8 Ways to Keep Your Brain Innovative

Creatives have special illnesses like blocks and burn outs that we have to learn to deal with throughout our lives.

Sometimes we just can't think of anything great.

Sometimes nothing at all.

Sometimes you been running and going and throwing so many ideas against the wall your brain packs its sit up and goes to stay at its mom's house for a few days.

I came across this great article that reminded me to nurture of my brain in order to keep it as creative as possible.

8 Ways to Keep Your Brain Innovative
from INC

When I return from the Serengeti, my brain feels new. It's as if the hot African sun sears away mental fog. You can replicate this--closer to home.

shutterstock images

108
inShare

For many years, I have had the privilege of leading groups of family members, friends, colleagues, and clients to Africa. We do volunteer work for the Kenyan Children Foundation; we dig, scrub, build, teach, and--at all times--give as much love as possible to the AIDS children the Foundation serves. Every evening, no matter how late it is, our group convenes to discuss our day. This is not a vacation. This is work--expensive work! Yet year after year, people jump at the opportunity to join me.

People want to join me because of the wonderful feelings that come from helping children who society has otherwise abandoned. There is also the excitement of visiting such a dramatically different part of the world.

Also, after our work is done and we return home, we all notice an interesting phenomenon. Our brains feel new. Our eyes see differently. It's as if the hot African sun seared away all our mental fog.

"It seems crazy to think that I had to go that far to gain perspective," says Lauren, a human resources executive at a Fortune 1000 company. "But life there is simpler. We had no TV or radio or newspapers for three weeks. Unplugging gave me such an appreciation for life. Kenya reminded me of what's important: the beauty of the earth, good food, and fellowship. By getting off the daily treadmill, I was able to get back on it with far more patience. The Serengeti gave me the gift of seeing the bigger picture. Now, in my work, I don't get so wrapped up in the day-to-day challenges that I lose sight of the greater goal. My brain built new pathways and connections, and reached new 'a-ha!' moments that have made my decision-making more clear, my life less stressful, and my heart more grateful."

When I am in Africa, I not only begin to see the "bigger picture," as Lauren says, but I also gradually get into the rhythm of "Africa time." An 8:00 appointment may or may not happen at 8:00. When it happens, it happens. Africa time causes the structural part of my brain to eventually give up and go on a holiday. I also find that the analytical part of my brain is forced to yield to more innovative and more social thinking--so I use the opposite parts of the brain on which Western society is largely based. All these shifts make my brain more open to inspiration and new ideas.

On the treadmill of our daily lives, we are far too busy for Africa time. Blogger J.D. Gershein notes that the expression, "I've been crazy busy," has become the new professional apology, and asks, "How on earth did we arrive at the crossroads of manageable busy and clinical insanity?"

The problem with being "crazy busy" is that it does not allow freewheeling thought. Think of the bright ideas you've had when you were washing your face, or even sound asleep. A recent article in The New York Times titled "The 'Busy' Trap" points out: "History is full of stories of inspirations that come in idle moments and dreams. It almost makes you wonder whether loafers, goldbricks, and no-accounts aren't responsible for more of the world's great ideas, inventions, and masterpieces than the hardworking."

Working incessantly is counterproductive. Our brains can only handle so much. A wonderful article by Sara Robinson called "Bring Back the 40-Hour Work Week" notes that every work day "odds are good that you probably turn out five or six good, productive hours of hard mental work, and then spend the other two or three hours on the job in meetings, answering e-mail, making phone calls and so on. You can stay longer if your boss asks; but after six hours, all he's really got left is a butt in a chair."

Although corporate America has not gotten the message, there is mountains of evidence that working longer hours does not produce better work. In fact, the overworked brain begins to make mistakes, and it is possible for teams to reach a point where they are working longer hours just to correct the errors they made from working longer hours! Dramatic examples of the consequences of brain fatigue include the Exxon Valdez disaster, the space shuttle Challenger explosion, and numerous near-misses when air traffic controllers have been overtired.

