What Would David Bowie Do? Breaking Boundaries to Redefine 2025 & Beyond
Unleashing Creativity, Courage, and Change in a World on the Brink
Just so you know, I miss David Bowie every day. However, instead of being maudlin, I use him as a constant inspiration, especially when I’m in a pickle. Given the current state of the world I set myself a fascinating challenge—to imagine what David Bowie, the ultimate innovator, entrepreneur, and cultural shapeshifter, might think of the world in April 2025, and what he’d recommend we do about it. Drawing from my various reflections and Bowie’s own trailblazing life, I thought I’d craft an inspiring vision for us: What Would David Bowie Do?
For me, Bowie isn’t just a musical icon—he’s one of the key inspirations of my life. From his fearless creativity to his razor-sharp business savvy, he’s guided me through my own entrepreneurial journey, pushing me to dream bigger, take risks, and never settle for the ordinary. As he once said, “I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.” That’s the spirit I carry, and it’s the lens through which I see our chaotic, possibility-filled world today.
So what would Bowie make of 2025? I reckon he’d gaze at this messy, interconnected landscape—AI rewriting creativity, climate crises teetering on the edge, societies polarised yet buzzing with potential—and see a stage ripe for reinvention. He’d marvel at how his prophecy of the internet as “an alien life form” has morphed into something even wilder: a digital frontier that’s both a celestial jukebox and a cacophony of noise. He’d likely grin at how his Bowie Bonds foreshadowed today’s NFT frenzy, then frown at how we’ve let innovation sprint ahead of ethics. But I also think he’d be appalled at the travesties being dealt in the world today and he’d be repulsed by Trump and his authoritarian mates.
David Bowie could smell bullshit from a mile away—a decent, honourable human cloaked in a pioneer’s audacity. However, that clarity wasn’t born; it was forged in the 1970s, when, at the peak of his Ziggy Stardust fame, he was fleeced by his manager, Tony Defries. Albums like Hunky Dory and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars were rewriting music history, yet behind the glitter, Defries and their company MainMan siphoned off up to 50% of his earnings, leaving Bowie financially adrift despite his stardom. That betrayal was a brutal wake-up call. When he cut ties with Defries in 1975, he swore never to be that vulnerable again, diving headlong into mastering the business of his art. It paid off—by 1998, he’d clinched a UK Businessman of the Year award from The Mirror for his visionary Bowie Bonds and sharp acumen.
Today, I reckon he’d view 2025 as a thrilling blank slate—a world crying out for a bold fusion of human decency, untamed creativity, and an audacious blueprint to tilt it toward the better, just as he did time and again.
So, how would he seize that chance—and what would he dare us to do—in this pivotal moment? Here’s my take, inspired by the man who’s been my north star.
1. Embrace the Chaos as Creative Fuel
Bowie thrived in the unknown. “Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming,” he once said, and I imagine him diving headfirst into 2025’s upheaval—climate chaos, digital overload, social unrest—as raw material for something extraordinary. He’d tell me to stop fearing the mess and start playing with it. I’ve learned from him that crises are where the best ideas are born. My Recommendation: Channel your inner Bowie—take a risk on that wild idea, whether it’s a business venture, a song, or a movement. The world doesn’t need perfection; it needs pioneers.
2. Master the Tools of Tomorrow
Bowie was always ahead of the curve—think BowieNet or his downloadable albums. In 2025, I see him tinkering with AI, blockchain, and immersive media, not just using them but bending them to his will. He’d see AI as a collaborator, not a rival, and he’d be tokenising his legacy to empower fans, not corporations. His early adoption inspires me to stay curious and adaptable in my own work. My Recommendation: Get fluent in the tools shaping our future—learn them, wield them, and make them yours. Don’t let 2025 happen to you; shape it.
3. Collaborate Across Boundaries
Bowie’s genius was amplified by collaboration—Eno, Rodgers, Kawakubo. In our fractured world, I think he’d bridge divides, pulling together artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and activists to tackle the big stuff. “I’m an instant star. Just add water and stir,” he quipped, but he knew real magic came from diverse voices. That’s a lesson I’ve carried into my own teams and projects. My Recommendation: Build your own constellation of collaborators. Reach beyond your bubble—find the oddballs, the dreamers, the doers—and create something bigger than yourself.
4. Protect What Matters
Bowie’s business acumen—those Bonds, his grip on intellectual property—taught me the value of safeguarding what you create. In 2025, with data breaches and AI deepfakes everywhere, he’d be fierce about owning his narrative. That’s a principle I’ve woven into my own life, protecting my work and my vision.
My Recommendation: Take control of your intellectual and personal capital—your art, your data, your story. Don’t let it be exploited; make it your strength.
5. Lead with Style and Substance
Bowie’s marketing was pure theatre—think Blackstar’s stealth drop. He’d see 2025’s attention economy as a playground for surprise and authenticity. “I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human,” he once mused, and he’d blend timeless cool with cutting-edge relevance to inspire us. I’ve tried to echo that in my own ventures—evolving, adapting, but staying true to my core. My Recommendation: Craft your own “anti-promotion”—stand out by being unapologetically you. Evolve, but never lose your soul.
6. Push for a Better Future
Bowie’s song Changes is one of my anthems—it’s about challenging systems and forging progress. “And these children that you spit on, as they try to change their worlds, are immune to your consultations. They're quite aware of what they're goin' through” he sang, a stinging rebuke to those who dismiss the next generation’s fight. In 2025, he’d be all over the climate crisis, inequality, and the erosion of integrity, using his platform to provoke and inspire. He’d see crises as chances to rethink everything. That’s the ethos I live by—pushing for a world that’s sustainable, fair, and daring.
My Recommendation: Be an early adopter of change. Advocate for a future worth believing in—start where you stand, in your business, your community, your art.
7. Leave a Legacy of Courage
Bowie’s final gift, Blackstar, was a masterstroke of art and mortality. In 2025, he’d remind me that time’s short, so make it count. “The truth is, of course, that there is no journey. We are arriving and departing all at the same time,” he said, and he’d want us to live boldly, create fiercely, and inspire millions as he did. That’s the legacy I aspire to. My Recommendation: Ask yourself: What’s my Blackstar? Build something that outlasts you, something that sparks the world alight.
Let’s Get Started…
Bowie would look at 2025 and see a world on the brink—teetering between collapse and brilliance, much like the eras he conquered. He’d tell us to stop fretting and start reinventing, with the fearless curiosity he lived by. He’s been my guide, my muse, my proof that boundaries are made to be broken.
Towards the end of his life, he reflected, “Ageing is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person you always should have been.” This is my experience—it’s only now, in my later life, that I’m finally becoming my true self, learning who I really am and catching up with that young, curious child who dreamt big and looked to the stars for what was possible all those years ago. So, I invite you—find your inner Bowie and help reshape the future. We need more courageous warriors and pioneers shaping our future for the better.
As Bowie himself put it, “I think it’s terribly dangerous for an artist to fulfill other people’s expectations. If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth, and when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.”
Let’s wade into the deep end and make 2025 and our future extraordinary.
