November Reflections
At the end of each month, we share our favorite sources of inspiration and resources from the world of creativity and impact. Along with these, we reflect on the key takeaways that align with our vision: co-creating a more just, nature-connected, and regenerative future through communication, creativity, and storytelling.
November brought a wave of fresh perspectives—new releases, inspiring ideas, and some practical tools worth exploring.
Let’s dive in!
Bjork - The Nature Manifesto
“Icelandic singer and musician Björk takes over the iconic escalators at the Centre Pompidou with Nature Manifesto, an immersive sound installation.”
Created in collaboration with artist Aleph and the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (Ircam), this piece merges Björk’s voice with the calls of extinct and endangered animals. The work is a poignant call to action, raising awareness of the ongoing collapse of biodiversity.
Source: Bjork Youtube
Inspirational Takeaways:
Creative Advocacy for Nature: Björk’s use of her artistic voice demonstrates how creativity can be a powerful tool to advocate for biodiversity and environmental protection.
Leveraging Influence: By using her global platform, Björk draws attention to urgent environmental issues, showcasing the potential for artists to drive awareness and inspire action.
Artistic Activism: Björk is known to integrate purpose-driven narratives into her work, using music and art to inspire cultural shifts and promote environmental stewardship.
>> Read more in this article.
>> Watch the video on her instagram.
Novo Amor & Studio Birthplace - Earth Defender
Our friends from Studio Birthplace released a powerful piece at this year’s COP29.
This music film, created with artist Novo Amor, highlights the tragic reality that an Earth defender goes missing or is murdered every two days “while protecting Earth’s vanishing wilderness—our planet's vital support systems”. The project led to a campaign in collaboration with AMAN, one of Indonesia’s largest Indigenous Peoples' human rights organizations, calling for global support and policy change to ensure the safety of these protectors.
Source: Studio Birthplace
Inspirational Takeaways:
Purpose-driven Storytelling: Studio Birthplace and Novo Amor redefined the music video as a medium for purpose-driven storytelling. By amplifying the voices of Earth defenders and showcasing the deep connection between indigenous cultures and nature, they turned it into a powerful awareness campaign.
Amplifying Impact Through Platforms: By collaborating with an established musician's platform, this project shows how music can be a cultural tool that drives action and advocacy, reaching a wider audience with a meaningful message.
Authentic Co-Creation: Immersing themselves in the community, they prioritized listening and learning to ensure the narrative was accurate and respectful. This highlights how true storytelling begins with understanding and honoring the lived experiences of those represented.
>> Learn more about it and sign the petition on their website.
>> A must-watch! Check out their behind-the-scenes to see how they brought the story to life on their insta.
Sounds Right
Sounds Right is a global music initiative launched in April 2024 to officially recognize ‘NATURE’ as an artist. This groundbreaking project allows nature to generate royalties and funding from its own sounds, sparking conversations on the value of nature, raising funds for conservation, and inspiring millions to take action. So far, nearly 8 million people from over 180 countries have tuned into the sounds of nature.
The initiative is led by the Museum for the United Nations – UN Live, in close collaboration with musicians, creatives, nature sound recordists, and environmental advocacy organizations. Recently, they presented Sounds Right at COP16 in Cali, Columbia, the global biodiversity conference.
Source: www.akqa.com AKQA. License: All Rights Reserved.
Inspirational Takeaways:
Cultural Relevance: Sounds Right taps into the universal power of music to connect with audiences and spark meaningful conversations about the value of nature.
Redefining Ownership: In media and advertising, royalties and usage rights recognize creators, yet nature, a foundational inspiration and resource, has long been excluded. This initiative challenges that paradigm by recognizing nature as an artist and enabling it to generate royalties.
Shifting Perception: Representing nature as an artist reframes it as the ultimate creator, bringing its story into mainstream culture and deepening our appreciation for its role in our lives.
Emotional Connection: By immersing us in nature’s sounds, this initiative builds empathy and connection, inspiring action through the healing and storytelling power of music.
>> Learn more about the initiative on their website.
>> Read more about it from Museum for the UN and their linkedin.
>> See the highlights so far on their instagram.
Things to watch
This month, we stumbled upon two films that really resonate with our mission: using storytelling to bring nature and critical issues into the cultural spotlight. They showcase the power of representation and the importance of accessibility in mainstream media. Here's why we think they're worth a watch.
The Wild Robot
This animated film tells the story of Roz, a robot shipwrecked on a deserted island who must learn to navigate its new world. As Roz bonds with the island's animals, especially an orphaned gosling, Roz embarks on a heartfelt journey of love and acceptance.
Source: The Wild Robot Images/Universal Pictures Intern. Germany GmbH
Inspirational Takeaway:
The Wild Robot is an imaginative and visually stunning film that goes beyond its themes of love and parenthood. By centering nature and animals in its story, it shows how mainstream media can celebrate nature through storytelling and fostering deeper emotional connections with the natural world that inspire us to care more deeply for it.
>> Watch the trailer.
Buy Now
This eye-opening documentary digs into the manipulative tactics used by brands to drive consumption and the profound impact this has on both our lives and the planet.
Source: Netflix
Inspirational Takeaway:
The documentary offers a tough but necessary look at our consumption-driven economy. Its standout message is the moral courage of insiders who left their roles in the face of ethical dilemmas. By leveraging Netflix’s mass platform, it reaches a broad audience, making its message both accessible and impactful. By raising awareness in an accessible and compelling way, Buy Now hopefully sparks critical conversations about our consumer habits and their consequences.
>> Watch the trailer.
Useful Resources to check out
And here are 3 useful resources to dig into.
Advertised Emissions by Purpose Disruptors
Purpose Disruptors, a leader in driving climate action within the ad industry, has created a powerful framework to help the sector take responsibility for its climate impact. It shows how agencies can move from promoting high-carbon brands to supporting low-carbon alternatives, driving a shift toward a more sustainable future. A case study with M&C Saatchi and OLIVER brings these principles to life, showcasing how they’re being put into practice.
Source: Purpose Disruptor
>> Read More and Download the Report HERE.
Creating Viral Content with Nick Oldridge - Communicating Climate Change Podcast
This episode features Nick Oldridge, founder of Climate Science Breakthrough, a project turning complex climate data into emotional, shareable, and actionable content. It's another great listen from one of our favorite podcasts!
Source: Communication Climate Change
>> Listen to episode on Spotify
Greenwash Watch Training
Climate communication can be challenging, requiring skills that aren’t always widely taught. The Creatives for Climate Community is offering this training to help you spot greenwashing and develop sustainability strategies that are both credible and impactful.
Source: Creatives for Climate
>> Learn more about it HERE.
That’s it for this month’s reflection on Inspiration, Resources and Insights for Creatives using communication, creativity and storytelling to drive positive change.
Thanks for reading!
🐋 Yanyie, RAN Collectives
