Lawrence Medina

I dare say… That I have blundered greatly. I messed up my schedule and dove deeply into a subject I did not quite flesh out as properly as I would have liked. I’d chalk it up to a lack of experience.

I am however keeping with the monthly themes. We shall one day return to the month of branding.

This month, we will tackle a new idea. That of “Creativity” and how the urge to be creative can be detrimental to your creative flow. We’ll start this with a quote and springboard from there.

“I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information. When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.”

― David Ogilvy, Ogilvy on Advertising

Being “Creative”

Often times the very word we use to describe our means of work can be the very poison to enhance our work. Should a creative regards their work as that of being “creative”? Should an artist focus on being “artistic”? Should a mechanic focus on being “mechanical”?

What does that last one really even mean within all of this?

Well. A mechanic isn’t a mechanic unless they make the machine work. A creative isn’t a creative unless they make the copy or design work within the context of their goal. An artist isn’t an artist unless their art speaks their truths.

It all boils down to making the matter at hand work. So how will “creativity” aide you in making your project work? Quick answer, it won’t. It will only lead down a slippery slope should you measure your work by how “creative” you can be.

Of course, you might think this stands within the confines of the advertising world—in truth can work for a manner of industries and fields.

Create creative that works, not creative that is creative. Pure creativity will garner awards and praise, but it won’t always make something that works.

What do I mean by creative that works?

Working Creative

We can look at blogs as a means of creativity. Some stand as absolute works of art. Designed and polished to near perfection… Does this mean it works? For a website designer, quite possibly. It will be doing its job in capturing peoples attention. What about the content? If the content fails to keep people invested… Then the venture quite possibly fails.

That “creative” won’t work.

If you seek to capture people’s attention through your creative works… Then make sure all elements work with one another. Ensure that when people tune in, they’ll want to stay around.

Creating a masterpiece is well and good, but if nobody wants to stick around for the next one… Then could the first truly have been a masterpiece?

This can happen all the time. It falls in line with a scandal. Everybody will talk about it until the next scandal occurs. What you want is to turn that scandal into opportunity.

One “creative” venture should turn into the next. It should be much like a single pebble rolling down a mountain. Your creative work—when it works—will be akin to an avalanche.

Everybody will be in awe of it and depending on the peaks you seek… It may never stop rolling.

Striving for what “Works”

In the end, don’t strive to be a “creative,” strive to find what works. Whether it be within your industry or just personally.

This is the month I delve into creativity. As a notion. As a topic… where its faults are and how you can strive with it—when you implement it in the manner above.

Being “creative” is about more than creativity. It’s about finding what works.