Reflecting on 2024, I worked on more than 80 photoshoots—each one a chance to explore unique concepts, push creative boundaries, and embrace the occasional chaos. While the work itself stayed grounded in creative goals, staying connected to society’s trends and questions revealed a whole different layer of storytelling. Let’s face it: this year was a parade of moments that made us laugh, cringe, and occasionally pause to wonder, ‘How did we get here?’
Whether through my own work or simply observing the culture at large, it became clear that creativity and connection were playing out in strange new ways. Nowhere was this more evident than on social media—our collective stage for both the absurd and the aspirational. Overly sexualized trends made us cringe but kept us oddly intrigued. Course gurus promised overnight wealth, offering surface-level advice that left most people with more questions than answers. At the same time, self-proclaimed relationship ‘experts’ gave questionable advice—often while clearly working through their own heartbreak in real-time. TikTok trends moved faster than ever, shifting from dance challenges to ‘soft launches’ of trauma before you could refresh your feed.
We also saw a surge in what can only be described as ‘nothing content’—videos so focused on the mundane, that they became oddly popular. Creators filmed themselves folding towels, wandering around Target, eating in silence, or simply staring at the camera while their audience tuned in, perhaps seeking a brief escape or a sense of shared monotony. Was it meaningless, or did it speak to a deeper need for simplicity in a chaotic world? Either way, the spectacle was impossible to miss.
Through it all, immersing myself in so much creative work kept me grounded and, paradoxically, attuned to the pulse of what’s happening—not through chasing trends, but through thoughtful observation and research/study for my own projects. These trends may feel fleeting, but they reveal a lot about the world we live in—our anxieties, aspirations, and the things we’re still trying to figure out."
Here’s a look at the moments and behaviors that helped shape 2024 as a collective—funny, absurd, and deeply human—and what they reveal about who we are.
The Hustle Never Sleeps (But Maybe It Should)
This year, hustle culture hit new heights, becoming almost impossible to escape. Course selling boomed, with gurus promising high six-figure success and vague motivational platitudes that often offered more hype than substance. Finance bros rebranded their grindset content, trading in flashy watches for even flashier metaphors about “compounding discipline.” And if you didn’t already have a podcast, it felt like 2024 was the year to grab a mic and explain self-help hacks, celebrity gossip, or why your worldview is the only right one.
But this hustle wasn’t just about productivity—it was about performance. The endless push to monetize every thought, trend, or skill created a landscape where everyone had something to sell, whether it was a course, a lifestyle, or an ideology.
Podcasts became the perfect outlet for this, multiplying into a vast ecosystem of niche fandoms, self-help advice, and polarizing debates. While some offered genuine value, others became echo chambers for tribalized audiences clinging to extreme views, amplifying division while masquerading as insight.
Let’s be honest: Many course sellers seemed more focused on hyping their offerings than delivering real value. Finance bros reminded us that the rented Lamborghini flex on Instagram never truly goes out of style. And podcasts? If you weren’t invited onto one this year, don’t worry—someone’s cousin probably has one launching next week.
Social Media: Performance Art and the Absurd
If there’s one thing social media does well, it’s turning everyday life into performance—where even the mundane becomes a spectacle. TikTok led the charge with trends that blurred the line between humor and confession. Dance challenges shared space with trauma dumps, where creators softly revealed personal struggles over lo-fi beats. Overly sexualized trends popped up everywhere, leaving us cringing but unable to look away. And then there were the fluctuations of links in bios—vague enough to make you wonder if they led to a coaching course, a candle business, or content behind a paywall.
We also saw the rise of tribalism, as users gravitated toward like-minded communities or polarizing debates, reinforcing echo chambers that felt more performative than productive. Meanwhile, creators wore multiple hats—entrepreneur, influencer, and confidant—often blurring the lines between authentic connection and hustle-driven performance.
