A Quick Bit of Inspiration…

A lighter post this Friday. Enjoy this video on ideas and creativity:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JUFjTOM32g 

Walks of Life

I always hear creative people say, “just go for a walk.”

Everyone needs to clear their mind after long periods of work. Nothing beats taking a break and down-shifting a bit. Since sitting down and doing nothing doesn’t always do much to clear some people’s minds, a nice change of scenery does the trick. But not everyone does this by literally going for a walk.

Some people do simple, monotonous tasks for a short while to clear their mind. Some people, like myself, find organizing a desk or a binder very relaxing. There’s something therapeutic about stepping back and just letting your hands do some work for a bit. I also find chopping vegetables, sorting emails, and going for a drive all work well for me.

What’s your “walk”? What’s that one thing that lulls you into a bit of a trance and clears your heavy head? I’d like to know. I’m always looking to try new things.

The Finish Line: What It’s Like to See It to the End

[ASIDE: I’m sorry for a lack of visuals again guys. WordPress isn’t letting me upload anything now. Been this way for months without any solutions. I’ll try next time…]

Throughout the past months, I wrote and self-published a book about my experiences in Winnipeg bands. Each step of the project took a long time to plan and execute.

First, the project itself—what was I going to write about? How will it be structured? How long will it take to do each step? It took weeks to have a short synopsis of the book, and then each chapter.

Next, budgeting for time and money. I was still in school as I worked on the project, and I’m not rich. It took more planning to make the project realistic and doable.

Then, the actual writing. The whole book is roughly 17,500 words, which isn’t a lot for a book. But each time I would tackle a chapter, I would write out an idea, then scrap it, then write another, then scrap that one, then settle on a part that didn’t make me feel sick to write.

After the writing was done, the editing began. I underestimated how much time I was going to spend editing—it turns out I spent way more time editing than writing the initial content. Probably twice as much time, actually.

So then, I contacted local publishers. I self-published, but some publishers help lay out the book, plus some design covers, get an ISBN for you, and other book-related things that are easy to overlook.

Once I settled on a publisher, I booked a venue so I could host a book launch. I contacted a few different places, and chose the one based off my needs since I planned to play music at my launch.

Then, I contacted the band members and we chose some songs and practiced for a few weeks, rented equipment, and set up at the venue. On my side of things, I made up some merchandise for the launch—t-shirts, guitar picks, and posters. This happened, of course, after contacting a bunch of places and working out the best prices and timing for each item.

Then, the actual event came, and I met with everyone who was generous enough to stop by and pick up a copy of my book as well as some merch. I played the set with the band, and afterwards, tore down the stage, cleaned up, and returned the rented equipment to the store.

But, after everything, it’s done. There are printed copies of my project on my desk. I can flip through and actually hold something that I created. It’s like having a baby, except it’s nothing like having a baby. It’s not easy, though.

Anyone wanna buy a book?

The 4-Million Dollar Ad: Superbowl and Creativity

(Apologies for the lack of photos. WordPress wasn’t cooperating.)

When spending $4 million on a single 30-second TV spot, it’s best to get your money’s worth.

Enter the Superbowl: Where some of the highest-exposed creative is loved and hated, remembered and forgotten, and—maybe most importantly—analyzed and criticized. Some spots feature celebrities, animals, children, half-naked ladies, and amusing situations of all varieties. The trick is making any of it work.

Recently, a bunch of ads were “leaked” (oh no! people will be prematurely drawn to our message! how tragic!) and naturally, I watched each of them. And, as usual, I could tell that each ad will polarize viewers’ attitudes.

Is it lazy, then, to hire a celebrity for a featured spot, then hope for the best? Actually, yes, it usually is. To simply put celebrities in your ad when they have nothing to do with your brand or messaging is lazy. This year, the Brett Favre appearance in Wix.com’s ad made me scratch my head. It wasn’t really that clever or interesting, and then they added a retired football star to the mix. On the other hand, Pierce Brosnan’s appearance in Kia’s commercial worked because everything tied together. Also, I enjoyed Eat24’s spot with Gilbert Gottfried and Snoop Dogg. Maybe it didn’t make sense for the brand, but it was entertaining. I’d also argue that the T-Mobile ad found the mark.