So what can you do to work smarter, prevent burn-out, and make sure your brain is always open to inspiration?

1. Work fewer hours.

Working the longest hours of anyone is just foolish.

2. Clarify your goals and core values.

What are you ultimately trying to accomplish? Are you spending too much time spinning your wheels on tasks that are irrelevant?

3. Track your time.

Being ruthlessly efficient allows you to block out periods of non-work time.

4. Don't over-promise.

This is especially challenging for entrepreneurs, since in many cases you won't get the job unless you tell the client you'll get it done in record time--for the least amount of money.

5. Say, 'No.'

Learn to walk away from jobs that will be a nightmare.

6. Hire help.

If you refuse to delegate, you only end up hurting yourself by working longer hours. You will have to learn how to not be a perfectionist and how to not be a control freak.

7. Get a life.

Make sure you have a good life outside of work, and that you're not trying to escape something by working too hard.

8. Unplug. 

Block out periods of time when you will let your phone take messages and let your email collect unread. It's not going anywhere.

Fortunately, you don't need to travel halfway around the world to learn how to make your life less busy and your brain more innovative. By working smarter, you'll have an opportunity for strategic thinking and planning during prime time every day, instead of squeezing your most important visionary work into late nights and weekends.

Draw Something to become an intern

Finding interesting and relevant ways to use social media is always a challenge for creatives.

Here's an interesting and relevant way using social media to challenge creatives.

Muse Amsterdam is using Draw Something to see if you're creative enough to intern at their agency.

Get your fingers ready and brains going.

Write Copy Like This

When I read great copy it makes me tingle. Thought I'd share these gems with you.

Note that they're not all fun, "cool" brands. You can be creative with just about any brand - you just have to find the right way in.

10 Companies That Totally Nail Copywriting

Posted by Corey Eridon

Tue, Jul 31, 2012 @ 11:47 AM

485
inShare

You all know The Old Spice Guy, right? "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign was successful for many reasons, but one of them was that it gave Old Spice a voice. A voice that came through in every video, commercial, tagline, Facebook update, tweet -- you name it.
And do you know who is behind all of that marketing collateral?

Copywriters. The ability to find the exact right words to tell your company's story isn't an easy feat, and it's even harder to do so consistently. So when we come across companies that are doing it successfully, we think their copywriters deserve a pat on the back (and a raise?). Take a look at some of the companies we think have stellar copywriting, and if you're looking, maybe get some inspiration for your own brand, too!

10 Brands With Killer Copywriting

1) Hipmunk

Hipmunk should win for best copywriting on company name alone, no?
Hipmunk takes a familiar concept -- comparison shopping -- and incorporates a hilarious spin on the process of doing it for booking flights and hotels. For example, take a look at how they describe how to use features of their website, what we typically know as "Sort by Price" or "Sort by Distance" when we're booking our travel online.



Hipmunk has found the words to describe how everyone feels in the midst of travel, and incorporated it into their product. It shows a remarkable understanding of their audience -- down to that last call-out in the screenshot above, that speaks to the spiteful travel coordinator booking flights for the boss. Bravo to Hipmunk for understanding their audience, and then encapsulating that experience in a few mere words!

2) UrbanDaddy

UrbanDaddy has mastered the art of getting me to open emails. Take a look at this subject line:



And I'm not even the target market for that email. But who wouldn't want to know more about "A Few Ways to Look Even Handsomer"? I just love seeing what on earth they're talking about. Here's what:



Talk about an opening line. UrbanDaddy's copy entertains, tells a story (even about relatively benign products, like shoes), and makes the reader feel like the person he wants to be. That's a dangerous combo for your wallet, but a great one for an email marketer's open and click-through rates. Flattery will get you everywhere ... maybe that's another shameless marketing tactic we should have added to our list ;-)

3) Dropbox

Dropbox's copy is clear, concise, and crisp. That's an alliterative goldmine in the copywriting world, especially when you're talking about instructional copy. Take a look at how they take you through the orientation process, for example:



I mean, it's file sharing ... not super exciting, right? But Dropbox understands they don't have to act boring just because their industry isn't sexy. No, when you sign up for Dropbox, you're going on a quest! In fact, you have seven quests to complete until you reach your reward. Sounds a little bit more like Lord of the Rings than file sharing!
Take a look at another way they add a touch of whimsy to their informative writing:



Their copy perfectly matches the playful image above, encouraging users to work and play just like those adorable little computers sketched above. The tone of Dropbox's copy completely matches the lighthearted design of their website, all while clearly and succinctly explaining exactly what the user needs to know to be a successful customer.

