Hire me, I dare you.
January 25, 2012
To be quite honest, I need to be creative. It’s like food for me and I’m definitely an overeater. So give me a project, challenge me, I dare you!
When I first realized I had an affinity for creativity I was 10 years old. I decided I was good enough to draw the illustration of the month in the comic book magazine–I think it was the duck with the cowboy hat, you know the ads for art school. “If you’re good enough”, it said, “you could be accepted to art school”.
At 10 years old I just wanted to be “good enough”. So I started with my first draft and went to my father, the draftsman, for my first critique. “Need to straighten up that line there, and fix that smudge here”, he said. After 10 attempts at satisfying my dad, I gave up. I thought, artists can’t make anyone happy–they’re never good enough.
Getting my BFA in graphic design and minor in print making after my four year stint in the, “Be all you can be” Army, I was ready to be creatively challenged in a career in advertising. I realized that my drive for success was just as ego driven as my need to be “good enough”. My father’s push became my influence for acceptance through accomplishment. I was a sponge for knowledge. If I didn’t know how to do something, I found someone who did and pushed them to my standards–the birth of my art direction years.
After four agencies and rising to a senior level art director, I was enjoying working with some of the most talented people in the Nashville market and beyond. With brands like Jack Daniels, Purity, Singer, Presbyterian USA, The NFL, The NHL and Nortel, the diversity of creative executions became my passion. I realized everyday at work was an opportunity for creating something new–even better, something unique and effective. Now that was acceptance, accomplishment…”good enough”.
My last challenge was becoming a Creative Director at one of the hottest shops in Nashville. However, it was during this time that I realized my true zeal for creativity–giving it away. As a leader of creative teams, my mission was no longer being good enough, it became making you “even better”. Thus the revelation of my real gift from my creator, a teacher. Sure, I succeeded in all the normal responsibilities as an agency leader: planning, hiring, presentations, planning, estimating, planning, did say planning already? It was the time I was able to spend with other creatives that I longed for each day. It was also during this time in my career that I explored teaching at local art colleges. What started with one class here and there became many, then portfolio reviews, lectures and workshops. Even writing creative projects/promts for author Robin Landan’s “Take a line for a walk”. I couldn’t get enough of it.
What I realized was that my desire to be good enough was only actualized by others acceptance. My value became helping people find hope…in themselves. What I didn’t realize was that this was also a curse. The opportunities for me to create on my own, something I found great joy in, was replaced with a selfless passion for helping others accomplish, visualize or just to understand something they couldn’t before. To inspire others meant I couldn’t inspire myself. I thought.
Alas, to live another day. The real joy of life. One more day to do something different. To forget everything you were doing and gain a new perspective. God actually tells us we can became an entirely new person than we were just a second ago. All it takes is a different perspective and faith in the action of believing in something bigger than yourself. BECAUSE, it’s not really about me. It’s about something else. Something even better than good enough.
Today I lead the graphic design program at Nossi College of Art. It’s the best job I could ever imagine. I get inspired everyday by young creative minds grasping to find their “good enough” and for me to reveal to them the “even better”.
I’m also involved with branding and planning as the brand manager with our ad agency. However, I still long for that next project when I can have one more opportunity to do something unique, something amazing. Funny thing is, it can be anything, a logo, a billboard, a radio or tv spot. I love it all. I even do it for free sometimes. The flexibility and expectation of this job is to stay current in my profession. The school’s philosophy in this way allows for relevant teaching and current perspectives within the curriculum and classroom expectations.
Please look through my portfolio pages and if you like what you see, hire me for a project, I’m hungry!
You have to surrender to win.
June 15, 2011
After 17 years in the advertising agency business I’ve realized a vital key aspect of success. I have to give up my own ideas for the opportunity of a better one. Beyond my own self delusional compulsion to “do it right” lies a possible idea at the edge of darkness ready to be birthed. There’s only one thing stopping it. Me.
