Creative Edge E-ZINE
Issue: September 2009
From your creativity coach What if having creative edge was not just about what you need to do, but about who you need to be?
Statistics on Creativity According to Urtak Creative Survey August 2009 91% of creatives believe they think visually. 49% think most creative work is rubbish. http://www.urtak.com/u/creativeminds Results from Leadership expert Nigel Collin’s recent creativity survey shows 16% of businesses surveyed feel they are utilizing their creative people effectively. That means the other 84% need a creativity coach!
Statistics on Creativity Massage Therapist Melanie Atherton is offering massage programs in schools where children massage other children in an attempt to reduce bullying, educate around personal boundaries, but most of all to activate that part of the brain that fires up creativity. So, go have that massage!
THIS MONTH: BRAIN FUNCTIONING FOR RELEVANCE Hi everyone! Thanks to you all for the great feedback and support. It’s unreal. Those of you that have been elevated to silver subscribers congratulations and watch out for even more content from me in the form of interviews, articles, white papers, and anything else I can muster up to help you all. There is lots in the pipeline that’s for sure. Anyone else that’s tempted can subscribe at www.creativitycoach.com.au. This wont be offered free for long so those that are in early get this bonus. I’ll still offer the ‘8 Mistakes Creatives make that stop good work getting through’ and ‘8 Mistakes Film Companies make to miss out on the script’ for a short time at the website too. For those of you that voted…we are keeping the content for creatives and film companies together by popular demand. Thanks for your feedback. LEFT BRAIN MEETS RIGHT BRAIN The big news for me this month is around our brain functioning. It seems that 91% of creatives* are visual thinkers. To me that’s just confirmed my belief that we are completely different to a lot of the suits and clients out there. That calls for thinking differently about how we present to them and how we relate. Given that to film companies the ultimate audience is often not just the creatives, but directly to the client, that’s a major issue to consider when putting together that pitch too. Futurist & Gen Y specialist Anders Sormen-Nilsson in his new book Thinque Funky (featured last issue) talks about whole brain use and the importance of a synergy between left and right functioning for the new business world. Anders refers to the left brain world (analogue) as that of the 1990’s and a right brain world (digital) for the 2000’s with his forecasting for the 2010’s to be a combination of both (digilogue). Much like design and function are now combined in successful products we’ll need to adapt with left and right brain thinking to remain relevant. If creative businesses are not connecting with non-creative businesses and vice versa that’s a whole lot of missed opportunity for good work and great business ideas to get out. I don’t know about you, but that kills me. I’ll spend a lot of focus on this left/right balance in the web workshops coming up very soon at the very least. Until then, enjoy the issue and feed your brain! Take care.
Anne Miles Creativity Coach Magnetic Inspiration P/L www.creativitycoach.com.au
Issue: 2009 Issue #: September [Date]
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Leadership Leadershipand and Creativity Creativity
My Hard Line Top 10 Tips for Creativity Do not allow whingeing inside your head or out of your mouth – no longer will you then have to process these sorts of thoughts in your head & have them block good ideas (Besides, if there are two creatives of equal standard and one is a whinger then the cheery one gets the gig!) 2. Suit up and show up – start the work even if it’s bad, get a run up 3. Imagine a flawless ignition system getting you started even when you don’t feel like it - visualise the car key going in, the feelings in your hand, the key turning, the engine firing beautifully, and assume it is your creative engine getting up to speed. 4. Drop everything as if it were the same as a spontaneous invitation to have sex! No procrastination. 5. For new ideas go somewhere novel and beautiful 6. For processing, evaluating and marking up ideas go to somewhere familiar 7. When the client or the suit rejects your work force yourself to celebrate the fact that you have an even better idea in you, rather than see the rejected idea as the ultimate 8. Don’t place your dreams on coming up with the one big idea, focus on the fact that you have bucket loads of ideas to share and they keep getting better 9. Stop worrying about what everyone else thinks 10. Get together with some mates in the office – collaboration loosens up good ideas (too many people can confuse things so stick to 3-5 people) 11. (Mine goes to 11!) Have a massage. 1.
