Consumers have never craved culture more. Deprived of restaurants, nightlife, museums, concerts, lectures, even education, we’re seeing an outpouring of creativity from a cultural landscape on pause. Musicians across the world are playing from their balconies or homes, artists are drawing and painting from their rooftops, and celebrities like Ariana Grande are bribing their followings to stay indoors in exchange for new music. 2,500 museums can now be visited online as the spring exhibitions continue, we can stream opera concerts nightly, and Spotify has created endless COVID-19 “party” playlists. We see DJs like DJ Nice hosting events like “Club Quarantine,” while apps like Houseparty and TikTok bring friends together creating virtual nightlife.

Embracing the aesthetics of the time, creatives are leaning in to the chaos, adopting the aesthetics of fluidity, utilizing techniques like splicing, assemblage, and manipulation. Bold voices will come from new platforms as the cultural hierarchy is leveled. Going forward it will be easier for new artists to break through, new voices to be heard, and for brands and companies it’s key to light on these emerging voices for inspiration, hope, and bold newness. The voices of the new decade will come from previously unknown artists and creatives.

It’s important to consider how much of culture will continue be virtual, however, as this could be the moment when creative culture becomes more virtual and assessable. Looking to the future of fashion, many designers are rightly rethinking the notion of fashion week, opting for digital runway shows for the remainder of the year. At home concerts like John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s “Together At Home” IGTV livestream could easily become commonplace. New film releases might drop directly into people’s homes in an exciting expansion of d2c connectivity.

While we expect much of creative culture to resume with vigor and enthusiasm in the coming months, there will be a shift toward remote viewing and accessible subscriptions. Brands must be ready to amplify these creative new solutions.