Yes, I still believe that I’m good at what I do. Yes I am a perfectionist. And no I don’t think that an idea should set sail just to give some irrelevant ignorant conception a chance. However, the opportunity should exist within a creative process that allows for new thoughts and challenges to exist. True collaboration starts with no one owning anything.
To the extent of how this process can be done effectively is the slight difference between obligation and responsibility. Obligation is the commonality shared by those who are devoted to the PROCESS to solve the creative challenge. Responsibility is the ego centric bologna that has ruined the conservative agency model and any other creative educational methodology since. Surrendering the ownership of both obligation and responsibility is how you win.
In fact, this is exactly how crowdsourcing done correctly can be successful. I’ve completed many of these events as a Creative Director and to this day am involved with non profit crowdsourcing projects with 30 plus talented people each time. All within a 30 hour timespan from start to finish. It’s one of the most rewarding things I do.
Today I’m an educator. I’m obligated to the process of putting the right teachers in classrooms and to the curriculums that are relevant to the creative industries we send our students out to conquer. Does this make me, our teachers and our students immune to the conundrum of the fore mentioned plague? Of course not. Why because there still exists the ego. Do I still suffer from it? Yes. The truth is in the fact that I want the reward of claiming the responsibility of the idea so I can claim the acceptance of others in a world littered with finger pointing.
Here’s the real truth. In order to be accepted by others, to claim respect, integrity and honor, I have to give up being responsible for it all. I have to surrender the burden of taking it all on myself. When I share the obligation AND the responsibility with others then we all win. We’re all moving together in the same direction. And that also means we all share in the reward together.
This effort takes real commitment by everyone. Those involved can’t just “do their part” and expect the results to be successful. It takes dedication, trust and…passion. Yes passion. Because without giving a shit, there’s no real effort. In the end the weakest links pull apart the strongest chain. However, those that are crazy enough to say it can be done, are usually the ones that get it done.
You might say, that sounds like utopia. And you might be right. But utopia might just be the idea on the edge of darkness, just waiting to be birthed.
Bruce Stanley is a Creative Director and the Graphic Design Coordinator at Nossi College of Art. His belief in the ability to control your creative destiny is why he enjoys sharing his expertise and experiences with others. You can reach him though his blog, caretocreate.com, twitter, @bsimage or at bruce@nossi.edu.
You can’t own creativity. It owns you.
January 3, 2011
I find it fascinating how many people who call themselves “creatives” spend a lot of effort defending their ownership of creativity and subsequently, their value within it. After spending two decades of creative education and professional experience from a BFA in Graphic Design to Designer, Art Director, Creative Director and Creative Educator, I’ve realized the approach of defending the subjectivity of the creative process and who has the rights to it is futile.
It seems that the evolution of creative ideation and collaboration has some running scared. The concept of joining forces with the consumer, client and the “suits” of an agency to develop strategies and medias designed to communicate in new ways is arguably the sign of the creative apocalypse. It also appears that the ability to conceive ideas and execute and evoke engaging conversations with consumers to uncover honest brands with believable products are only left for a gifted few.
Now, before I get shunned from the creative community, let me clarify. I’m not talking about the creative capabilities of talented artists trained and educated to execute and produce these ideas with the latest technologic tools of the trade – that can be victoriously argued. I’m simply suggesting that today it is time to evolve the belief that creativity, the use of imagination, isn’t for everyone. Creativity can be birthed from anywhere by anyone. I’m not saying that it will be, but that it CAN be – the idea that opportunities presented are possible.
To prove this is a global issue, about a month ago an article, who’s author will remain anonymous, was posted on an online creative professional community called Linkedin titled, “Should we have Creative Departments in the 21st century? Our Creative Director, would kill me if he read this, but surely the whole agency (including client and consumer) is creative now?” Started by a CEO of a London based ad agency. It’s also important to note that the Creative Director mentioned here is quite possibly the alter ego of the CEO and author of this article. After 203 comments, it was enough to warrant me writing this new post.
