Things You Don't Say in Ads

Watch the SNL: G.O.B. Tampon Ad

There are certain unspoken rules in advertising about the things that should remain unspoken. For fear of upsetting the general public (who complain about things like Ellen talking about clothes or interracial couples who like cereal), clients tend to lean on the conservative side in ads. In a lot of ways, we're stuck in the 60s on TV even though (most of) the general public is blasting full speed ahead toward 2014. (Seriously - how is it July 30??)

One great example of the awkward Things-We-Don't-Talk-About ads is the clandestine depiction of menstruation (the terror-inducing M word). We've come a long way from pouring blue liquid on sanitary pads (aka feminine napkins) but are now in this interesting

How to Monday

Monday’s bad reputation is the result of years of propaganda and bad press.

The only thing Monday has ever done is snatch you up, shove you into a new week and remind you to be a productive member of society. You need Monday. You need to be recalibrated and refocused. Plus, without Monday, the weekends are nothing. Nothing! (Think about it, when you're on vacation Saturday isn't that exciting anymore, is it?) 

Monday is a fresh piece of paper. So new, crisp and full of promise. Start looking at it and asking:

What will I make today? What will I do that will make a difference on this blank open day?

How can I do something today that will make tomorrow, next week, next month and/or next year better? How can I be amazing?

5 Tips To Get Through Mondaze

1.     Do Chores First. Get the annoying and boring things out of the way so you can get through

5 Ways To End Monday Blues

 Yes, it’s Friday. Yes, you can’t wait to turn off* your computer and start weekending. Yes,

 you don’t want to think about work for one extra minute than you need to. (*Turn it off as in power it down completely. Don't be a jerk. Save some energy and the environment.)

But taking a little time to close up your week right, can make a big difference on the new one.

5 Things You Can Do Friday To Make Monday Better

• Clean up your space. Mondays are tough enough as is, you don’t want to start your day

10 Books Every Creative Should Read

A MAIP intern recently asked me to recommend books for creatives. I was impressed because I (Which sucks for me because I'm a writer.)
really thought people don't read books anymore. Or anything for that matter.

Here's a collection of books I've posted about or I've had recommended to me. I can't admit to having read them all (see above) but they've all gotten great reviews and, honestly, even if you only get to 3 of them, you'll be better off than you

Inspiration: Typographic Posters

Pretty things to inspire you to make more pretty things.

See all 50 at Inspiredm.com 50 Inspirational Typographic Poster Designs

Wanna Do Something Risky?

Do it. Do it. Do it. What's gonna happen? Someone will say no and you will have to start over.
Oh. That's it? As a creative, you get told stuff like that all the time. Almost daily. "It's not there yet." "Try something else." "Do you have any other ideas?"

So why not just go all in? If you're gonna fail, Fail Big. (This is probably one of my fav posts because sometimes even I have to re-read it and remind myself to go hard or go home.) 

This slideshare presentation, a 2013 Cannes Lions Creative Review, reiterates that fact and backs

Job Round Up & Tips

Applying for jobs online is the modern-day message in a bottle. Fingers crossed someone finds it, picks it up, reads it and replies.

But it's 2013 and apparently that's what people do now.

Here are a few junior creative jobs I've come across. I can't verify or recommend any of them in particular, I'm just sharing and trying to help you in any way I can.

And that brings me to something I can help with, little tips and bits of advice I've gotten, learned along the way or read about.

Five Tips For Applying to Jobs Online

1. Read. Read the job description throughly. Do you qualify for this job? Do your resume and

Do It Now

Quit procrastinating. Look at your to do list and cross one creative project off it today.

Sometimes it just takes opening your notebook to a new page, opening a new word or photoshop doc and titling it (then underlining the title. And bolding it. And maybe making it red. Because red shows it's important.)

Whatever it is you've been promising to do someday, start it today.

The only thing that stands between you and your next creation is you.

So step aside. And get to work.

Read: Procrastination Kills 

To Do Today

Today is as good a day as any to be frigging awesome.

Here are a few quick posts that can help nudge you in the right direction.

Be an asset  - How to be helpful and a go-to person 
Always over-deliver - If they ask for 3 give them 5. 
Don't be an asshole - Seriously. 
Be on time - Being late is disrespectful. And super asshole-ish.
Don't be annoying - How to work in an open creative space 
How to be wanted - Make them ask for you. By name. 

Get to work!

What's Failure To You?

Failure is all about how you define it. Making a mistake isn't failing. Having a wrong answer isn't either. Nor is getting your idea shot down.

Of the Dictionary.com definitions "nonperformance of something required or expected" resonates most with me.

Failure is not trying. Not changing. Not progressing. 

I write about failure a lot because as creatives, we put so much of ourselves into our work that it's hard to separate yourself what you've done isn't well received.

Remember: Just because this particular idea/execution may not be right doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you.

Fall down 7 times, get up 8.

Failure is staying down.

Related Reading: Fear of Failing, How To Fail, Fail Big, Make Mistakes, Don't "I don't know" me,
What if, Make it Up, Dealing With Death

19 Points about Inspiration

When was the last time you were really inspired? When you heard, read or saw something that made your insides tingle?

Never forget that feeling. Never stop seeking that feeling.

That is what will keep you creative. And being creative will keep you happy.

Whenever people ask me how I'm doing, no matter how great things are, I always end with "... but I wish I were writing more."

Writing makes me happy.

And why am I not writing more?

Too busy. Too tired. Too stressed.  Not trying hard enough.

Some big burst of inspiration isn't going to come from the sky and suddenly bestow upon me multitudes of poems and short stories.

I need to take my own advice. I need to hunt inspiration.

I'm going to write a poem today. No matter what. I'm going to make it happen.

Check out this infographic with 7 facts about inspiration, 5 benefits of inspiration and 7 ways to be inspired.

Create something today.

Happy Inspiration Hunting!

The 1 Thing No One Will Teach You

Sometimes, you have to figure things out.

You’ll fail along the way. But you will learn, too.

You’ll look like an idiot now and then. But, eventually you’ll get it.

You’ll have to put in extra time/effort/energy to get to the finish line, but you will get there.

Because you have to.

You were hired to solve problems.

And if your first problem is that you don’t know how to even approach this brand problem, you just have to figure it out.

You can’t go around crying and whining that no one told you how to do this.

And you definitely can’t NOT do it because you weren’t sure how it’s done.

You’re at work. Get it together buddy. 

Your coworkers are not being unfair or trying to make you look bad. Your school didn’t fail you. The universe is not out to get you.

The truth is, school can only prepare you so much. Once you get to work, you have to jump out of that cozy nest and learn how to fly.

People won’t have time to walk you through stuff, or teach you how something works or even explain why what you did is wrong in the first place. 

But you have a deadline. Tomorrow.

So you just have to figure it out. 

How?

However you like. By any means necessary.

Look at other people. Ask a friend. Read a book. Google it. Practice. Experiment. Try something different. Play around with it. Slip and fall on your ass. Promise to never step in that one spot again. Start over from scratch. Go through at old work on the server.

Whether it’s a new client, new product, new project or new agency process, you have to get your work done. You have to think on your feet and make it happen.

The most valuable thing you need to know - the one lesson that is going to propel your creativity and your career -- is how to figure shit out. 

And only one person can teach you this. You. 

Summer Break: Be Back July 15th

We will be back to our regularly scheduled feedings on July 15th.

Happy Summer!