Mikel Cirkus has an unusual job: he identifies trends before they become trends. He hunts for behaviors that will shape future consumer lifestyles 18 months to 5 years in advance. His secret weapon isn’t big data or AI—it’s 62 hand-drawn notebooks filled with sketches, observations, and fragments of conversations that eventually connect into groundbreaking ideas.
The Art of Trend Detection: Finding Gold in Unexpected Places
How does someone spot the next big thing? Mikel’s method is deceptively simple: observe the unusual and unfamiliar by exploring beyond your comfort zone.
At a food industry event, he discovered dill pickle-flavored pork rinds alongside new chip and chew technology. Most people would walk past. Mikel saw potential opportunities for his customers and teams. Don’t be surprised if you see these products on supermarket shelves soon—you read about it here first.
Before visiting a new country, he researches cultural norms and local customs. This preparation helps him recognize valuable ideas when connecting the dots later.
Street Art: The Pulse of Global Culture
Our conversation turned to street art, a shared fascination that reveals more than aesthetic beauty. Mikel views street art as free communication channels where creatives convey messages about global issues.
What’s remarkable? Similar themes and messages appear in street art across cities worldwide—from Melbourne’s graffiti alleys to Italy’s artistic facades and Ahmedabad’s quirky murals. This interconnectedness reveals what people are feeling globally.
“Ever noticed the prominence of golden yellow and lavender purple colors in recent street art?” he asks, before quickly dismissing color as secondary to the deeper cultural messages.
Finding the Creative Edge
Mikel has developed unique methods for discovering creative neighborhoods:
- Following street art networks and local recommendations
- Using Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” to scout edgy parts of North America (similar patterns work internationally)
- Tracking organized street art initiatives that often signal neighborhood transformation
He cites Wynwood, Williamsburg, Shoreditch, and downtown LA as examples where street art preceded major development—a pattern that repeats across continents.
The Power of Analog in a Digital World
In an age of digital everything, Mikel’s approach is refreshingly tactile. He uses blank, hardcover black notebooks with black ink pens—no rulers, no templates, just freehand drawing and writing.
His notebooks contain everything from detailed portraits (like his stunning David Letterman and Peter Gabriel sketches) to calendar designs, comic strips, and logo concepts.
Why analog? Mikel emphasizes that tangible, hand-written notes create better retention and deeper connection to content—something digital note-taking can’t replicate.
A Practice Anyone Can Adopt
Mikel’s most powerful message: you don’t need artistic ability to benefit from journaling.
His advice is simple:
- Capture thoughts and observations daily
- Use simple tools (notebooks and pens)
- Embrace the habit for personal growth and unique self-expression
- Don’t worry about perfection—consistency matters more
Those 62 notebooks represent years of consistent practice, proving that small daily observations compound into extraordinary insights.
Difference Between Street Art and Graffiti
Graffiti is like writing your name over and over to show you were there and get famous in the graffiti world. It started in Philadelphia in 1967 when artists tagged their names everywhere for recognition.
Street art is different—it’s about telling stories that everyone can understand. Street artists use cool techniques like stencils and paste-ups to create images and messages about things that matter: the environment, social issues, or how people are feeling about the world.
Graffiti says “I was here!” Street art says “Here’s what I think about what’s happening in our world.”
That’s why people like Mikel Cirkus study street art to predict trends. When you see similar messages appearing on walls in different cities around the world—from New York to Melbourne to Mumbai—it shows what people everywhere are thinking and feeling. It’s like the walls are talking, and street artists are helping them speak.
Stay tuned for the full interview with Mikel Cirkus, where he shares more about his foresight methodology and creative process.
What unusual observations have you made today? Start your own notebook and find out where it leads.