I think it’s worth sharing a few of those comments, who’s authors will also be anonymous, to frame the calamity that presents us. The conversations between these Creative Directors, CEOs, Writers, Designers, Account Execs and at times clients epitomizes the idea that ownership of creativity and it’s process is in fact coveted. First, a few who are really defensive:
“Asking a questions like that in this forum is really only going to start an argument in my opinion. Most creatives do so much more than generate just ‘ideas’ – the same ideas that you go on to take the plaudits for in meetings and in the end sell to clients to create revenue. Have a little more respect for others trades and skills and they might have a little more for yours.” –Anonymous Creative Director
Who says Client and Consumer are creative, the Client and Consumer? If Client and Consumer are creative why stop at the creative department lets just close the doors and all walk away! Advertising need not exist, your talking about an entirely new industry which basically sounds a bit like a dictatorship to me. Client “Lets make that logo even bigger now that we’ve increase the headline and body copy it’s getting a bit lost.” Mac Operator “Oh what a brilliant idea, how creative you are, lets not worry about your USP the logos much more important.” I’ve got a better idea, lets loose all the suits.” –Anonymous Creative Director
“The idea that “everyone is a creative” is just a further devaluation of what creatives do. There is a lot of that going on. Acct execs who are creative are a blessing. Acct execs who think they’re CREATIVES are not. I have respect for any and all co-workers who do their job, let me do mine and understand that we’re all pulling oars on the same galley.” Anonymous Art Director/Writer
“Funny how people always admire to be creative, I don’t blame them we are lucky! I would hate it if I was a suit man, and I would hate it more if I don’t create. After all what’s in and idea if it is not executed and polished by the creative people. Would you let anybody operate on you other than a professional Surgeon? Enough said, let’s all work together and be happy. Amen.”–Anonymous Creative Director
And now a few post from those who are trying to suggest a new perspective:
“Only if all other departments involving passion, study, and intensity continue to exist, then, for the sake of fairness if for no other, of course we should(get rid of the creative dept.). That’s the cool part! And everyone is certainly creative. That’s the coolest part!” Anonymous Designer/Illustrator
“The ability to work as a team and respect everyones ability to contribute within their area of expertise is the key answer to this question. At all levels, in all departments. Yes, lord knows even accountants can be “creative”. See it for what it is and let it breathe.”–Anonymous Creative Director
“Why do these barriers and pigeonholes exist? I’m CEO of our agency but i’ve always seen my role as listening out for the germ of an idea in everyday conversation, perhaps in a brainstorm, that can form the basis of a great campaign. Because these throwaway comments come from real people, if they’re used as the basis for a creative campaign, they’re much more likely to mean something to the people they’re aimed at, precisely because they’re from real experience and not an advertising cliche or formula thought up and developed in a room where an art director faces a copywriter. Ideas can come from anywhere and now can be spread by almost anything. We’re all creative and my advice is: use your ears. The answer you’re looking for is being spoken somewhere right now”–Anonymous CEO of ad agency and author of the original post
On a final note, I would like to include this comment:
“PS Crowd-sourcing is the lazy man’s/woman’s answer to creative development. As Henry Ford once said, “If I had asked Americans what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.” – Anonymous President of an ad agency
This last statement I think is the most fearful of all. It also has some validity in claiming that fear. Crowdsourcing is a new term on an old idea…brainstorming. The only difference is that the later is more believably trustworthy. Why? Because it is consistently controlled more effectively based on years of an experienced process. The wrongful thinking that crowdsourcing can save time and money is also why it is a threat to creatives everywhere. On the contrary, this process can actually be done successfully. The trick is the answer to this entire blog post’s debate.
I agree that everyone has the potential to be creative. AND we should always allow for that creativity, especially when it comes to engagement and communication strategies with mobile, guerilla and social initiatives. However, not everyone that has a creative idea can make great decisions on what to do with them. Creative leaders bridge planning and strategy into creative executions with their teams. Experience pays off in this area.
