A collection of five more tips for students, grads and junior creatives.
I post one a week on LinkedIn every Thursday, and there’s a big collection back on this block.
Feel free to share and pass them on to anyone who they might be useful for.
Tip 56 // Present the full story.
How you present your idea is as important as the idea itself.
It has more chance of getting made if you sell it well, explaining why it’s the right thing to do.
Creating an idea is a journey, and you know the work’s right by all the thinking you’ve done on the way to it.
So don't just show the idea, tell that story, bring people along the path you took.
And do it with real energy and enthusiasm. Show how you much belief you have in what you've done.
Tip 57 // Find your people.
Collaboration’s key to creating great work.
Creative work needs to be crafted and cared for. You want to find people to work with who’ll not just do that but want to push further too.
Photographers, illustrators and directors you can kick ideas around with to see new angles and options. True partners.
An agency producer I used to work with a lot always said ‘You’ll be spending a lot of time with the people on a production. Make sure they're not d*cks’.
And that’s as true in an agency as on a shoot.
Tip 58 // Plan for the future.
This might sound depressing, but I think it’s important to say.
This industry has an issue, there's not a lot of old creatives. There’s too many reasons for that to explain here, but it does mean you should always think beyond the brief you’re on, to the future.
Maybe you’ll want to CD, start an agency, direct a movie, write a sitcom, even retire early…
You don't have to know the answer now, work it out as you go. Just stay aware and keep those eyes open. Then you’ll be able to pick up skills or contacts that will help you when they’re needed.
Hopefully that’s not depressing, it’s about getting you the future you want.
Tip 59 // Persistence pays off.
A lot of people tell you finding the right role’s about being in the right place at the right time.
To an extent that’s true. It just makes it sound like it’s all down to chance or luck.
It’s not. If you put yourself into more places more frequently then, guess what, you’re much more likely to be in the right place at the right time. Right?
Optimism, hard-work, ambition, attitude, chance, luck… call it what you will, you make it yourself.
It's all about persistence.
Tip 60 // Role-play as real people.
The best form of advertising is word of mouth.
You’re more likely to buy something a friend recommends than by seeing an ad for it.
It’s not just down to the fact you trust them, it’s that they talk about that product in a way that connects with you.
So, when you’re trying to come up with ideas, role-play.
Just talk about the product as if you’re telling your mate why they should buy it.
You’ll come up with ideas, language and insights based in the real world.
