Technically Creative…

Is there a switch happening in the world? Before it used to be enough to be creative conceptually. If you were a creative thinker, then you were in the pound seats. But with the development of a culture of ubiquitous creativity, it seems conceptual is not enough. You have to be able to execute.

In other words, if  you have a song in your head, you should be able to sing it in key, compose it or even play it. If you have the idea for a great movie, you should be able to shoot it. If you have the idea for a great product design, you should be able to realise it.

You need to back up your creative thinking with creative practical skill. I’m not saying you need to be able to code flawless HTML 5 but if you want to be a force in digital art-direction, then maybe it doesn’t hurt to know how. Maybe find a tool that helps you do that.

And of course, the more people back their creativity with skill, the better for us all. The scarcity with situation has the potential to create a market of quality creatives  who can deliver on their plans. One-stop solution shops for clients, if you will.

Perhaps this shift is the last move in the decentralisation of commercial creativity. It may just be the return to the ways of  patrons and commercial commissions. It’ll place creativity back in the hands of the creative and not the corporation.

So what do you think? Is this the revolution in action or just a blip we should ignore?

Le Temps Retrouvé…

As far back as I can remember I’ve always wanted to be a Goodfella…

No wait…try that again…

As far back as I can remember, there’s been a reaction I get when I tell people what I do for a living (and it was more marked when I was freelancing). It’s that raised eyebrow or that blank look that meets your confession of being  a “Creative”. You don’t wear a tie to work. You don’t keep regular hours. Your output can’t be measured on a spreadsheet. Your impact can’t be seen on a balance sheet.

And people simply just don’t get what we do…so they treat us a little differently. Sure, we’re not doctors but then we’re not lawyers or accountants or politicians either. What we do is create, dream, mess things up, turn them upside down, shake them about… In times gone past, maybe we would have been kicked out of the clan. Maybe we would have been burnt at a stake (let’s face it, there’s a good number of us who just about survive in society). These days, we’re still the anomalies but at least we’re guests at dinner parties and not the entertainment…or the main course. Of course, we’re still the people other people are sometimes scared to chat to…because we see, say, think, do things differently. We get passionate about the weirdest stuff and probably carry it in our pockets. We’ll play with your pets (some of us will even entertain your…ugh…kids) and we do weird things with cutlery.

At the most polite, the most extreme of us are “eccentric”. At the other end of the spectrum, they’re bloody insane.  That’s cool. The names don’t hurt. That you don’t take us seriously? Yeah, that can be annoying. You see, without us, you have no comedians. No artists. No musicians. No poets. No authors. No storytellers. No graffiti. No fashions. No photography. All you got is spreadsheets and ties…

So the next time you meet someone who works in the creative field, cut her a little slack. Chances are she already weirds herself out every so often…

And because you’ve been thinking about it since the beginning of this post, here it is:

BING POW BOOM!

It Won’t Work…

Quantum Kitteh

Ever had an idea and were told “That’s crazy!” or  “It’ll never work”? Maybe you were too scared to even share the idea with anyone because of fear of criticism.

That’s OK.

That response has been inculcated in you since the day you set foot in school. Colour inside the lines, do your homework, silence in class… We’re brainwashed into believing that we shouldn’t cling to ideas in the face of nay-sayers.

Most people are too scared to pursue a “crazy” idea. Some people like Ben Gulak get an idea and stick with it… And reap the rewards. Dragon’s Den is a reality TV show where people with crazy ideas pitch to a panel of wealthy investors and venture capitalists. Ben appeared on the show and this is what happened…

OK. Not everyone is an inventor. Not everyone is a scientific whizz-kid. Don’t let that stop you from thinking up ideas: “stupid” ones, “crazy” ones, “useless” ones…

Write them down.

Sketch them up.

Show them to people.

Take advantage of constructive criticism. Forget the haters.

Who knows? Maybe that half-baked piece of insanity you dreamed up yesterday will make you a millionaire tomorrow…

<You can read more about Ben and his invention here… (Opens in new window)>

Get Your Creative On…

I once had a manager who was fond of saying that creatives just “threw a switch” to be creative. He was under the misconception that like his paper-pushing gig of no real consequence (for which he picked a stupidly outsized salary), being creative was a 9 to 5 thing. Yeah. Needless to say he and I didn’t get on too well.