What assets do designers and creative writers have that can benefit the agency? Adhering to the science of a creative process, understanding composition and design is a learned skill. Not to mention the countless hours of time spent using the tools of a creative artist/designer. If you aren’t confident with your value within the creative process, it might mean you need to focus on some personal growth and change that perspective.
It’s the idea that everyone has the “potential to be creative” is what we have to be open to. You never know where a great idea will be birthed. Claiming ownership to “creativity” in that sense is a missed opportunity. I admit, this takes a special environment free of egos and respect to the talents of everyone to do their specific jobs aligned with their skill-sets.
Today’s conversations about brands are bigger than ads and scripts. Embracing today’s social technology and the evolving contributing personalities that will develop and collaborate with trained creative professionals is the key to new generations of consumers who will embrace brands that are transparent and honest about their products and services. Am I suggesting an advertising and marketing utopia? Not really, it’s the way we should have been doing it all along. Is this kind of change to much to ask? Will our creative ownership continue to be threatened by change and new ideals and the need to control outcomes that were never meant to be controlled by anyone in the first place? Yes. This isn’t a new argument, but hopefully it is a new perspective.
Growth comes from sharing
November 11, 2010
Twice in one year I’ve camped out at Cadillac Ranch in downtown Nashville for two session presentations at PodCamp and BarCamp. These conferences are held in cities all over the nation and are coordinated and presented by locals covering trends in marketing and technology. Pod Camp was held back in July and more recently, BarCamp in October. You may remember an earlier post on crowdsourcing and how I was asked to be the Creative Director for 30 talented folks helping out a non-profit called YouthTurns. Well, Ian Rhett, from Civic Actions, presented the case study for the event at this year’s BarCamp and asked if I would join him in discussing our success.
It was a good turnout and as expected there were some questions as to how to successfully execute a crowdsourcing event, especially one lasting only 30 hours. Guests included a few of the 30 people who helped execute the function and in typical Ian Rhett fashion, he involved them in the conversation.
The best news came after the 30 minute session was over. Andy Dixon, the founder of YouthTurns, was approached by a representative for TED and asked if he would be interested in speaking at one of their conferences. I think that just put the icing on our case study.
You can read more about the crowdsourcing event in the Creative Director’s section of this website. It gives a complete breakdown of the hours and what the deliverables were – pretty powerful.
Oh, I have to note the brands that sponsored the BarCamp event, at least one of them anyway. Sprint did a good job engaging the attendees with a location van outside the event with product demos and giveaways. Here’s one such giveaway that I thought was pretty cool. A usb wristband – 1G even.
Busy. A four letter word for fun.
October 9, 2010
That old saying “time flies when…” holds true to my absence in updating my home here.
This story is about what’s been going on with a private art college here in Nashville. I was asked to join Nossi College of Art back in May. They needed help restoring faith in their Graphic Design program and were looking for someone with a connection in the Nashville advertising community to help build back a strong faculty to instruct at a new level. Not to mention they were in the middle of a rebrand and were struggling with some decisions that would help them establish a new perspective in the market– after 37 years it had one more chance to be new again. I was up for the challenge.
This college has a great story. Nossi is actually the name of the woman who founded the school, teaching right out of her home after immigrating from Iran. She believes everyone should have the chance to express their creativity and she became devoted to educating those wanting to explore their opportunities in art.
Today, the school is in it’s 37th year and after a long stay in Goddlettesville, TN has just built a 55,00 sq ft creative oasis right here in Nashville. I encourage you to visit the school, you won’t be disappointed. Complete with state-of-the-art technology and environmental upgrades the facility is truly a place conducive for creativity. Offering Associate and Bachelor degrees from Graphic Design and Illustration to Photography and Videography, it is an art college to be reckoned with. You can find out more about the school by visiting the website.
It’s fun branding an art college and I’m enjoying it more each and every day. Here are some examples of our latest efforts. The new logo/brand design was influenced by the public’s challenge in recognizing the correct pronunciation of the school’s name. Then we just had some fun with language surrounding the long “O” in executing the designs and additional branding.