2024 taught us that everyone’s an actor in their own story, whether they’re lip-syncing to a trending sound or spilling their deepest fears for likes. It was chaotic, hilarious, and sometimes deeply uncomfortable—social media as both performance and reflection, a perfect mirror for the year itself.
Are We the Experiment?
As we reflect on the chaos of 2024, it’s hard not to wonder: Was it all just organic, or is there a larger design at play? The sheer pace of trends, the rise of tribalism, and the strange, hypnotic pull of ‘nothing content’ almost felt like a test of behavior—an experiment in attention and influence. Social media platforms fed us endless streams of stimuli—designed to capture, hold, and exploit our attention. Algorithms didn’t just follow us; they led us, creating a Petri dish of humanity where behaviors were tested and amplified.
Consider the meteoric rise of certain trends: Why did they resonate so universally? Why did mundane moments, hyper-curated lifestyles, and polarized debates dominate? It’s as if someone—or something—was observing how far they could push us, gauging how we react to extremes of distraction, division, and desire. Was it simply the natural evolution of culture in a hyperconnected world, or a carefully calibrated experiment in influence?
Whether or not it’s by design, the effect is clear: We’ve been shaped by forces that thrive on chaos and crave our participation. And yet, within that chaos, there’s a choice to be made—whether to be led, or to step back, observe, and take control of what we let in. Perhaps the real challenge of 2024 wasn’t just surviving the noise, but learning to step back, observe, and discern what’s real—what’s meaningful—and ours to claim.
Nostalgia Had a Chokehold
Nostalgia didn’t just have a moment in 2024—it seized the spotlight and refused to let go. From fashion and design to entertainment and even technology, we saw a deep yearning for something familiar. But nostalgia wasn’t just about revisiting the past—it became a lens for how we coped with the present.
It wasn’t tied to a specific era so much as the feeling of comfort we associate with simpler times. The aesthetics of the past—whether a retro design language, analog film photography, or even the resurgence of Y2K-inspired fashion—offered a reprieve from the overwhelming pace of the modern world. They reminded us of a time that felt slower, simpler, and more tangible.
It wasn’t about living in the past but creating space to reflect, connect, and ground ourselves in something real. Nostalgia wasn’t just a trend—it was a collective attempt to pause, reflect, and reconnect with a sense of clarity and comfort in an otherwise chaotic world.
What Does It All Mean?
These trends weren’t mere passing fads; they offered glimpses into the complexities of our collective psyche. Hustle culture revealed our relentless pursuit of productivity and success—even when it left us feeling unfulfilled and disconnected from ourselves. Social media’s absurdity showed how much we crave connection—even if it’s messy, chaotic, or painfully awkward. And nostalgia? It reminded us that the past can be a source of strength and grounding, giving us permission to pause, breathe, and reconnect with what feels real in an otherwise chaotic world.
Being immersed in so much creative work this year meant not just noticing these patterns but also learning from them. They remind us that creativity is always a reflection of its time—messy, weird, and full of contradictions. But they also show us how deeply we long for connection, meaning, and balance in a world that never stops changing—and why it’s so important to hold onto what truly matters.
Finding Meaning in the Chaos
These moments weren’t just random blips in our timelines; they were reflections of who we are right now—people navigating a world that feels more fragmented and fast-paced than ever. Maybe we clung to nostalgia because it felt safe. Maybe we laughed at the absurd because it made the chaos easier to bear. And maybe, just maybe, even the most “nothing” moments offered us a chance to feel something—or nothing at all—in a world that often demands too much.
So, what do these trends say about us? Maybe the better question is: What are they asking us to notice? To change? Or to simply sit with for a while? As we look toward 2025, perhaps the real challenge isn’t to stop the chaos—but to embrace it, to turn it into something meaningful, something beautiful, and something uniquely ours, one laugh, one cringe, and one quiet moment at a time.
The infinite potential within me recognizes the infinite potential within you. Thank you for being part of this journey. See you next year! 💫 🔮🌙📸
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