Every creative knows that inspiration can come from anywhere – but why leave it to chance? This year we’ll be making a concerted effort to look up from our screens, get out of the studio, and break our routines – and we’ll be going out of our way to encounter new kinds of creativity.

We’re starting with a team trip to the Immersive Vincent Goch Experience. After that, anything goes. Exhibitions, events, performances, tours and talks – from the biggest blockbusters to the obscurest happenings, we’re saying ‘yes’ to everything.

We wrote here about thinking quick, working fast, and embracing our creative instincts. That’s something we want to carry into the new year.

It doesn’t mean we’ll be completing every project at double-speed, or cutting any corners – it does mean we’ll be taking note of our first thoughts and taking our gut response seriously.

Of course, sometimes good ideas need to simmer and stew. Sometimes, the creative breakthrough only happens when you’re on the brink of giving up. And sometimes, it’s the rounds of refinement that make work, work – the craft that really counts.

But the opposite can also be true: sometimes, the first thing you think of is the answer – and when that happens, we’ll be ready to run with it.

It’s scary out there. From the cost of living to the rise of AI, from the war in Ukraine to the climate crisis, from soaring inflation to social stagnation, there’s a lot to worry about and uncertainty everywhere. It can feel like there’s a general sense of anxiety in the air, and a reason to be uncheerful on every front page.

Against that backdrop, playing it safe can seem appealing. There’s reassurance in recognition, and comfort in the familiar. But we think desperate times call for daring ideas – ‘everyday’ doesn’t cut it, when every day is unprecedented.

As we head into the unknown this new year, we’re committing to extreme creativity – bolder thinking, braver delivery. And against all the odds, we’re feeling just a little bit optimistic.