4) ModCloth

ModCloth is another brand that has an excellent grasp of their buyer persona, and it comes through in their pun-filled copywriting. All of their products are silly plays on words -- any Outkast fans out there will recognize the humor in the name of this dress, for instance.



Their product description copy is joyous, evocative, and clever -- just like their customers! And it always tells the story of what you'll do while wearing their items. After reading their descriptions, one can imagine what their life would be like if they owned this product. That's like Copywriting 101, but so few brands can actually pull it off like the folks at ModCloth do!

5) Mozilla

Mozilla is another company that has mastered the art of saying a lot, with little words. Take a look at the copy on their homepage, for example:



They do good work. They're innovative. They provide secure, fast browsing. Awesome. Sounds like a company I want to do business with. They conveyed that all in fewer than 50 words, too. It's not every brand that can convey their value proposition in 50 words or fewer -- but everyone sure should be able to.
They carry over that concise copywriting throughout their website, too. There's nothing worse than looking for a resource, and having to troll through lengthy explanatory copy to figure out whether you should click. But look how simple Mozilla makes it for the user! My favorites are their descriptions of the "Press center" and the "Mozilla blog." They're perfect examples of just saying what you mean, plain and simple, no bells and whistles.

6) Uber

You know what's never fun? Explaining unpopular rules. Especially when you're a company with a brand as fun as Uber's. So take a look at a snippet from their blog that explains a rule that, frankly, can be kind of a bummer for customers:



When you put it that way, I get it. I'd love to fit my 5 friends in the car, but you're right, "having to cancel your Uber ride because the driver won't take your 5 friends is an altogether lame experience." Uber understands how to put a spin on a customer service issue that's helpful, informative, and playful so everyone walks away happy -- drivers and customers alike.

7) GymIt

GymIt has figured out how to craft evocative and powerful taglines that are short and snappy. If you've never tried to do that, holy cow, is it difficult! These taglines explain the gym's value proposition, totally resonate with their target demographic, and require no further explanation. As a relatively new gym, they tell a great story of who they are with the three taglines currently rotating on their website. First, they convey that feeling of first joining a new gym:



Then, they answer what makes them different from everyone else:



That's something I can get behind. You know what else I'm a fan of? This:



Because we're all human, we're going to the gym to fulfill a basic need (to eat macaroni and cheese ... also health), and GymIt gets that.

8) ZenDesk

As a company that provides help desk software, it's critical that ZenDesk maintains a customer-focused approach to everything they do. So that needs to come through in their copywriting, as well -- but they do so striking a great balance between professionalism and, well, being human. I love how their homepage tells "The story of support ticked #24," for example. They take the anonymity many customers feel being just one more number in the customer service queue, and turn that into an actual story between two people that ends in, as they put it, a "relationship."



That mission of building better relationships carries through in all of their site copy, particularly on the typically business-babble filled "About Us" page. ZenDesk's, however, is a refreshing change of pace. They've not only explained what their value is in a few short paragraphs, but they've also used data to prove their points -- a wonderful way for companies to convey a message in few words. Plus, their customer-centric approach still shines through!

9) Groupon

Groupon is another company that makes the list of excellent copywriting because of their stellar email copy. This email succeeds because it's funny, timely, and resonates with the recipient. Take a look at this subject line that should make you chuckle:



Getting that email in the middle of a heat wave (which I did) is some seriously timely humor ... not a bad way to get me to spend some moolah. And they carry the theme through in all of their email's copy! They've given the deals in this issue a category -- "Beat the Heat" deals -- and use the tagline "Load up on refreshing deals to beat the summer heat." Groupon has done a great job committing to their theme in this copy!