The journey continues with new students arriving and more on the way. The bonus? Teaching these students everyday. Which brings me to the second part of the story – to grow the quality of the Graphic Design program and lead faculty to new levels of commitment.
The Graphic Design and Illustration program was critically examined by myself and another coordinator leading the Illustration program, Arden VanHeagar. Together we evolved both curriculums and invited additional professionals we knew from the industry to join our existing team of faculty. We are continuing to redefine what it takes to help students be successful in today’s industry.
With a new curriculum, new faculty, a new facility AND the new brand, the growth of Nossi College of Art is underway.
In my next post I’ll share about what I continue to do as a freelance Creative Director. Go ahead and check out one of my most interesting clients, AgencyMJ. Branding photographers is equally as fun. Also, you can find me at the upcoming BarCamp Nashville next weekend Oct. 16th, we’re I’ll be talking about a successful crowdsourcing event I directed.
If you love creativity, give it away…
August 5, 2010
to those who need it desperately.
Networking with creative people is the best. How else would I have been able to connect with folks like those I met during the Southern Fried Designathon, self titled by the famous @JessicaRMurray? Three organizations: The Collaboratory; Geek for Good; and The Social Media Club joined forces and asked their members to spend 24 hours utilizing their talents for a worthy nonprofit, Youthturns, an organization that serves the families of prisoners to help mentor and educate youth so that they don’t take the same path to prison as their parents.
Having some success with these kinds of events (CreateAthon), I was asked to be the Creative Director for the shindig and I gladly accepted – staying up all night with a bunch of creative people doing branding…hell yeah!
After some pre-planning meetings the CoLab of Nashville graciously donated their space and off we went.
At 11am on a Saturday, we began with a compelling story by Andy Dixon, the founder of Youthturns. His journey and dedication to helping America’s youth break the cycle of generational incarceration is really why we organized this whole event. This allowed everyone who just showed up with their sleeping bags to get caught up with whom they were about to feverishly work so hard and understand their mission.
With teams of writers, marketers, videographers, photographers, designers, web developers and PR folks – over 30 people in all, we were a force to be reckoned with. Led by three coordinators: leaders of the Collaboratory; Geek for Good; The Social Media Club and myself, we marched through the night with a plan. Helped by team leads and plenty of donated caffeine, we accomplished executing a tremendous branding campaign that was delivered to the founders of Youthturns by 11am the following morning. Including a new logo, brochure, letterhead and business cards, marketing strategy, 5-minute Ignite presentation, video package, a handbook for prison families, social media connections and a new Website.
We even had a visit from the Nashville Fire Dept. and Police after a fire Alarm went off at 5am! It definitely woke us up and got us fired up to complete the event. –Pun intended.
Taking advantage of social media, we made sure we used all our existing twitter accounts and streamed the entire event live via ustream so that others could follow us. Not to mention that our promo video received over 72,000 views within the first 20 minutes on our website – all because of our dedication to using social connections online. You can visit our facebook page or our twitter account and or hash-tag – #designathon to catch all the antics that transpired through the night.
We were able to pull some media exposure from 3 different local news networks, These links will show the news video captured at the event. WTVF, WKRN, WSMV.
The cool thing is that we could do it again. With lessons learned, evolving leadership and creative recruiting, the power behind planned, focused crowdsourcing done within a short time frame can be very effective. After doing this kind of event three times now, choosing one non-profit is definitely the way to go. I’ve worked on 16 brands in one night before – you can’t give brands everything they need in that situation.
This experience was amazing. Helping people who can’t afford marketing and desperately need it to get funding to start their worthy cause makes you realize that maybe your talents are meant for something other than accolades. Creativity is meant to be shared – sometimes in a big way.
Seek creativity
June 20, 2010
When we are surrounded by creative people and ideas on a daily basis we forget to infuse our lives with other creative inspiration. We may think that our personal world is full of creativity and don’t have the time to seek it elsewhere.
