Not a phase, a way of life
Because creation, and being creative in general, is a way of life for members of Gen Z, it influences how they interact with the world and perceive their individual roles in society. “I love connecting with people and understanding their point of view and being able to express my own,” says Patricia, who is known as @pcfgstudy on TikTok, and is a full-time tutor who creates study-focused tips and content.
Gen Z is more inspired to be creative because they’re able to see their peers across the world doing the same. “It’s so easy for us to show our creativity and whatever’s on our mind,” Patricia says. “We can kind of show it immediately.” People living and sharing their experiences online in authentic ways can also motivate and inspire others to do the same — even in the workplace.
Salomon says that one key to Lenovo’s success with Gen Z is by bringing them together with other generations in the workforce and tapping into their unique expertise. “Our reverse mentoring program has become really successful,” he says. “We do this in different areas, where a manager wants to know more about how Gen Z thinks and uses social media.” Even C-suite executives use this program, Salomon says, because they can learn a lot from their younger, digitally adept coworkers.
While every creator Lenovo spoke with said they wouldn’t know what to do without access to their digital creative tools, they all agree on one thing — they’d never stop creating. “I have this thing called “my horizons” in my notes app and it reminds me why I exist and what really matters to me,” says Maddi Winter, a full-time animator with over six million followers across platforms. Her list includes animation, video creation, figure skating, cheer, creative writing, and crochet. If ever without her digital tools, she can refer to that list and her creative roots: drawing, painting, and writing stories.
While Karmacharya always plans on having a traditional 9-to-5 job, he knows one thing for sure: He’ll never stop creating. “Being a creator is absolutely part of my identity now. Every day that I’m working or going to the grocery store or doing anything, I see that as an opportunity to make content,” he says. “Being creative is something that I have to continue doing.”
Winter feels the same way about her creative work. “I don’t know who I would be without it,” she says.