Messy Bun: Detangling creativity in a zoom-first world

Written by? Carolin Harris , Group Creative Director at Kettle

My daughter looked at my hair — observing my messy bun: MOM. Your bun… It’s a little… Tangled. Frizzy. Frazzled.

I have worked as a creative since… forever. Tying “it” together, like keeping my head of hair together, is part of the job — and the part that makes it magical. I do research, stay close to trends, understand the socials, brainstorm, and identify good ideas as well as bad ones. Getting inspired, sharing inspiration, learning, learning more, and realizing we know nothing is what I do. I have to live creatively. I’m ready to fail, but more than that, I stay open to success. Growing thoughts, growing colors, growing campaigns, and — most importantly —?growing people is how I stay tapped-in and creative.

These past few years though, the work has become like my bun.?

A little messy.

We get briefed on screens, dive into brainstorms on screens, share screens, design and write on screens, scroll together, and collaborate, apart. This has ruled our creative world. And so we are left to pull it all together, wildly gesture, on screens. Connecting has, at times, become more frazzled. And I have found it more challenging to reach other hearts.

Detangler pls.

It’s time to pull it all apart. This birdsnest of intertwined technologies and social platforms, notifications, and aspirational programming do not bring (me) IRL joy. The rise of AI, deepfakes, and artificial assistants that record meetings are all contrary to (my) IRL joy. I recently read a ton of articles about unplugging as an act of rebellion. I was, and remain, curious about how I — as a creative — can unplug, detangle, and supercharge to make smart, impactful work that is literally digital.?

Laying on hot rocks within the hot springs by a volcanic lake shore a few weekends ago, as? frazzled slowly melted and gave way to free, and tangled mind chatter dissolved into the earth, I found clarity. The peaceful escape to real life, albeit a temporary one, recharged me so that I could forge connections strong enough to pull through screens. I am part of the rebellion.

The hugs and plants and sun rays. The meows and berrypicking-stained hands. The dumb jokes and long or short runs and in-real-life life is here, for all of us, always. And it brings inspiration, supercharging creativity, on screen and off. That’s if we choose to look up.

Don’t get stuck staring at my messy bun though ;)