For me, finding creativity is just part of my life in general. I can’t turn it off. From County festivals like the Annual RC Cola and Moonpie Festival in Bell Buckle, TN, to the local Murfreesboro, TN Hotrod Association which gathers over 200 cars and trucks at a local mall parking lot every Friday night – yeah, every Friday night, seeking individuality and inspiration is what I’m after.
The creative arts and crafts and the custom executions of upholstery and paint are enough to walk away content. However it’s the people I enjoy talking to most. The personal pride in their creations and the stories behind them all are just inspiring.
Sometimes you can find local shops with antiques and I dig looking at the old graphic art found on packaging.
For those who know me, you know one of my creative outlets is hotrodding. And finding a local hotrod chapter hanging out in large numbers is a chance to get ideas about projects I’m working on and to chat up fellow hotrodders and share challenges to creative things we’re working on.
In the end, it’s about seeking creativity and making it a part of my life. The reward is unmeasurable. All the images and events from this post happened in one weekend. I feel empowered starting my week fueled with creative inspiration and can’t wait to get back to my own work.
Love what you do
May 24, 2010
We’ve all been told to pursue a career so that you end up loving what you do, yet so many of us fall short somewhere along the way. For me, following my creative interests was a no-brainer; however, my journey wasn’t an easy path.
Looking back, the only thing I did consistently was follow people smarter than myself and be willing to listen and take suggestions. That’s not to say that I don’t have some chops yo! But someone once told me that if you surround yourself with those that can mentor, challenge and inspire you to be something you can’t yet see in yourself, the day would come when you will love what you do.
Today, I still follow that same path. Sometimes I think I can’t learn enough fast enough. My obsessive behavior and thirst for knowledge have filled my creativity cup to what feels like the brim at times. I’ve found that the only way I can make room for more is by sharing my expertise and experiences with others. As long as I’m willing to accept input from others, I know I’ll continue to grow.
It is this process that allows me to say that I truly love what I do. Will I love what I do in the future? I can’t say, cause I’ve also learned not to predict too far ahead of myself, unless I’m measuring your brand and you’re paying me to do so. Hehe. Sorry I couldn’t help that. Seriously, to “love what you do” you have to humble yourself and explore what’s going on today. Believe me, there’s enough of it to keep us all busy.
So what am I doing that I love so much? Take a look around this blog site and you’ll see that I enjoy being a Designer, Art Director and Creative Director. Although, one thing you won’t find here, and is a major contribution to my happiness, is teaching students and leading faculty at a local art college see their potential for creative value. I’ve found that I enjoy giving back so much that I now dedicate a lot of my time as the Graphic Design Program Director and Sr. Faculty Coordinator at Nossi College of Art.
This school’s vision for arming art students to be not only successful but valuable in the industry will not doubt help them to love what they do. If I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t be there.
I encourage everyone to continue seeking out what makes them happy. When you find it, don’t forget to feed it everyday. It will grow into something you can’t imagine and you’ll find yourself saying, “I love what I do”.
WWCD – What Would Creativity Do?
April 13, 2010
Recently I was asked by a college student finishing graduate school to answer a few questions about my creative education, career path and what creativity means to me, specifically as it relates to advertising and industry change. His interest and trust in me was prompted by an RT on Twitte from a post I made – “Don’t be afraid”.
I’m always happy to help out young people aspiring to grow their creative interests and enter the world of advertising. There’s a couple of reasons I do this: to remind myself why I love being a Creative Director in advertising and to be challenged by new perspectives from those leaning new solutions to old ideas.
