Advertising is all about talent and always has been, so it’s critical that we all give back and help good people connect, learn from people who came before us, and help everyone feel like they’re part of a creative community that extends beyond their own agency.
Despite all the disruption, this is still an industry driven by creativity and collaboration. All the tech and data are just tools, never a substitute for talent and curiosity, and I still get inspired whenever I meet someone coming into the business for the first time.
Don’t try to be the smartest person in the room, be the most curious. Ask lots of questions, even the obvious ones, and never hesitate to throw out an idea, no matter how outlandish. If you’re not excited, you’re playing it safe.
Collaboration fuels creativity, so the more you can bring diverse perspectives, backgrounds and ideas to your team, the better the work will be…and the more fun you’ll have.
The people and the puzzles. Creativity unleashed when you get in a room and start throwing ideas around, and the beautiful collisions of personalities and perspective as you work on an impossible problem against an unreasonable timeline. That rush never gets old.
Read everything, from fiction to nonfiction to industry trades and blogs and trend reports. Watch films, study storytelling. Remember that nobody makes a rational decision, we all post-rationalize the emotional decisions we make, so bring empathy to everything you do.
