Oh hello darling and welcome back to Reflection month. All month long I will delve into the topics that focus on the year we have had, and ways in which we can move forwards to a brighter outlook on our future. Today I want to shed some light on some of the ways 2020 has changed us for the better.
I am not denying that 2020 has been a shit show because it has! A global pandemic has changed this year irrevocably, cheers Covid! Yet, if you dig a bit deeper under the surface of 2020 there are some positives that we can all take, and moving into 2021 will help more and more people.
1. Mental Health has seen a shift in image
I work across a broad spectrum of content, and one of the consistent themes over the last years is changing the perception of Mental Health. Even at the beginning of the year, I would say people were not taking the effects of Mental Health seriously.
Lockdown and the isolation of nations have shifted so much of this thinking. Those that have never suffered have finally seen a life where things aren’t always okay, and this tipped the scales in the favour of positive representation of Mental Health.
Thus 2020 might just have seen the biggest shift in the perception of the severity of Mental Health. From my angle, brands and organisations have been far more willing to work on projects that focus on mental health. It is crazy that it took a global pandemic to do this, but I think we can claim this as a silver lining that was an unexpected outcome of 2020.
2. The Rise of Remote Working
Long before a global pandemic took hold of the world, people have been working from home. Yet when it comes to the creative industries London has always been the place to be. I have missed out on so many opportunities due to locational limitations. What is so frustrating for creatives like me, is that my work isn’t any less valid because I live in the middle of nowhere, and somehow that has been a hurdle for my career up until now.
The national lockdown has shifted many brand's willingness to work with creatives outside of the M25. It has been such a breath of fresh air to see creatives from all over working on projects that have before just been the property of prime location creatives. This is something I want to see remain when life is eventually restored in some way.
3. Content Creation has an impact
2020 was the year that we suddenly had so much of what is wonderful about being human, taken away from us. We were unable to see family, friends, travel, and enrich our lives with delightful morsels of culture. Thus the world around us shrunk, and we were forced to look elsewhere for nourishment.
Content creation has for so long been seen in a less than favourable light, and never really taken very seriously. This year the tables have turned, and now content creation is finally getting the vindication it truly deserves and it is having a massive impact. No longer is the phrase ‘content creator’ smirk worthy, 2020 has shown the world just how important content creation really is.
That was just three things that have been altered for the better in 2020, and I am sure there has been a great deal more! Dark experiences are hard and can leave us changed, but still, there is always a way to take a positive from them. The light will always shine through the clouds if we look for it.
Join me next week when Reflection month concludes, where we will look at how we move on from the mess that was 2020.
Shot by Rachel Pechey
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