What does it take to be a great creative? Sudler and Hennessey’s Rob Rogers gives his thoughts
The Drum recently caught up with Rob Rogers, Sudler and Hennessey’s co-chief executive for the Americas, to find out what he thinks it takes to be a great creative. Here’s what he had to say.
As we copiously consume the rich and endless array of creatively clever treats thrust upon us via our addiction to the push and pull of the online world, creatives must be in a priapic state of inspiration. Yet this is not the case.
Despite an embarrassment of riches, the bewildering choice online has somehow created the opposite effect. The dense, disconnected environment confuses and clutters even the agile mind, and many creative folk continue to struggle for new ideas and fresh thinking.
Perhaps we should find alternatives to the content on our little screens and get out of the office?
When I’m stuck I like to take a walk and often recommend that writers sit in public places, listening, recording the ebb and flow of real conversation. Some folks are inspired by attending TED Talks, for others it’s listening to live music or volunteering.
We encourage people working in healthcare to tune in to the emotions related to illness to remind them of the purpose of medicine.
A friend of mine teaches reading to six-year-olds and returns uplifted on every occasion.
Is there a secret sauce for inspiration? One could hypothesize, from these examples, that inspiration is within reach of everyone but, for creatives, it’s the ability to align human experience with an insight that turns mere stimulus into compelling communication.
So when does some absorbing piece of video become inspirational instead of merely amusing? What does it take for a piece of art to be converted into a startling key visual? What transmogrification turns an intimate conversation into the strategic underpinning for a great campaign idea?
I believe it’s the power of associative thought.
Creative association is the ability to link separate and often disparate ideas to create something new. It’s an ability frequently found in creative people, but it is also a skill that can be learned and practiced.
Following are some ideas to improve creative associative ability.
Practice the art of observation: learn how to look and to listen, find the details and the whole, and find a way to record your observances.
Practice the skill of connection: take an idea you like and combine it with another, then perhaps a third, making it interesting, meaningful or compelling along the way.
Practice focus: tune your brain into the potential opportunity that lies before you by tuning out the noise of the environment.
The greatest improvement comes from practice.
Find out what other great creatives think it takes to become a great creative