 

10) UncommonGoods

Like UrbanDaddy, UncommonGoods is another brand that's rocking it with email marketing copy. Their copy is fantastic for two reasons: they pick a theme and run with it, and it's all extremely personalized. Take a look at this email, starting with the subject line. Any fans of The Princess Bride out there? Try not to open an email with this subject line:



Once you get into the email, you see that it's all about customizable goods made just for you. They carry this through every single part of the email, including very descriptive words in the top right corner for groups of people who might want gifts customized to them. In other words, it's not generic groups like "women" or "mothers." It's "geeks," "animal lovers," and "travelers." And notice in the top left corner? They've even customized the copy that lets readers click through to a website to see images to fit the theme of the email! Now that's one dedicated email copywriter.

Read more: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33441/10-Companies-That-Totally-Nail-Copywriting.aspx#ixzz23pMX0EH7

Don't Take My Word For It

Thanks to the Internet, the distinction of what makes someone famous, talented or well-informed is totally in the shitter. (I'm side eying you Tila)

Anybody with a keyboard and opposable thumbs can make YouTube videos, write a blog or simply have enough twitter followers to suddenly be seen as an authority or a tastemaker.

My point is, you don't have to trust everything I say. (I could easily be a 14 year old in Omaha who's read enough advertising trades and watched marathons of Mad Men and memorised What Women Want to have an opinion.)

Baby Food for Creatives is just my opinions, experience and point of view.

I could be wrong.

Or not.

Either way, it doesn't hurt to read around. Knowledge is power so keep charging up.

Here are some other blogs that talk to young creatives. 

I've reposted, referenced and been inspired by them. Hopefully you can learn a lot from their authors, too.

Makin' Ads 

For students of advertising, portfolio school hopefuls, & anyone else putting their book together.

 Sample Post: A Case Study Video Should Be A Last Resort


Ad Teachings

My name is Suzanne Pope. I am a freelance copywriter and creative director in Toronto. I've been writing ads for 20+ years. I started this blog to provide free advice and instruction to young people in advertising. I hope it helps.

Sample post: How to Succeed With Big Busy Layouts

Confessions of a Creative Recruiter

Throughout my career in Creative Management, I've reviewed an endless number of advertising and design portfolios. I've seen tons of inspiring work and a few that could use some help. In this blog, I hope to share some insider wisdom from the desk of a creative recruiter that students and juniors can act on, file away or rebut.

Sample post: Your About Me Section


Professor Ad Man 

You want a career in advertising? You have much to learn. Get schooled Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
ProfessorAdMan on Twitter. Follow me.

Sample post: What Spider Man Can Teach You About Social Media Jobs

Inspiration: Help Me Be Creative

There's an expletive between the "be" and the "creative" but I left it out out of respect for your mother. You know I love all words (except the N one and the C ones, for obvious reasons) but I wanted to tone it down a touch in the title of the post, you know, to be politically correct and considerate to Mom and such.

That being said, now that we're in here, check out  
Help Me Be Fucking Creative. 

Keep clicking for user submitted thought starters and creativity sparks or use the hashtag #fckingcreativeadvice to share your own.

 
You know I'm big on hunting inspiration and they have a whole ton of ideas here to get you started.

Visit HelpMeBeFuckingCreative.com/ for more tidbits

Freelance vs working for free

Your friends will forever ask you for favours - "Design this logo for my startup business!" or "Write a tagline for my new project." They usually present it as if it's a "small favour" and something you can do for them "real quick."

And it's often not the case.

People honestly don't understand what we do and how long it can take. Especially when it's conceptual.

My advice is if it'll take less than an hour, do it. If not, give them a discounted rate or suggest someone else to do it for them. BTW: Friends/family and business can be difficult to mix. Proceed with caution.

You've probably seen it, but if you haven't, this is a great flow chart to help you determine whether or not you should work for free.