The following is my response to this student:
First let me say that I appreciate your initiative to take responsibility for your creative destiny. Many people don’t take ownership in their personal/professional growth. It is the only place to start, continue and never finish. I will do my best to answer these questions and provide further reading from others who are scholars and people I trust with my personal development – mentors. On that last note, here are some authors you should follow and books I have read, each teach either leadership philosophy or creative guidance – all with the understanding of how taking risks and embracing failure will get you past the ceiling that most people hit and stay:
Talent Is Never Enough: Discover the Choices That Will Take You Beyond Your Talent
by John C. Maxwell
Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
by Seth Godin
The Culture Code: An Ingenious Way to Understand Why People Around the World Live and Buy as They Do
by Clotaire Rapaille
Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People (Hardcover)
By Marc Gobe
MTIV: Process, Inspiration and Practice for the New Media Designer
by Hillman Curtis
These books were inspirational to me and they cover everything from how to use and develop your talent, to understanding how you should be innovative and think differently. Some cover personal process and others explain how we should measure cultures to build strategies around them.
Ok, where to start? When students ask me where they should take their creative interests to be successful in their career I have to ask them a question. What is most important to you? Is it the degree or the ability to be great that you’re after? If you say the degree and that it will make you great, then you have some priority issues. Most think a degree is all they need and believe that process will make them creative, talented and great. Not true. An educational environment will only inspire and coach you to be great. Greatness comes from personal growth and creativity isn’t a talent, it’s an obligation.
The creative field you have chosen can grow you in ways that only you can achieve through experience and personal relationships (mentoring). Most industries can say they experience change rapidly, but I will say that when you are dealing with human behavior, culture and entertainment you can expect change at rate that is almost impossible to keep up with. That said, aside from the fundamentals, what you learn today in school will be mostly obsolete when you graduate. The reason: today we need design thinkers and strategic farmers based on human connection and culture alignment, not better artists.
Now to your questions:
How and why did you get into a creative field?
I went to college to study psychiatry and sociology. It wasn’t until my Sophomore year while taking a journalism class that someone said I should look at being an Advertising or Graphic Design major. Why? Because I was creative and was fascinated with human behavior. It’s the last part that I never really learned in school but I knew advertising had to be all about that – the artistic thing I was kinda born with and the rest just happened due to others I studied from and constantly challenging myself to be better. I found mentors to learn from.
Did you attend a book school? If so, what school?
I went to a University. One that had a pretty good Advertising and Art program. MTSU – Middle Tennessee State University. I never attended a “book school”. Book schools push you to be good, but that ability comes from within and the desire to learn from others with others (collaboration). You can definitely benefit from a portfolio school but ONLY if you have the tenacity. These schools are rigorous and difficult. The best part about them is that they teach you to trust in your abilities and to not give up (the realization of your potential). This is very similar to boot camp in the military – you learn just how far you can push yourself without breaking. If you are not an artist by nature, these schools will not make you one. Believe me.
What’s the major characteristic(s) young and creatives alike lack they MUST learn?
Simple. Belief in yourself and the ability to grow…on your own. Meaning, you have to give a shit. You have to want to learn from others and surround yourself with people who are better than you. Always ask why and challenge yourself and others to better solutions to the same old problems. Communicating with human beings can be difficult to keep up with. You must embrace change. I’ll say that again, you must embrace change. It’s ok to say that what you learned two years ago doesn’t work anymore. Was it a waste? No, ’cause two years ago it worked. Jay-Z says, “On to the next thing.”
What have you heard about Miami Ad School San Francisco?
These schools have reputations for a reason. They have been farms for big agencies to cultivate from. They teach you how to keep pace and push yourself, to never give up and work hard, because that’s what big agencies need. I’m not saying they aren’t beneficial, they are, especially on a resume. But I have hired students from these schools and it’s funny, some are really talented and some aren’t. It’s your last question that they didn’t get.
I don’t think traditional media is dead, integration will save them. Thoughts?
It’s definitely not dead, we just have to find better ways to use them. You’re right about integration. People want transparency and they want consistency. And they want you to be everywhere they are. Traditional media has taken somewhat of a back seat lately due to the economy and profiteering. Media companies have been raking us for decades. When the economy dropped out, online media and other untraditional paths to communication took over because it was cheaper and easily measured, WITHOUT ratings and dependency on media buyers. This AND change happened. People aren’t in the same places they once were.
