Why tension, contradiction and speed are shaping the most compelling ideas today
Creativity is being redefined – and it's more valuable than ever.
The most compelling ideas live in contrast: fast vs. slow, AI vs. human, nostalgia vs. futurism.
The best work will come from brands that embrace contradiction – and build from it.
Creative trends aren’t just fun to track – they’re revealing. They show us what people care about, what’s resonating, and where culture might be stuck. They’re like a mood ring for the collective mindset. Or maybe more like the stock market: volatile, emotional, and shaped by the world around us.
But trends don’t move like they used to. They move with the speed of your feed – blink and they’re already gone. That speed, combined with a culture full of contradiction and uncertainty, has created a really interesting moment.
A creative crossroads. One where nothing feels fixed – and everything feels possible. And for brands trying to break through? That’s both the challenge and the opportunity.
So what’s actually going on here?
Before diving into trends, let’s zoom out and talk about something bigger: creativity itself.
I know – starting with a definition is very Grade 6 speech. But it matters. Because right now, creativity is being stretched, questioned, and redefined.
AI can write headlines. Budgets are tighter. Expectations are higher. Platforms shift daily. And yet – brands are still expected to be original. To stand out. To do more with less.
In a moment where everything feels up for grabs, it helps to pause and ask: What are we really talking about when we talk about creativity?
If you ask the dictionaries:
Oxford: “the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness”
Merriam-Webster: “the ability to create; the quality of being creative”
Cambridge: “the ability to produce original and unusual ideas, or to make something new or imaginative”
They’re not wrong. But they don’t exactly light a spark.
What if creativity isn’t a skill—but a way of noticing?
Some of the most inventive minds in history saw creativity not as talent, but as a mindset. A way of connecting dots.
Steve Jobs once said: “Creativity is just connecting things.” He didn’t mean inventing brilliance out of thin air. He meant making unexpected links – like drawing from a college calligraphy class to revolutionize the look and feel of the Macintosh.
There was no business case. No data. Just instinct – and a link between design and tech that no one else saw.
Einstein described it as “combinatory play.” He believed new ideas come from mixing unrelated things in intuitive, often unconscious ways. His best ideas didn’t show up at a chalkboard – they showed up when he was playing violin.
Everyone has their version of this. For some, it’s a run. For others, the shower. Or that split second before falling asleep.
The point? Creativity doesn’t strike from nowhere. It comes from everything – if you’re paying attention.
Creativity is a process – one that anyone can tap into
You don’t need to be an art director to be creative.
Maybe you’re a data analyst who builds brilliant visualizations in Excel. Maybe you work in strategy, or UX, or client service. If you’re connecting dots, spotting patterns, telling stories – guess what? You’re in the business of creativity.
It’s not about inventing from scratch. It’s about seeing what’s already there and thinking differently.
That mindset is more than nice to have. It’s a business imperative.
According to Dentsu, 80 per cent of global leaders agree that creativity drives both innovation and growth.
The World Economic Forum says creative skills will be essential to 70 per cent of businesses by 2027.
Creative industries globally are growing twice as fast as traditional ones.
Put simply: The more fluent we are in creativity, the better positioned we are to lead.
Coming up next: This series will explore five creative tensions that are shaping 2025. These aren’t just aesthetic shifts—they’re deeper cultural signals. Each trend lives in a tension: AI vs. human craft. Motion vs. stillness. Short vs. long. Chaos vs. calm. Nostalgia vs. futurism. And the best creative work? It lives right where those tensions collide.
Katherine Scarrow is the manager of creative strategy for Globe Content Studio at The Globe and Mail in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.