Should I Work For Free

Check out the site for the whole flowchart

Why Didn't Anyone Tell me?

The words "Why didn't anyone tell me?" should never come out of your mouth as a Baby Food reader. Ever.

In Ghana, the symbol Sankofa stands for learning from the past. I love by this idea. My main purpose is to help you in the way others helped me and give you some of the tips, tools and insights I wish I someone told me.

Mat Zucker, thankfully, has the same idea. And he could probably give you far more and better advice than I could any day. (Unless it's Thursday. I'm pretty smart on Thursdays.)

I've featured him before when he shared What I Wish Someone Had Told Me  and now he's started The Hind Sight Project.

Hindsight: What We Learn When We Look Back

Hindsight is an ongoing and curated collection of career wisdom provided by experienced professionals across creative fields, with an emphasis on advertising, design, media, public relations, publishing and production. For folks entering the industries, seeking to move up, or starting their own business, these stories are wisdom and advice not available anywhere else. The material includes what we wish we had known about a job, managing career choices, navigating organizations, hiring and working with other people, as well as memories of mentors who indelibly shaped the people we’ve all become. The project was created by creative director Mat Zucker, video content and experience producer Andrea Leminske and director David Gaddie of The Colony.

I LOVE IT!

Watch the highlight reel and go to the site to see all of them.



They also have a few Pinterest boards you should definitely follow --> here.

As hard as getting in the business is today, it's easier when you have access to all this knowledge. Use it and be great.

Do you really need a master's?

Find out on Wednesday 29th! You should definitely put this on your calendar if you're debating getting an master's degree.

Build Your Brand Series: Advertising and Higher Education


Connect with a panel of diverse industry experts and The New School faculty and admissions staff to learn about the pros and cons for Advertising Professionals pursuing graduate education.

Our feature panelists include:
Vann Graves, VP Global Executive Creative Director at McCann Erickson
Gautam Ramdurai, Strategist at Google Labs
Paul Hardart, Associate Professor; Director of Graduate Certificate in Media Management
Questions such as "Is it worth it?", "What are my career options afterward?", and "How can I afford it?" will be answered at this event. Following the panel, guests will have the abiliity to engage in a break-out session with our panel of experts to ask more questions in a casual networking setting.

We encourage guests who attend to be an active participant in our discussion concerning Advertising & Higher education. Hope to see you there!

Cheers,
The New School & The MAAEC

Questions? Email: maipmatters@aaaacommunity.org


RSVP here http://bybshighereducation.eventbrite.com/

Freelance: Money Talk

Let's Talk About Money.

The hardest part is figuring out how much to charge, whether to charge an hourly rate or a day rate and how to make sure you're getting what you deserve. And what you want.

You don't get benefits and have to cover most, if not all, of your own costs, so factor that in your rate. 
Also, remember as a freelancers, you can write off supplies, Internet service, transportation, your home office, your cell phone bill, and a slew of other freelance-work related expenses. 

Here are a few articles that will help set you on your way. I surely don't know the right answer and would hate to give you a number and then undersell you or lead you to overbid and lose a job.

A quick reference I read once was to shift the decimal 3 places in your yearly salary and cut it in half. So if a junior makes between 35-50K annually (depending on several factors, read: "How Much Am I Worth?") That means you'd be charging anywhere from $15 - 25 an hour.

Don't take my word as scripture though. Do some research, ask around and most importantly, do what's best for you.

How To Determine Your Freelance Rate

A Beginner's Guide to Setting Your Freelance Rates and Fees


Nine Factors to Consider When Determining Your Price

Setting Your Freelance Rate in Advertising

Freelance Switch Hourly Rate Calculator

Freelancing Etiquette

Continuing on the topic of freelancing, this article is a must-read.

		All You Need to Know About Freelancing Etiquette, You Learned in Kindergarten
By: Julie Gubler

“Don’t hit people” is one of the first rules you learn in kindergarten. It applies, literally and metaphorically, to adult life as well.

