Creativity is Our Job
Words Nadine Thiedeke | Strategy Manager
Posted 27/05/2024
5-minute read
I’m going to share my thoughts here without my friend, Chaptgpt. What has become a useful tool for shifting cognitive load, allowing focused energy, is also a tool that threatens the future of creatives. While we can stand for conscious parameters, history tells a story that ‘you can’t fight progress’. So, how can we learn to live with increased AI, and what role do humans play in a digital world?
“Paper. Where every creative journey begins.”
Recently, I attended GF Smith’s Colorplan event. Their rebrand told an inspirational story of how a simple format can be the seed of something much bigger—that the best ideas can start with a small piece of paper. It showed that a physical asset could cut through the digital spaces we haunt, to provide a moment of reprieve and delight. Imagine receiving a bright, coloured envelope—personally addressed—over yet another eDM in your inbox. I walked away, thinking about the tactile experiences we could create for people—that digital overload carves space for us to claim physical connection.
Curation & authenticity
You might have voted in our Studio Payne T-shirt design poll. As a strategist and writer, these tasks are tricky—I still remember the meltdown I had when I first tried to open Adobe Illustrator. So, I tore a page out of a notepad and scrawled something in the spirit of participation.
For our internal review, I was surprised to see two votes on this little scrap of paper. With the help of Khoi and Bailey, this design went to public vote—resulting in more unexpected popularity. What I took from this is that right now AI is making things too perfect—polished into coldness. So something which is…what I will call a ‘Tsh!t’…resonated with people as human (and maybe a more accurate reflection of the state of the world).
Paper levels the playing field in the same way we are seeing software open doors. You no longer need years of design training to create in Canva, and you can realise conceptual ideas using Midjourney. While these are tools for expression and communication, there is no replacement for the passing down of knowledge and a talented eye.
Why is Fatboy Slim DJing at my chip shop?
On the corner of Inkerman and Barkly Street in St Kilda, you commonly see a line of people waiting for a taste of Northern Soul Chip Shop. While I expect the greasy delights of British and Irish food, I did not expect a pop-up show from the legend, Fatboy Slim. A store, too small to contain the takeaway patrons, became an exclusive event and sideshow. This is part of a larger trend of pop-ups in unexpected places like laundromats and barber shops—of luxury brands opening restaurants and cafes—and campaigns like The Ordinary selling eggs. Brands are working hard to connect ‘IRL’ and create memorable experiences beyond the realms of 9:16.
The human role
While AI is becoming increasingly powerful, we should be mindful and deliberate in how we apply it. But I sense we all know it’s a matter of time before the world as we know it is completely transformed. So, when technology comes for us, what is our silver lining?
At one point or another, we were likely told that a job in the creative field would be impossible—but we did it anyway. Because creativity isn’t simply art or words, it’s the ability to think differently. We are problem solvers who understand human experience. While some of us must pivot, the spirit of who we are should drive us towards a new tomorrow. The noise of the digital world will only enhance the need for real connection—and creative people, as they have always done, will shepherd culture and survive.
As individuals, it’s up to all of us to choose real—to use technology to support our experience without letting it define it. Because for now, we are the decision makers.
When Studio Payne works with brands, we consider the full spectrum of experience. Beyond creating a brand is how to live it, and crafting experiences that reside and resound. If you’re as inspired by the opportunities of tomorrow as we are, let’s shape something together.