The same rules apply for random half-naked ladies—I’m looking (but not gawking) at you, Carl’s Jr. Men may enjoy seeing supermodels revealing skin, but I wouldn’t be too shocked if some women felt offended or sexualized. I personally feel insulted that people think I’m stupid enough to buy or support something because there were sexy women involved. On the other hand, no one is surprised that Victoria’s Secret did something along those lines. Tasteful? Maybe, maybe not. On-brand? For sure. Creative? Not really.

Next up is the family angle. Everyone has a family, and more often then not, everyone loves their family, making it a strong angle to tackle. It’s also tricky, because it can seem cheesy or fake at times. Dove and McDonald’s did it well.

Lastly on the emotional exploitation list comes animals. Puppies, kittens, and any baby animal has a way of really tugging the heartstrings of the public. Naturally, it takes a good scriptwriter to make it work, and lately, it has worked. Budweiser sure likes horses and dogs, and now they’ve triumphantly come together for this year’s ad. Also, here’s the banned GoDaddy puppy ad. I see why people might be upset over it, but as far as the spot itself goes, it wasn’t the worst I’ve seen.

The next type of ad is my personal favourite: The bizarre or unexpected category. I like being surprised with something funny or nonsensical. Skittles, Avocados, and Snickers made the touchdown (ha, get it?) for me. BUT—this category isn’t a shoe-in for every brand to try and be as weird as possible. Sorry, Squarespace, Newcastle, and esurance (that Lindsey Lohan stuff hardly scratches the “celebrity” category, by the way)—this was bad. Really, really confusing and bad.

Not a lot of ads went straight for the funny bone this year, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t try. Gieco was weak, for example. A stronger example is Mophine’s “Powerless” spot—this is a favourite.

Car ads were sparse this year. Ads featuring kids and movie trailers also had standard spots. One odd newcomer was this spot for Equador. And what would a Superbowl ads series be without an appearance from Ron Swanson?

And lastly, No More’s “911” spot, which the Superbowl donated, is brilliant and needs to be seen. It has to be the most important spot this year, and it may even change trends for future Superbowl ads.

Hopefully this was at least enjoyable to skim through. It took me hours to check the ads and link them up for you. Enjoy. Also, feel free to watch the actual game and half-time spectacle.

Summing Up Creativity with Digital Synopsis

I’ve briefly talked about the wonderful portfolio website, Behance, in the past. It’s great to sort through interesting, hypothetical work for inspiration. It’s actually amazing to see how someone who chose to change the font of, for example, McDonald’s copy, can totally change the feel of the promotion.

I’ve actually found the holy grail of what my blog is aiming to achieve: a website called Digital Synopsis—an advertising, design, and creative hub. From ad campaigns to inspirational posts, this website is possibly one of the best tools for helping escape stagnation. Although the site is smaller, it’s still full of useful content. Have a look if you can spare a few minutes.

Virtual Storytelling: Video Games and Creativity

Source: torontothumbs.com

A massive yet underestimated contender in the creative field is video games. Despite being a relatively new medium for storytelling, it didn’t take more than a few decades for the platform to evolve into the billion-dollar industry it is today.

Storytelling in early games was simple and often underemphasized due to technical limitations (see: Pong, Asteroids, Tetris…) but even some of these simple video games included backstories in instruction manuals or through brief introductions in the game.

Decades later, video games have become a polished medium that offers a unique way to tell a story. By combining art, graphics, music, and an interactive experience, games like Bioshock, The Legend of Zelda, The Last of Us, and even Grand Theft Auto can create a realistic environment that entertains in ways movies and books simply can’t.

Source: whatgamesare.com

I’m actually not much of a gamer. I try to play some of the best-selling games when they go on sale, but there are simply too many to keep up with. That being said, I’ve played games that’ve inspired me to push boundaries on certain projects.

So, at the core, are video games a better way of telling stories and displaying creative arts, or is it more about the gameplay? Should great storytelling simply be left to books, movies, and other traditional media? My best guess is that, given a few more decades, video games will be appreciated to the same degree as television, movies, music, books, and other art forms.

