In 1986, Chernobyl was involved in a nuclear disaster. But even among highly radioactive environments, scientists discovered plants that had developed new gene expressions and unique modular mechanisms that allowed them to continue to grow.

Even when all looks lost, life continues to find a way.

When old systems collapse, new possibilities emerge. When old paths become blocked, humans find different routes. When crises hit, innovation accelerates.

The tariffs threatening to isolate America from global markets have many of our economists forecasting doom for our creative industries. (Let's be honest here, the jobs were already going away.) If we look closely at what happened during previous economic disruptions, we might see not just potential disaster, but potential transformation. Crises don't just bring destruction—they create cracks in existing structures where new life can grow.

I am genuinely concerned about the state of the world. I believe it's healthy to admit when things are bad. We are entering a crisis of economics and war, as well as a crisis in technology, climate, work, education and societal upheaval.

The question is "what to do about it?"

Hard Times Create Breakthroughs

Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia couldn't make rent on their San Francisco apartment amid the subprime mortgage crisis. Rather than panic, they put mattresses on their floor and rented them to conference attendees who couldn't find hotel rooms. That desperate solution became Airbnb—now worth over $100 billion.

They weren't alone. One of America's worst economic disasters birthed companies that transformed how we live, work, and connect. Instagram, WhatsApp, Venmo, Uber, Slack, Square, and Pinterest all launched during or immediately after this recession.

Why do crises breed innovation?

They force us to solve problems we previously ignored. When Groupon launched, unemployment was surging while small businesses struggled to attract customers. Their solution—group discounts delivered by email—addressed both problems simultaneously.

This pattern is everywhere. The Great Depression—America's most devastating economic collapse—gave birth to electric guitars, photocopiers, and car radios. Despite widespread hardship, creative people found ways to solve problems and create value.

The counterintuitive truth: breakthrough innovations often require constraints.

The anxious among you will see this as sort of toxic optimism—but research supports this connection between crisis and creativity. Studies during COVID lockdowns found that "restrictions and uncertainty brought by isolation can push people to unleash their creative potential to make sense of life and cope with uncertainty." (Source:https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.617967/full)

As a personal note --- I lost paying work because of Covid and it changed my life. I began studying AI and turned to education. Crisis transformed me into who I am today.

Finding your Gap

First comes disruption.

Remember that week in March 2020 when everything suddenly shut down? Classes moved online, social life vanished, and the world seemed to halt mid-sentence. For many, that pandemic moment felt like the end of normalcy, freedom, and opportunity.

Then comes opportunity.

Virtual production technology—using real-time computer graphics to create lifelike environments without physical sets (ie. - The Mandalorian)—saw years of development compressed into months as filmmakers sought solutions to travel and crew restrictions. This technology, born of necessity, has permanently transformed visual content creation.

Higher tariffs will mean more expensive imported goods, including technology powering film production, music recording, and game development. Traditional entertainment companies will react by cutting costs, taking fewer risks, and retreating to safe formulas. My heart is heavy for the job losses happening and ... yet to come, at established entertainment players.

But this is the country of Apple, Mickey Mouse, Bell Labs, and Taylor Swift. The question isn't whether American creativity will continue in an isolated economy—it's how it will adapt and evolve. Tariffs will cause traditional entertainment pipelines to constrict while simultaneously creating spaces for individual creators to innovate in ways we can't yet imagine.

Large systems depend on smooth global supply chains and predictable economics, independent creators and smaller groups can thrive in chaotic environments by identifying specific problems and solving them locally, cheaply, and creatively.

Building while the World Breaks Down

The breakdown of established systems isn't just an abstract economic event—it's opportunity for what's next to emerge.

This is especially true if you're young, digitally native, and unburdened by attachment to old ways of doing things. Hey, I'm old, with kids and a mortgage. But you... if you can up and move, spend a year youtubing your way to expertise, and maybe hack a little github, you are free to try things that no one else can.

So what can you do personally if tariffs and economic isolation impact America's creative industries?

1. Look for the gaps. Disrupt!

   Pay attention to what's suddenly missing or too expensive in the new environment. Walk the isles of Walmart and look at the prices of goods and services. Watch your local municipality systems - garbage collection, traffic patterns, employment data. What problems and price constraints are you seeing? Those gaps aren't just problems—they're potential businesses. When trade barriers make imported equipment too expensive, can you create a rental service for shared resources? When traditional distribution channels contract, can you build alternative platforms for reaching audiences?

2. Embrace new technologies. Hack!

   Open-source AI tools, cloud computing, and digital distribution platforms have democratized creative production in unprecedented ways. I know these sound complicated and scary, but with AI making everything easier, you will have the chance to build and assemble systems that can outperform the incumbant (and expensive) corporations. Even if expensive imported technology becomes harder to access, tools like Stable Diffusion, Blender, DaVinci Resolve, and Llama provide professional-quality creative capabilities for free or at low cost.

   Learn them now, and teach others to use them.

3. Build community. Together!

   The most successful innovations during crisis periods don't just solve technical problems—they rebuild human connections. Airbnb succeeded during the 2008 recession partly because it created economic opportunity, but also because it facilitated human connection during a time of isolation. What communities need connecting in your area?

   How can you use creativity to bring people together?

Constraints force creativity. And if you are like me -- prone to fits of anxiety, framing opportunity gives you motivation and focus, in a time when many will not be able to.

The challenges ahead are real. Trade isolation will create genuine hardships for many industries and individuals. But if history is our guide, it will also create the conditions for breakthrough innovations—especially for those prepared to see opportunity in the chaos.

This generation has already lived through disruption—a global pandemic, political upheaval, climate uncertainty. They've developed resilience and adaptability that previous generations acquired over much longer time-spans. Those qualities are precisely what drive innovation during crisis periods.

The cracks are forming in our economic structures. This is your time.

Make it Happen.

Nye Warburton is a creative technologist and educator with hopes for a productive future. This essay was crafted through improvisational takes with Otter.ai and assembled and edited with Claude Sonnet 3.7. For more information visit https://nyewarburton.com