7 percent of respondents have a very positive outlook on creativity and the creative industry for 2021, with 41 percent feeling that it is set to be “quite a good year”. 37 percent of respondents said they felt 2021 would be an average year, with the rest feeling quite pessimistic.

LIONS STATE OF CREATIVITY SURVEY, 2021

The creative industry thrives on adaptation and disruption. It’s what keeps it fresh, evolving and fit for purpose. But perhaps 2020 threw one curveball too many. We weren’t surprised to see many of you lament a dearth of creative inspiration and ideas, or the lack of appetite for creative bravery. Feelings of stagnation, a lack of collaboration and problems motivating remote workforces rang out loud and clear in your responses - the virtual world over. Staying inspired, finding new creative stimuli and getting to better ideas quicker were cited often and by many: across brands, agencies and media owners, with respondents mentioning mental health and burnout as important topics. But we also saw hints of optimism: it seems the ever-curious Swiss-army knife creative is still looking to build capabilities, whether across the enterprise or at an individual level. We’ll look at the big picture of how creative teams can thrive in a more virtual environment. We’ll assess the best economic models for shipping creative services. And we’ll be asking whether project-based work will overtake retainers. This theme will look at how we can transform for the future: how we can create sustainable business models, what we can learn from start-ups and how to lead diverse, inclusive teams that will thrive in the post-pandemic world.