How Tentacle Porn Can Make You More Creative

There’s a game out there that triggers creativity in a spontaneous, strategic way. It’s bold, it’s crude, it’s something you shouldn’t play with your parents.

I’m referring, of course, to Cards Against Humanity.

CAH is an ingenious concept where three or more players take turns creating the most obscene, offensive, tasteless phrases based on the cards placed in front of them. Nothing is off limits, from dead babies to 9/11 to tentacle porn.

So what does a game involving peculiar sexual fetishes have to do with creativity? Actually, quite a bit.

Not only do you have limited resources to come up with a clever phrase, but you also have to tailor your response based on the person to whom you’re presenting your response. You begin to learn who laughs at which references and jokes. You’re forced to connect obscure ideas to other obscure ideas.

All things considered, it’s a great way to get the creative gears moving in your mind.

Recently, The Juggernaut, a design agency from Toronto, released a very limited supply of packs of Advertising Against Humanity. Although not an authorized release, Advertising Against Humanity is a seamless homage and a real treat. It’s unlikely that you’ll get your hands on a pack, but if you do, cash in immediately by putting it on eBay.

(Or, you know, keep it. Whichever.)

Try Something New—But Think Small

Trying something new is a great way to find inspiration or spark creativity.

The problem is that most people know this. They hear things like, “Go for a nature walk!” or “Join an improv group!” and boom—suddenly, you’re Captain Creative. You’ll have a best-selling novel or the next Mona Lisa ready in a few days. (Or something similar.)

But did you know you don’t have to do something ridiculous or exhausting to do something that qualifies as trying something new? That’s right. It’s in the little, easy-to-overlook details where you can do something that changes the way your brain thinks and works.

For example: Brush your teeth with the opposite hand. Why, you ask? Because it challenges your brain. It uses different, possibly dormant routes that your brain isn’t used to using, and it flips a switch from autopilot to front-of-mind consciousness. Kickstarting your brain like this is a great way to stimulate and exercise your mind.

Here are some other great examples of trying something new that doesn’t involve a bungie cord:

– Walk on the opposite side of the street then you normally do when you go somewhere.

– Instead of hitting snooze three times every morning, jump out of bed when your alarm sounds the first time.

– Eat a meal with the TV off.

– Move that end-table to a different corner of the room.

– Talk to yourself. (A personal favourite.)

Jumpstart your mind by trying something different today. It’s easier than you might’ve guessed.

Funny Thoughts: How Comedy and Creativity are Connected

I did stand-up comedy onstage this week. It was nerve-wracking and amazing. But going up on stage is half the battle—the other half is writing jokes.

Comedy is a creative outlet, and, if I say so, it’s one of the better creative outlets.

First, what is comedy? What makes something funny? Humour is about the unexpected. You don’t expect the punchline to the best jokes. You hear the set-up to a joke, and you don’t know where it’s about to go. Comedy is about catching someone off guard, or surprising them with something they weren’t expecting.

So how does this tie in with creativity, or inspiration? It comes to thinking outside the box. It’s about taking something just a bit further and pushing a thought or observation until it walks the line between truth and half-truth.

Any great idea starts off as something that stands out in your mind, even if it’s just slightly noteworthy. But something stands out, and you want to act on it. Maybe that idea becomes a book, a song, an invention, a dessert, or a joke. But it doesn’t start that way. Everything needs to be polished and worked until the result reflects the awesomeness that you hoped to achieve.

Here’s a clip from my friend and classmate, Tyler Penner. He’s one of the best comedians I’ve ever seen. He did a solid 10 minutes of pure gold on Monday. I went to see the Just For Laughs show at The Centennial this Wednesday, and it was disappointing because Tyler set the bar so high on Monday evening.

Creativity & TED Talks

Here are some great TED Talks on creativity and inspiration.

Giovanni Corazza on creative thinking.

Julie Burstein’s lessons on creativity.

David Kelley on creative confidence.

Elizabeth Gilbert on creative genius.

Amy Tan on where to find creativity.