‘I’m not creative’ and other advertising industry myths

As an industry described as creative, we perpetuate the myths for good reason – without it, why would our clients turn to us? But the unspoken truth is that creativity isn’t magic. It just requires a little faith. Here are a few myths that need busting.

Myth 1: ‘I’m not creative, but…’

It’s a phrase I've often heard uttered by account teams, producers and clients before they offer their own contribution. Each time, it serves to reinforce the ‘us and them’ mentality in the creative process.

In our industry, we’ve never got to grips with the language we use when describing creatives (people), the creative (work), and creative (quality). This grammatical sleight of hand creates a sense of othering that acts to exclude, rather than include, people in the process, and undermine their participation.

The result is creatives (the people) being put on a pedestal and the work they produce somehow beyond the reach of mere mortals. We don’t talk about the mystique of client servicing, the fables of production or the parables of media agencies, but maybe we should.

Every job, whether in advertising or not, benefits from creative thinking. After all, what is our industry if it isn't a constant, unrelenting, task of solving problems? How do we do more with less? How do we integrate AI into our workflows? What will keep the client from having a panic attack and Whatsapping me on a Sunday night? Whether you’re Creative or simply thinking creatively, we all have something to offer.

Myth 2: ‘We’re all creatives’

The truth is, we’re not – at least, not yet! A more accurate statement would be ‘creatives are all creative’, because your typical account exec or office manager can’t legitimately write ‘thinking time’ on their timesheets.

We need to offer people the time, space, audience and context in which to solve problems. We can’t expect innovative thinking if teams don't know what they’re solving for. To genuinely invest in innovation, you need to nurture creative thinking across all teams and build that thinking space into the workday.

It could be setting regular time aside for one-on-ones with your teams, sharing briefs around different departments, or simply presenting your own work for criticism. Underpinning all this is the need to listen and act. If we don’t acknowledge the roadblocks, we can’t work together on a solution.

Myth 3: Creativity is just the pretty bits

While many of the myths of creativity are set to elevate the role of the creative (the people) and their work, they also act to undermine the value of creative thinking in other aspects of the business. All too often, creative work is wheeled out, then wheeled back in again when the ‘grown-ups’ need to have their say on budgets or effectiveness.

It might be presumptuous to assume that all advertising and marketing professionals are driven by the same things, but I want my work to be seen by the largest audience possible. This ambition requires creative thinking at every stage, whether your job title is creative or not.

After all, what use is a strategy if it’s not curious? What’s the point of a client if we don’t collaborate? How can we judge whether we’re proud of the work if we’re not critical of its positive impact on society? Pull your creatives close and start to solve these big issues together.

My message to any other creatives reading this? We’ve got to do more than just invite our colleagues to peek behind the curtain. We must invite them in, make them a cup of tea, and set about creating the culture and environment to nurture creativity in every aspect of our industry.

Only once the myths are dispelled can we get on with making the sort of work in which we can all be proud to have played our part.