Oct 7, 2018
How do you deliver good creative work?
I believe in a few simple rules. I found them in books, talks or picked them up from people I worked with. After years in practice, there are only ten left that I practice every day.
I joined the club of creatives by choice, not because I had no idea what else to do. Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths around us creatives. That we pick a lot in our noses and that an "idea" always comes out of the blue while we are taking a … But I hate wasting time while being at work.
To me, not wasting someone else's time is not only a question of politeness but also of professional behaviour. How do I not waste time? My answer is efficiency. Of course, it is: I am German. But working efficiently seems to be a tricky episode — even for a German.
Here is my Top 10 list for more efficient work-life – especially, but probably not only for creatives. Some advice may sound very easy, some even trivial. The power and the pain comes when you practice it daily and consequently:
1. Always be honest – to me, to my team, level up, level down and with the client.
2. We climb mountains (small) step by step. Routines eliminate unnecessary decisions.
3. Everyone: Do your job. Or just be like Bill.
4. The best result is the one I reach within the given time, the given resources and running the best process.
“I think that allowing somebody, one mere person to believe that he or she is the vessel, the font and the essence and the source of all divine, creative, unknowable, eternal mystery is just a smidge too much responsibility to put on one fragile, human psyche” – Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love)
5. Hierarchy is nothing terrible. It is a neutral term. And it is always there. Companies may ignore it or claim it is "super flat", but I believe a clear, consequent hierarchy (or structure) simplifies a lot and creates a good workflow.
6. Living a creative life is just like running a marathon: I can't run a marathon every day. Nor will I ever finish one, just by running occasionally. I need to practice regularly, push my limits often and always rest early enough.
7. Short-term acting leads to long term bullshit.
8. If we don't have fun, the people looking at our ads won't have fun either.
9. If I can shorten a list of ten things to nine: do it.
10. Everyone needs to fail and get the chance to do better next time.
What would you add? What's just madness? Any similiar expercience?
Happy 2 discuss!
Yours, Katsche
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I am an ex-corporate-lawyer, now full time creative. Get in touch with me:
- For marketing issues – from short (social media) copies to website UX and web copies up to film scripts, brand strategy or campaign ideas: www.kani-creatives.com/contact
- For speaker inquires on topics such as effective working methods, creativity boosts or legal knowledge for the creative industry: www.linkedin.com/in/katsche
- For art-related inquiries, drop me a pm, i.e. on Instagram: @katscheartist
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