I recently had a dispute with a vendor over a bill because of some items that weren’t delivered. Instead of taking care of the problem, the vendor “hit me.” He replied with a nasty email that his company didn’t carry those items any longer. No refund of money. No apology. Nothing but an unprofessional email.

Although I did eventually get my money back, I won’t use this vendor again. Not only that, I won’t recommend him to anyone else either. In a time when I can get most things more cheaply and easily online, I choose (usually) to buy locally. However, I expect to be treated as a valued customer. In this case, I’ll buy the products he sells from another vendor online because he didn’t value my business.

He’s a small business owner. He attends local networking meetings. He’s trying to grow his business. He could have just apologized and issued a refund, and I would have continued to use his company. Instead, we both have bad feelings.

Unlike in school, where we’ve got a teacher to help us learn to get along, he and I will probably always have bad feelings. If only he’d paid attention in kindergarten!

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum has some important lessons for freelancers:

Share everything. There’s plenty of business, so share.

Play fair. How you treat people is how you get treated. It’s the law of karma — what goes around, comes around.

Put things back where you found them. Keep your life organized.

Clean up your own mess. When you make a mistake, admit it. No one is perfect and everyone makes messes.

Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Be honest with your clients, your friends, and yourself.

Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. “I’m sorry,” goes a long way towards mending hurt feelings and making wrongs right.

Wash your hands before you eat. Practice good hygiene. Dress appropriately.

Flush. Take care of the dirty work behind closed doors. Being authentic doesn’t mean your whole life has to be transparent.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Find enjoyment in small things.

Live a balanced life. As a freelancer it’s easy to get caught up in working all the time. The lines between your personal life and your business get blurred, so make time for family and friends.

Take a nap every afternoon. Take a nap in the afternoon (it’s a benefit of freelancing!).

When you go out in the world, stick together. Introduce people you know to each other. Be kind. Be a connector.

Wonder: Read good books, have deep discussions, and ponder. Wondering and asking “What if?” keeps creative juices flowing.

Goldfish and hamsters...they all die. So do we. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Remember the Dick and Jane books and the first word you learned: LOOK. Observe everything. Life changes fast.

And of course, don’t hit people, which I’ve discussed above.

So remember what you learned in kindergarten. It applies to freelance life as well.

Freelance: A Starting Point

Freelancing is a great start. Get your foot in the door for a project or a week and you never know where you may end up. (My first freelance job brought me to NY, my second was extended from a week to over six months.) 

 A lot of times agencies have budgets for freelancers, not for full-timers or they're open to hiring you freelance (kind of like a dating period) to see if you're a good fit before saying yes to full time. And then there are those who perma-lance - long term freelancers who work at a place for months on end with no interest in sealing the deal.

As a junior, freelancing is your friend. When contacting people about work, be clear that you're open to freelance. 

 Yes, there's the insecurity of not knowing how long it may last and what will happen next.
 And no, you don't get benefits so you better not break anything.
But you're there, meeting people, working on big clients and getting some good experience. Totally worth it in most cases.

Also, freelancing is a good way to build your portfolio. Working for smaller companies or local businesses can give you some of the creative savvy and business skills that will help you when you land your full-time gig.

That being said - you still need some sort of portfolio for freelance work.

How to Find Freelance Work

Agency freelance: 

* Contact the creative recruiter (or better yet, have a friend recommend you to him/her.) Tip: Keep up on when agencies win pitches, they'll definitely need more staff then.

* Use a staffing agency/ recruitment firm. They have connections with agencies and will email and/or call you with jobs that fit you. Try Creative Circle, Update Graphics, Kay & Black or Solomon Page

Non-agency freelance: 

* Cold calling & Word of Mouth: Reach out to local companies and see if they're looking and what they're looking for. Come up with solutions to problems they may not have even know they had. Check with friends who work at business who may need your help. You never know.

* Use one of the million freelance websites out there. For example: iFreelance. Elance. Freelance Switch. Freelancer. Aquent.

* Oh and there's Craigslist.

