hagan, so was somewhat of a conversation (as much as rereading can have).

What I loved about the book was the ephemeral recorded phone conversations conducted during the pandemic lockdowns, which allowed for the conversation to flow in unexpected directions. Life, art and creativity often works best without excessive scaffolding and even careful planning. It was a nice reminder of the chaos of Covid, and how it made us reflect on our core values in life (and business).

Back in 2020 we did a great deal of in-house research exploring the reflections on such a crazy time across age groups. Kids missing school, their friends and family, young adults missing seeing friends in real life, less time commuting, more time on much of what matters. More >

One aspect Nick Cave explored in Faith, Hope and Carnage was the power of creativity, with Cave emphasising how creativity serves as both an escape and a means of processing difficult emotions. His art is not just a form of expression but a way to find meaning through music, writing, and collaboration. The process of creation, many artistic projects at a time, is the point of creativity. A creative outcome comes from putting in the work and seeing where it takes you.

Another aspect explored by Cave is his profound insights on grief, with Cave losing his son, Arthur in 2015. The processes of grief and finding meaning in life through art, community and spirituality.

It takes time, to reconcile such difficult emotions Cave reflected.

Creativity has been a core area of my research over the past 15 years or so, working with artists across music, film, visual and other other forms. Many interviews over time with emerging and established artists, with a common theme of the importance of diligence and talent, adversity and passion to create art, often with limited resources. Often the best creativity come from hard times.

Our research since 2020 has also explored the shifts in mindsets and behaviours since the pandemic. Interestingly, while many have suffered in different ways over the past almost five years, there were many positives from the lock downs and chaos, including time to reflect on getting the balance of life right, and how we miss loved ones when we do not get to spend time with them.

It has been a time of pivoting and re-imaging. 2024 seems to be the year, on top of the past four, forcing change to survive and moving forward to thrive. The world has changed. Taking a global perspective is critical, identifying trends and creatively solving problems.

And what is important to note, is that such change has shifted our individual and collective thinking, and the new cultural narrative and behaviours provide new opportunities to innovate. 2024 seems like a year to reflect on who we are, our evolving narrative and the future.

Have a good Friday and weekend,

Jason