Creative industries, like music and streaming, are being disrupted across the board. Rankin has seen this first-hand with photography, thanks to the rise of social media and smartphone cameras. “We’re competing with amateurs professionalising one TikTok at a time; a cultural land grab,” he said during the talk ‘Why a picture is worth a million pounds.’ “Five years of training costs a lot of money to learn what any five-year-old can do on a camera phone in five seconds. It can feel very reductive,” Rankin said. “But that doesn’t mean the power of photography has been diminished.” He argued that photography is more powerful than ever. Images are our new cultural currency and primary form of communication. “We live in a performative society and people are getting better at performing – at capturing and editing content.” So how can photographers stand out among the crowd? Rankin listed 15 hacks, including: do the opposite, simplicity sells, brands are people and shareability is key – to make (not take) great photos. “Great photographers make me feel and think something. That’s the holy grail of image making.” SUCCESS IS SQUIGGLY Another standout session was Helen Tupper on ‘How to create a squiggly career culture.’ Based loosely on Carol Dweck’s research on mindsets, a squiggly career takes a non-linear approach to success, treating failure as necessary and valuable. “There are know-it-alls, and learn-it-alls,” explained Tupper. Learn-it-alls have room for growth, whereas know-it-alls have nowhere to go. Squiggly career companies honour your values and strengths, work to build confidence and community, are not afraid to instigate tough conversations and encourage exploring possibilities. As part of the company she co-founded (Amazing
If), Tupper works with organisations like the BBC, Visa and Microsoft to support squiggly careers. A LASTING IMPRESSION Studioverse: The Festival of Limitless Creativity offered marketing executives, agency leaders, artists and journalists a chance to meet potential collaborators in the heart of a creative enclave. Pete Sayburn, Gideon Hyde and the Studiospace team made each attendee feel valued – a testament to their person-centric approach. After mingling, listening and learning, we came away feeling inspired and excited about what’s next for our digital world – and the people within it. SAYBURN, HYDE AND THE WHOLE STUDIOSPACE TEAM MADE EACH ATTENDEE FEEL VALUED
SAFE SPACE Pete Sayburn, Studiospace CEO and co-founder
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