SXSW 2025: The revival of creativity as a possible solution to today’s challenges

By Maira Genovese, Founder & CEO

Futurist Mike Bechtel took the stage at SXSW 2025 with a bold proposal: in today’s world, specialisation is overrated. According to him, the future of innovation doesn’t lie in hyper-focused experts but in the ability to bridge disciplines and expand one’s repertoire – less depth, more breadth. Bechtel argues that specialisation creates best practices, but what he calls “cross-pollination” – the cross-contamination of knowledge – is the real source of new practices. Having a broader base fosters versatility, which is one of the keys to solving emerging challenges.

Throughout this edition of the festival, a paradox surfaced repeatedly: the search for quick answers to complex questions often leads us to develop technologies to solve the very problems that technology has created. While Bechtel presented multidisciplinarity as a potential solution, I couldn’t help but wonder: in an era dominated by superficial and instant consumption of content on every possible subject, could a deeper approach be the answer instead?

Easy access to information contributes to knowledge expansion and nurtures a positive perspective on multidisciplinarity – encouraging the curiosity that is fundamental to learning. Yet, in another paradox, the overwhelming excess of information and entertainment has negatively impacted our creative capacity – and, consequently, human relationships. It is already clear that we are caught in a self-perpetuating cycle: social media, initially designed to foster connection, has instead pushed us toward isolation, making us turn back to these platforms in search of connection and meaning.

From the loneliness epidemic to “newstalgia”

This loneliness epidemic is a central topic of discussion in Austin. It coexists with what futurist Amy Webb defines as FOMA (Fear of Missing Anything) – the anxiety of being left out. Isolation fuels a relentless pressure to keep up with everything, creating an equation that involves multiple players: consumers, content creators, influencers, and, of course, brands.

These contrasts shape consumer behaviour and directly impact marketing strategies. In a world oversaturated – including with branded content – it’s no surprise that people are seeking comfort in elements of the past, but reinterpreted in ways that resonate with the present. The rise of “newstalgia” – reinvented nostalgia – reflects this exhaustion while also signaling dissatisfaction with the intensity of the current landscape.

As a sign of the times, “newstalgia” is becoming an integral part of brand communication, particularly as a means to connect with Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences. For these generations, the movement offers a potential escape from the anxieties of the modern world, enabling connection with experiences they never lived, sparking new emotions, and opening creative spaces. The exhaustion is so profound that it has materialised into a longing for “memories never lived” – a powerful hook for companies looking to rethink connection and community-building strategies.

This complex web of paradoxes creates a hazardous environment for social well-being. As we look toward the future while flirting with the past, we are reshaping lifestyles and our sense of belonging. Our brains have already adapted to high doses of dopamine that real life doesn’t always provide – shaping an increasingly antisocial society, almost dystopian in nature.

And if fiction often holds hidden truths, should we refocus on creativity? In one of the festival’s sessions, University of California professor Cassandra Vieten reminded us that imagination is the bridge between complexity and creativity – an ability to explore new possibilities that is fading in the scrolling era. Between broad learning, which makes us more culturally competent, and specialisation, which allows us to analyse phenomena at different scales, the revival of creativity as a platform for navigating the unknown seems to be, indeed, another possible solution – though not an easy one.

Are you interested in understanding how the key insights from SXSW 2025 can impact your brand?

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**Article originally published at Meio & Mensagem.