Leadership is not just for managers. We'll share thoughts on becoming the best leader you can be, even if you're not the boss! Creative leadership requires a mix of creative edge and marketing. Even if you are the hottest in town it’s only of value if people know about it and talk about it. I have found it of interest to see how other businesses have been marketing, even to me, in order to see what’s new and interesting out there in a way that can support great creative. According to Ashton Bishop from StepChange Communications traditional approaches to B2B marketing are losing their impact. Today a lot of businesses are turning to thought leadership as a way to differentiate their products and services and to me that means to lead. Ashton reports that the top 10 best ways to market to B2B services in the next 3 to 5 years will be: • • • • • • • •
Meetings/conferences 43% Original research/analysis 41% Thought leadership/white papers 35% Email 35% Web advertising/initiatives 30% References 23% Article reprints/redistribution 23% Print advertising 19%
www.stepchangecommunications.com My challenge to the creative industries is to consider what they are doing to share their thought leadership and establish themselves as leaders in this industry? What are they doing that will lead them away from the worn out methods of the past? Is a showreel and folio enough? Is this part way to helping assist agencies in one of their core issues - getting work that is more fully integrated? Source: Economist Intelligence Unit 2008. Research group of 800 Globally.
Feed the Brain What are you doing that is assisting your best brain functioning including what you eat, how much sleep, drinking, drugs, simply what you watch on TV or what you read right now? What are you doing to nurture the left brain and get that to function more fully? That’s my challenge to you all for this issue. Dr Helena Popovic says eating walnuts is one of the best brain foods available. 2
Issue #: September [Date] Issue: 2009
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Recession Buster According to Ashton Bishop from StepChange Communications the top tips for the recession include clients maintaining production values. Good news for film companies, post production services and creatives that care. http://www.youtube.com/downtobis#play/uploads/11/lMqXYfZxR6k If you’re interested in other marketing insights about consumers this link is also worthwhile. My view is it gives a focus for film directors as well as creatives for casting, screen action and set dressing thoughts to resonate with the current consumer mindset at the very least. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr5xTqrQBcg
Personal Best Next most important to knowing our purpose on earth, is knowing what our core needs are. As Tony Robbins suggests there are six core human needs: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Certainty/Comfort (avoid Pain) Uncertainty/Variety Significance Love/Connection Growth Contribution
Others believe that all these can be combined into three basic needs: 1. 2. 3.
To be loved To have connection To feel good enough
However you see it, are you feeding all your needs right now? If not then fill that need and you will likely be more satisfied with your life and creativity will flow more freely.
How to find jobs in this business has been a topic that has been requested. As a start here’s some great advice about looking for work: www.kamikazecreative.blogspot.com
Hot Tip
Self Centred A section on spirituality, inner peace, life purpose, how to maintain a centered approach mid the stresses of our wonderful and whacky industry This month’s challenge is to get all of you to think of yourself as a brand. Think of Richard Bransen right now and imagine if he were a brand what words come to mind. Think of yourself now and decide if you have a clear idea of what your personal brand is. Think of Ben Cousins, the footballer, and think about what kind of brand he has (woops, not so great). Consider how your clients and the rest of the agency see you right now.... BE: Think about everything you stand for, every belief and value you have and be sure that that is who you want to be. Check in with others around you to see how they see you and determine if that fits in with how you see yourself. DO: Next check that every action you take is congruently aligned with those values. Every where that you have an opportunity to present yourself make sure you are acting with clarity, consistently, and constantly in alignment with who you are. Including professionally, on Facebook, Twitter, with your family and friends or even just meeting strangers. This includes what you wear, how you speak, what language you use, every action you take. HAVE: The result is having our own unique Brand and therefore being completely happy with that in the process. If you don’t know how others see you, dare to ask!