What is advertising to you?
Advertising to me is the ability to connect with people in an interesting way. Period. To better their lives or to act in a way that is beneficial to others. Meaning… to make a difference. In the end we are allowing others to look at culture and ourselves – to laugh and and be honest with how to communicate with each other. Lastly to help others enjoy and appreciate art and creativity. You’re probably asking, Where is the part about selling products and services? If you are doing all that other stuff right, that is automatic. Make someone’s life better or get them to trust and believe in you, then you can introduce product and service to them. Here’s the catch, today you have to be honest about it. YEAH!
I hope this was helpful. It’s tough to get it all in a short e-mail. I will say this one last thing. You control your destiny, not someone else or a school. These things can certainly help you, but only in the sense that you make the most of it and continue to push yourself past it. Growth should never stop.
–Bruce
People are cool.
March 24, 2010
From my last post, “Connecting socially with purpose”, you found out that I’m a social person – social in the sense that I enjoy meeting people, not out partying till dawn (although I’ve done that too). I frequent events and find ways to get out and talk to real human beings. It’s good for my soul and I appreciate listening to others and what’s going on in their world, especially in advertising and marketing. I just want to share about the cool people I’ve been meeting lately.
Wow, in just a few short weeks I’ve met students, designers, directors, CEOs, VPs Marketing Gurus, Teachers and just people curious to know what I’ve been up to since I left redpepper. I’ve traveled to Virginia Beach, New York, Alabama and others judging ADDY shows and meeting AdMen –and women. It’s truly been the Bruce Tour. I kinda feel like the little dude in Fraggle Rock who wrote home about this wonderful place called Planet Earth.
So what have I found? People are cool. They may not all believe in the same things I do or enjoy the same food I enjoy, but I benefit something from everyone I meet. Hopefully they benefit from me as well. In the end…wait there isn’t an end. No matter what I’m doing, I’m always figuring out how to interact with more people. Here’s why:
1. I will always find ways to infuse my life with perspective.
2. Believing in something other than myself requires a humility to understanding new things – letting go of an ego.
3. There is always someone out there better than me, hell, there’s tons. Ok, I do have some talent yo.
4. Exploring new things and experimenting with different philosophies gained by others is a good thing.
5. The only way I’m going to stay fresh and current with todays world is to engage with it.
6. I’m always on the market for mentors. Get your own.
7. Life is short, live it. Getting out of my shell allows for growth and a new scale of understanding the potential for that growth.
8. Meeting new people and places keeps me grounded in my world and focused on my priorities, not problems.
9. It’s about connection right? I mean especially if you are in advertising, you can’t even start to build insights to how to communicate with folks if you don’t know what they’re doing. And no, you can’t just do that online.
10. Tell me what you would put here __________________________.
Each day when I take this approach I learn at least one new thing – maybe I should write these down, geez.
Ok, I wanted to do this more exponentially so I started a little twitter game I call “float place Thursdays”. I take a pic of the place I’m working at for the day and you have to guess where. Here’s how it goes:
“Float place” is my roaming office everyday – I just can’t stay in the house people. Anyway, every Thursday I will take a photo and tweet it to see if you can guess where I’m at. I give the city where I am floating and maybe a few clues. Sometimes I post more that one photo. The first follower who guesses my location wins a gift card to that place. Here’s the catch, you have to meet me to get it – usually at the float place you guessed.
It’s a cool way for me to get to know my followers. Now I get the whole Tweetups thing. It’s funny when I’m meeting these followers for the first time, I’m trying to remember all the tweets that person has made to match them to their face.
This post is about what it takes to be, well, a human being. Cause understanding how to be one takes interacting with other humans. We are social creatures are we not? So if you happen to see me walking down the street in Nashville, TN or in your city. Stop me, let’s get coffee, I promise I’ll listen more than talk – unless you want me to do all the talking – I can do that all day long yo.