Anyway…

The point I’m getting at is that as any creative will tell you, being creative can be a painful process, especially when in pursuit of a solution to a business problem. It’s not an on/off thing…well, not the kind of on/off you have any control over. Sometimes it fires like a 21 gun salute; other days it’s more of a whimper than a bang. Unfortunately, as creatives, most of us struggle to switch off from the work, choosing instead to crack on through those dry periods hoping that something will turn up. In fact, I know if I don’t make a conscious effort to switch off, I’ll probably burn myself out PDQ.

So here are a few suggestions for those of you who may be finding it difficult to switch off (they work pretty well for me):

1. PS3: or similar. Seriously, few things are better than laying waste to bunch of homicidal alien super-soldiers. Maybe it’s because after a day of creating, there’s something so satisfying in destroying something.
2. Comedy: stand up comedy is a great antidote to burn-out (and if you’re in the ad-biz, you gotta get your hands on Bill Hicks). Eddie Izzard, Richard Pryor, Katt Williams, Russell Peters, Sarah Silverman… These guys will take your mind off your stress and give your serious side a break.Or you can just catch up with the Looney Tunes or The Marx Brothers.
3. Kids: I don’t like kids but if you get lucky and happen to watch one throwing a tantrum, just take a look at its folks – and think how lucky you are (unless it’s you with the screaming brat, in which case I’ve probably laughed at you. Thank you).
4. Cats: Nothing troubles a cat. They’ve got this meditation thing down. Yeah, it looks like they’re sleeping but they’re just on another plane of enlightenment. That’s why they don’t chase sticks,
5. Sex: probably the most creative of all pastimes. Switch off your mind and fire up your senses, your soul and your body. Engage in that moment fully. Trust me, the creativity will follow.

There you have it. A few ways to break out of the creative rut or get back on track. Got any suggestions of your own? Holler back in the comments…

Sit Down…

So a few days ago, I featured a song by Journey out on my blog… Here’s the bit where it all ties up.

Illin'...

These days everyone’s talking about how content belongs to the masses; how it’s out of the hands of the elite few; how it’s the complete democratisation of creativity; that finally, (with the advent of the iPad of all things) the power to design/write and be published/acknowledged/applauded is finally here!

And if you believe that, then welcome! I hope the trip out of the trees wasn’t too terrifying. Don’t worry: the sensation of walking upright does take some getting used to, but you’ll get the hang of it.

Yes. That’s my way of calling bullshit on this sudden wave of “CREATIVITY FOR ALL”.

You, my dear anthropological friend, have had this power for as long as you’ve been alive. You’ve been able to create since you had control of your limbs. You could write, paint, sing, draw, sculpt, dance…all of which before the damned internet came along. So why didn’t you? I’ll tell you why: because you were lazy. You were too damned lazy. Or worse…you were scared. Too scared to put yourself out there because believe me, buddy, creating something for an audience takes balls.

This is a crazy/stupid objective/subjective society – and all you bandwagon riders are gonna find that out…

And here’s the next bit of bad news: not everyone can create something worthwhile. Yes, it’s sad but true. Your drawings, the ones that took you days of blood, sweat and tears? Yeah, they probably suck. Your song? It ‘s never gonna be as well-loved as Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” (see?), so it’s never going to get revived on an episode of “GLEE” or in a movie like “THE LOSERS”. Not everyone can create something worthwhile. That’s why we know them by name: Beethoven, Michaelangelo, Hemingway, Nuruyev…

This is the cold-hearted truth: some of us are on the stage, some of us are in the audience. Just because you can sing, doesn’t make you Frank Sinatra. Cynical? No. Realistic.

The dirty secret is we need you. We need the consumer. There’s nothing wrong with being a consumer. Hell, without consumers to keep them honest, creatives would just be indulging in creative masturbation. But if you’re gonna be a consumer, be a good one. Sounds easy but it’s not. Don’t follow the herd. Don’t go along with what’s en vogue. Sniff out what you like. Be brave and tell others about it. Wave a flag, light a match and clap your hands for the stuff you like…even if your best friend doesn’t. That takes as much balls as being creative.

And you can even do it on the iPad…

FIN.