Lastly, 101 Ideas to Get More Freelance Work and Generate New Client Leads and Seven Ways to Start Your Freelance Copywriting Career Off Right

Your Internship is over: Now What?

originally posted: 8.16.11

If you didn’t have an internship this summer, you’re failing. Okay, maybe not failing, but you’ve got a C average.

Internships are so valuable to your professional development and your portfolio. It’s one thing to come up with ideas for Tide with no budget, client or limitations (that’s the part of school I miss the most) but when you get into an agency, even as an intern, you get a taste of that cold, hard reality of budget cuts, last minute client changes and 300x600 banner edges. 

It’s also a great way to network and create career connections and to see how things are done from behind the scenes. (Who knew people went to 387 image selections just to find 1 for that print ad!)

For those of you who did intern, whether or not you had a good experience, be sure to take stock of everything you’ve learned. Maybe you learned that you had account management and want to be a planner. Maybe you learned that you hate advertising all together and want to move to Costa Rica and teach orphans. Or maybe you learned that you’re an awesome Photoshop genie but need to work on your conceptual skills to really get a job. Whatever it is, look for the good in the situation and see how you can use it to propel you forward. 

Now that it’s all over, here is a Post Internship To Do List:

- Send Thank You notes. Email, handwritten, embroidered, whatever you see fit – just make sure you let the people who you worked with and who helped you throughout the summer know how much you appreciate them, how much you learned and that you will continue to stalk them over the next 2 – 7 years. 

- Update your resume and portfolio. Look at all that you did and add adjectives and descriptive verbs to make it sound like the best thing since God created the Internet. Gather all the projects you worked on and if they’re not great, make them great, then put them in your book. If it was produced and isn’t great, make it great then put it in. Greatness trumps everything.

- Make a strength and weakness list. Start tackling your weaknesses.


- Take a break. Once you start working full time it'll be go go go go. Go.

- Do personal follow ups. You warned them with your Thank You Notes, now follow through over the next 3 – 6 months and check in with those folks who you built a good relationship with. Let them know how you’re progressing and share any new/exciting news on your career

- Plan and plot. What’s your next move? Looking for a full time job? Trying to freelance? Going to portfolio school? Make a two year plan and start looking at how you can get to where you want to be as painlessly as possible.

It’s not too late to look into Fall internships and to start prepping on internships for next year.

My personal favorite is the Multicultural Advertising InternshipProgram (I’m biased, I’m an alum) but every agency has their own program and several ad organisations do too, so look out starting in November/December for applications.

Also, start reaching out to places in your area (Check The Creative Ham's agency listing or even Craigslist) and seeing if you can intern for free to get experience. 

(Everybody loves free labour. This is America after all.)

Poster: 29 Ways To Stay Creative

This is perfect. I'm going to print this and put it up by my desk.*
Dance is my fav. I'm going to go do that right now.

*While you're printing stuff, print out the creative campaign tester flow chart at Awesome-or-Awful.comAwesome-or-Awful.com

Win This: Art Contest for Jayz + Bud: Deadline 8.15.

Made in America Art Contest: due AUGUST 15th aka next week.

HE R/W/B PROJECT: Art inspired by the American flag

As part of the Budweiser Made in America festival and in collaboration with the Art Directors Club Young Guns project, the R/W/B Project is an opportunity to create a unique art piece inspired by the American flag using each artist’s preferred artistic medium.

Submit art by August 15th, 2012. Submissions will be reviewed by Shawn "JAY Z" Carter’s Life+Times site and Translation. Six finalists will have their artwork exhibited at the Budweiser Made in America festival in Philadelphia on festival grounds to a crowd of over 100,000 patrons.

One winning artwork will be personally chosen and signed by JAY Z and Translation CEO Steve Stoute and the winner will receive a trip for two to Budweiser Made in America festival.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of U.S. (except CA), 21+ Void where prohibited or restricted by law.  Contest submission deadline 11:59 PM ET 8/15/12. See Official Rules.
SPONSOR: Live Nation Worldwide, Inc.

 Enterhttp://rwb.adcyoungguns.org/

Is your campaign Awesome or Awful?

