2020 was one of the best years of my life.

I know that this is not a very common opinion.

The pandemic helped me face myself, reevaluate and reexamine what is essential for me in this lifetime. It opened up creative opportunities and ways I wasn’t aware of existing. It gave me a broader perspective on life. It also made me realize the level of privilege I enjoy in my life.

It reinforced that I don’t need to seek the motivation to be creative. Motivation seems to be very overrated. Instead of motivation, I choose consistency, focus, and the inner urgency and connection to express myself creatively. I feel like I achieved the next level of cognitive and manual creativity during the pandemic, the latter being just my hobby. My creative cognitive skills allowed me to come up with ideas and solutions for many life and business challenges, and I will be forever grateful for that.

I am deeply aware of the privilege I have been enjoying, and I know that many people in my creative community and globally suffered under pressure and restrictions and had to give up on their creative endeavors due to them.

The pandemic has deeply affected the creative, cultural, and travel industries. And before we start thinking about returning to the business as usual let us consider the following.

Firstly, we must realize that the pandemic didn’t kill creativity and the creative industry. It exposed us to an already broken system and its inequalities. The creative industry is not alone here. It sadly applies to all sectors.

Secondly, there is no return to normal. I don’t see any way that we as individuals, communities, and global society can allow ourselves to repeat the same mistakes. It is essential to rethink our ways of thinking about the challenges we face and the ways we have been tackling them so far.

Thirdly, I call for a systemic change that starts with personal transformation. We can’t sustainably change any system or improve any industry when we are sick, stuck, overwhelmed, etc. You name it.

Accepting this reality and taking steps to heal ourselves individually will contribute to a more equal and sustainable world.

And lastly, we need to work together. Our job is to find ways to create radical collaborations between industries and make sure that all of them are treated equally. Our job is also to think more holistically about how we are creating a system that ensures all involved aspects: people, prosperity, planet, partnership, and peace are getting equal attention and contribution.

Sounds utopistic and unrealistic? What would be your ideas?