...Marketing man/blogger Macleod describes himself as a creative director who writes about bleeding-edge marketing and web 2.0. He lives in Cumbria, England…about 4 miles from the Scottish Border. He stopped commuting to New York when he discovered the Internet would allow him to live where he wanted to (and less expensively.) He is best known for his artwork on the back of business cards which he freely allows anyone to use as long as it is not for a commercial purpose. His unconventional blend of ‘in your face’ artwork and writing forces readers to think ‘outside of the box’. For instance, here’s what Hugh has to say about branding: “I don’t like branding. I don’t like brand theory. I like markets. I find them much more interesting. Why? Because branding is all about what people think they do. Markets are about what people actually do. A big difference.”
As an ad man I’m frequently asked “How can I be more creative?” I asked Hugh Macleod if I could share his recent post on how to be more creative and he said “Sure!”. So here they are. By the way, these 31 tips on how to be more creative don’t just apply to advertising. Macleod says they are tips for business, and life in general.
1. Ignore everybody.
2. The idea doesn’t have to be big. It just has to change the world.
3. Put the hours in.
4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being ‘discovered’ by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.
5. You are responsible for your own experience.
6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.
7. Keep your day job.
8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.
9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth toclimb.
10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.
11. Don’t try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.
12. if you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.
13. Never compare your inside with somebody else’s outside.
14. Dying young is overrated.
15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.
16. The world is changing.
17. Merit can be bought. Passion can’t.
18. Avoid the watercooler gang.
19. Sing in your own voice.
20. The choice of media is irrelevant.
21. Selling out is harder than it looks.
22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.
23. Worrying about ‘commercial vs. artistic’ is a complete waste of time.
24. Don’t worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.
25. You have to find your own schtick.
26. Write from the heart.
27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.
28. Power is never given. Power is taken.
29. Whatever choice you make, the Devil gets his due eventually.
30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.
31. Remain frugal.
If you’re the ‘creative type’ (or want to be) you may enjoy cruising through Hugh Macleod’s website, gapingvoid.com. On the page featuring the above creative tips, you’ll find an in-depth explanation of each. You’ll see some interesting ‘business card’ artwork (which you are free to lift for use on your website, etc. as long as you don’t use it commercially) and you’ll find lots of challenging ideas and theories such as Macleod’s thoughts on products we can believe in:
“The market for something to believe in is infinite. We are here to find meaning. We are here to help other people do the same. Everything else is secondary. We humans want to believe in our own species. And we want people, companies and products in our lives that make it easier to do so. That is human nature.”
So take a trip to gapingvoid.com (but not if you’re offended by the F word freely embellished throughout the Hughtrain). And if you gain some insight or inspiration, Hugh encourages you to seek out a seller of ‘Stormhoek’ wine of which he admits to having some financial interest in.
And now that I’ve shared Mr. Macleod’s thoughts on being creative, let me share a few of my own. Speak simply…avoid big words. Value your listener/viewer/readers time. Get to the point. Lead with the most important idea or thought. Don’t try to convey more than two ideas in one piece of copy. Repeat for clarity and recall. Avoid clichés. Rather than struggling with a concept or words to describe your product or service or brand, invite a handful of your most passionate and enthusiastic and loyal customers to a gathering. Wine and cheese, tea and crumpets or a full sit down dinner. Then turn on a microphone and ask these folks how they would describe doing business with you. Transcribe those thoughts word for word. No creative genius in the world will be able to write better copy.
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