It gets easier. I promise.

But it's always going to be difficult deciphering if your idea or execution is great or not.

Sometimes because you're too close to it. Sometimes because you love it too much. Sometimes because you just don't know.

As you go through school, internships and your first few years, you'll get better at saying "Yes" this is good and "No" this sucks.

At first it'll be easier with other people's work, and eventually you'll get better at judging your own ideas.

In the meantime, Erin Eby and I have created fun and informative flow chart to help you through the process.

Awesome-or-Awful.com is a self-critique tool for young creatives that walks them through the elements of a campaign, from concept to execution, to make sure they have all the necessary elements to end up with awesome work.

The site is best viewed in Chrome or Safari. Firefox will make you download the pdf, which isn't bad but just fyi.

screenshot from Awesome-or-Awful.com

The Biggest Mistake You Can Make

The biggest mistake you can make is to not learn from your mistakes.

You're gonna mess up. You're young, you're human, you're awkward. It's ok.

What's important is that when you make a mistake, you learn from it and you make up for it.

There are tons of mistakes that can get you fired - Tweeting or Facebooking, sharing proprietary information, emailing the wrong person the wrong thing and the list goes on.

But let's say you did something small enough to get your boss's feathers ruffled but not big enough to get you fired, what now?

Here's a quick to do list:

1. Do not cry. In public at least.
2. Acknowledge your mistake.
3. Apologise + accept blame.
4. Ask what you did wrong and how to not do it again.
5. Overachieve.
6. Never ever ever do it again. Ever.

10 Principles of Great Design

Feel like I've talked too much about writing this week. Here's something for the art directors and designers. I love you like I love rain boots. (Which is only sometimes. When it's really rainy. But not too hot or not too cold. And I don't have a lot of walking to do.)

Dieter Rams 10 Principles of “Good Design”

By Karissa Rosenfield 

© René Spitz via flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/renespitz/

As the New Year begins, architects and designers everywhere search for the latest information in hopes to find inspiration to provide them with ample amounts of motivation. Unsure of my inspiration, I found myself reading Neither Restrospective, Nor Predictive: Dieter Rams & Design of Self on the Semantic Foundry WordPress. I was then reminded of the famous German industrial designer Dieter Rams and his ten principles of “good design”. The straightforward list lays down key points, clearly stating what makes a good design. This information is a timeless source of inspiration that most any designer can appreciate.




Dieter Rams Ten Principles of “Good Design”


Good Design Is Innovative : The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.

Good Design Makes a Product Useful : A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional but also psychological and aesthetic. Good design emphasizes the usefulness of a product while disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.

Good Design Is Aesthetic : The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products are used every day and have an effect on people and their well-being. Only well-executed objects can be beautiful.

Good Design Makes A Product Understandable : It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product clearly express its function by making use of the user’s intuition. At best, it is self-explanatory.

Good Design Is Unobtrusive : Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user’s self-expression.

Good Design Is Honest : It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept

Good Design Is Long-lasting : It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years – even in today’s throwaway society.

Good Design Is Thorough Down to the Last Detail : Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer.

Good Design Is Environmentally Friendly : Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimises physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.

Good Design Is as Little Design as Possible : Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials. Back to purity, back to simplicity.

After studying architecture at the Werkkunstschule Wiesbaden, the highly awarded and respected Dieter Rams landed a job at the architectural firm of Otto Apel (1953). Two years later, he left the firm and joined the product company Braun, where he created a legacy. Within the 40 years of working at Braun, Rams produced and oversaw over 500 innovative products as chief of design.

Many of his designs are featured in museums throughout the world.

Dieter Rams, Braun coffee machine (KF 20 Aromaster), 1972; detail, design: Florian Seiffert, photo: Koichi Okuwaki

Currently at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), the exhibition Less and More: The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams features over 200 sketches, prototypes and original products that illuminate Rams modernist approach and philosophy about the function of design. The exhibition will conclude on Feburary 20th, 2012. Click here to view more information.