Start the creative juices flowing by writing an idea for your brief on a piece of paper. Hand it to someone else who must write an idea inspired out of your idea. Hand it on to others or keep it moving through a larger team. If you used a new piece of paper for each person and handed that around 10 people you’d have 100 ideas in about 5 minutes! 3
Issue #: September [Date] Issue: 2009
What’s Hot?
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The art of looking sideways By Alan Fletcher. Published by Phaidon Not only is this book inspiring and addictive to read it’s a feast for both the visual thinkers and the wordsmith. Since this newsletter issue is focused on both sides of the brain and as always a celebration of creativity, this book is the perfect pick. It’s witty, cute, perceptive, and feels full of substance. I highly recommend it.
Frequently Asked Questions What does a Creativity Coach Do? It’s great you’re asking. It’s brand new so it’s unlikely you’ll have come across this before and it definitely needs some explanation. The ultimate goal with the work that I do is to implement what it takes to help you get a better creative product out of you, out of the creative department, through your suppliers, past the client and on air. I’m a mix of a counselor, a business & leadership consultant, producer and marketer with a passion for great work getting made. Having 25 years experience deep within advertising agencies, film companies, post and VFX companies as a manager for most of this time I have a deep understanding of the processes and functions that assist the creative product getting out of the agency, film company and VFX house unscathed. I wasn’t an ordinary producer as I have a passion for systems and processes that help the creative process rather than hinder it (there is a difference!) Adding to that my coaching, leadership and EQ training I have a wider view these days to help you get your creative product where you want it to be in unique ways not available to you before from one person. There are some crucial factors that affect good work getting out, starting with your personal issues, communication within the creative department, leadership skills of creative directors and group heads, communication with the client & account management team (being people who don’t think like you do), empowering your suppliers and getting the best out of them, training your producers, marketing your business, being who you need to be to lead the way as opposed to being on the back foot at your client’s mercy.
Issue #:September [Date] Issue: 2009
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Frequently Asked Questions How do you do all that for agencies? There are options soon to be available that will provide a package of services to you and to your team. •
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Creativity Coaching packages and subscriptions including one on one coaching with key management personnel, assessment and recommendations regarding agency systems, participation for all staff in web based workshops and presentations, DISC personality profiling for key staff, video tutorials, articles, interviews, white papers and bonus materials. Presentations to clients including participation by other leadership & creativity experts Keynote presentations Training workshops for producers and creatives Web based workshops by individual class or a series
What’s the deal for film companies and post facilities? There are different options soon to be available to service creative suppliers. •
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Creativity Coaching packages and subscriptions including one on one coaching with producers and directors or key business owners, participation for all staff in web based workshops and presentations, DISC personality profiling for key staff, marketing advice, reel review and branding critique, video tutorials, articles, interviews, white papers and bonus materials. (For post production & VFX facilities there will be assessment and recommendations regarding systems also) Keynote presentations Web based workshops by individual class or a series
ENHANCE YOUR LEFT BRAIN AND CONNECT WITH YOUR CLIENT Assuming that most people that read this ezine are right brain thinkers given the latest statistics mentioned above, that our clients are likely to be left brain thinkers, and that the future is heading to a balance of both sides of the brain. Left brain activities that you can do to strengthen the muscle on that side of your brain include: golf, do-ityourself projects, woodworking, model building, restoring cars, car repair, hunting electronic games, strategy games, billiards, computers, cards, fishing, spectator sports, tennis, bowling, rowing, team handball, weight lifting, body building, jogging. If nothing else you’ll have something more in common with your client for conversation! More ideas next issue.
Housework Feedback and Contributions welcome! Anne Miles can be contacted at anne@magneticinspiration.com.au or on the mobile 0411 102 401. Feel free to offer articles, tips, comment, feedback or ask questions. Let me know what you want to hear. If you don’t want new ideas to help your creativity unsubscribe by replying to this email and write unsubscribe in the subject line. For those that receive a hard copy and want to save trees subscribe at www.creativitycoach.com.au or email me to ask me to stop sending it. www.creativitycoach.com.au