Everyone's a Creative

A team of guys showed up to my house to do some tree trimming. The lead guy who would do all the climbing and directing of the guys on the ground stood in the yard quietly looking up. He saw a canvas, and he knew exactly what it would look like when he was done. He excitedly conveyed his vision to me for approval and went straight to work once I said, "Sounds good." I had a couple of suggestions that he listened to and incorporated into his plan. The end result was just as he said it would be.

Everyone's an artist. I mean it. Everyone you know, no matter what they do for a living, has a creative side. The humorless lady from accounting might be a magician in the kitchen. The truck driver might be a master woodworker. And it's not just the obvious things like cooking and woodworking. Watch how someone does a task as mundane as stacking the dishes in the rack once they're clean. The end result of balanced glasses, pots and plates could pass as a temporary modern art installation.

So it shouldn't come as a surprise to creatives in the ad industry when everyone, from the account guy to the office manager to, yes...The Client...wants to have a say in what you're doing. I can't lay out a magazine ad, design a logo, write a press release or develop a web page without someone from outside of the creative department saying, "It needs more this," or "It needs less that." If I'm not careful, I can get pissed off, but lately I've been trying to listen. The account guy who wants a bigger, louder call to action may not get what he wants, but I'll still listen.

Most of the creatives I know keep some sort of artistic endeavor reserved for after work hours. How many musicians do you know in the ad world? Yep. How many copywriters are writing a book? Yep. How many designers paint, draw or shoot pictures on the side? Yep. To them I say, "Keep it up." If the only creating you do is for money, with a bunch of other people involved wanting a say in what you're trying to create, you'll end up frustrated.

Now look around your office. That dork from IT who smells funny and laughs too loudly at stupid things? What do you bet he's a wizard with a bottle of Elmer's and some popsicle sticks?