From the Editor: Ukraine's Creative Resistance

The following article is from Adweek’s special issue “On Ukraine, by Ukrainians,” published April 25, 2022, and created entirely by Ukrainian writers, editors and artists amid the ongoing all-out war in their homeland. The past two months have thrust me into a wild storm of emotions and thoughts. I swung from feeling completely lost in the first hours of russia’s (yes, in lowercase only) all-out war to becoming enraged when my hometown got its first missile strike. From feeling helpless in the sieged city to growing hopeful when a family, who I barely knew, offered me and my wheelchair some space in their car to escape. From staring into the abyss while under air attacks to peeking into the future once I reached a safer place. This war has rewired us. Along with physical and emotional wounds to heal, we will experience even more profound inner transformation. It will take years, if not decades. Our world has shattered into pieces, but we want to put each one of them together again, remaining aware of why this unprovoked war was even possible and what helps us hold our heads up high. To restore our world, we do need to tap into our true values, which sustained us through the centuries and helped us live our lives, no matter what. These authentic qualities must be in real focus because once something is highlighted, it becomes more powerful and resourceful. As Ukraine and its creative power have become the theme of this issue, it was a consistent decision to zoom into the fundamentals of the Ukrainian mindset that explain our identity and its creative side, too. My team’s aim is to show the virtues we have in plenty and can offer globally. In this issue's opening piece, we focus on the key elements of our cultural canvas. It's followed by an overview of the Ukrainian creativity-powered advertising and communications scene, which has been in bloom since 2014's Revolution of Dignity. This offers an insight into what really formed our creative approach. The war is not the topic of this issue. Still, it is a major factor influencing our reality. So we, who also witnessed the invasion, asked some creative minds to share how they are experiencing the war and picture their future as we tried to discover their formula of balancing life with war challenges. As it turns out, fight does ignite and inspire, too. So, we also approached creatives who are applying their talent to fuel the creative resistance and make it grow. We can’t predict how things will be. No one can. But we do know that there can be no next steps without true collaboration and integration. Creative industries, from design to video production, jump to the forefront of this process. Despite the turbulence, strong professionals are ready to tap into new ventures with teams from abroad. New bold projects and compelling briefs are what they are looking for right now, even with the air-raid sirens in the air. And finally, what will help Ukrainians stay unbreakable and brave? To me, it is independent education. As an editor of a magazine at the Ukrainian online creative school, SKVOT, I have observed how education empowers talents and helps them leverage the opportunities the new world offers. The power of knowledge never fades away. And now, I eagerly invite you to open this issue, created by Ukrainians about creative Ukraine, to explore it from the inside, feel its heartbeat, and hear its voice. Our voice.

Ukraine

From the Editor: Ukraine's Creative Resistance

Adweek's special issue, staffed entirely by those displaced by war, is about the future we'll build together

Hanna Rudenko

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Hanna Rudenko