As societal divides open and social trolling widens them, people seek relief in renewed ideals of emotional openness, kindness, and empathy. People are channeling an Open Book mindset that heals their relationship with themselves, others, and the planet.

On the planetary front, sustained conversation holds the key to mending humanity’s relationship with Earth. To encourage continuous dialog, Artist Olafur Eliasson and digital agency AKQA, created the Earth Speakr app, giving the planet a voice through the youngest generation inheriting it. Young users record messages about the earth while “becoming the earth itself” via AR. Their cute expressions and voices are recorded and mirrored in a cartoon-like video on places like sewage drains, tree stumps, or ice caps, and saved on an interactive global map for public video viewing. The silly personification of the world humanizes the climate crisis, acting as a conspicuous reminder that hurting the world hurts people too.

Through empathy and openness, HBO’s summer-launched series demonstrated how powerful untold stories can kickstart difficult conversations. Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You is a trailblazer series that dives into the complex journey of recovery when coping with sexual assault. The series sparked social conversation, giving viewers words for emotions and experiences most victims are unable to open up about.

Other taboo topics are cutting through the mainstream as well. Sexual wellness product marketplace Bloomi is on a mission to normalize sexual health conversations. The marketplace provides webinars where people can join anonymously to deepen their relationship with sex while housing all types of intimate care products clear of toxic chemicals. They are eager to expand and recently acquired funding from Odile Roujol’s FAB Ventures, which is focused on funding clean beauty and wellness DTC startups.

Brands can kickstart conversations, too. A fashion brand can create a #BoldBeautifulBody campaign. Empowering women to share their body positive stories via the hashtag or even a microsite of “Thrivers” will help people expand their understanding of self-love and identity while deepening their connections and love for the brand.