Category Archives: Creative

TOP 10 REASONS YOU SHOULD SUBMIT WORK AND ATTEND THE ADDYS

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#10 – As part of the “No Creative Left Behind” program, all submissions will be displayed online before the event.

#9 – It’s one more opportunity to be able to write off a whole evening of partying as a business expense.

#8 – Where else can you give a rival agency the “stink-eye” without the risk of a fist fight?

#7 – Drink orders via Tweet.

#6 – Your work will be seen by the entire Rochester Advertising Community, not just the 15 people in the “target audience.”

#5 – You may show up single, but you could leave with a new client.

#4 – Rumor has it that Joe Mayernik is planning an interpretive digital dance routine.

#3 – Side-effects may include a swelling of your network and increased visibility in the Ad community.

#2 – There’s no penalty for excessive celebration.

#1 – We need to show those sissies in Minneapolis (aka judges) just what the Rochester Ad community’s made of.

Submitted by Andrea Zuegel and Matt Smythe

Calling all creatives: 6x6x2011 Global

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6x6x2011This a great opportunity to exhibit your art while supporting the Rochester Contemporary Art Center. 6×6 began as a small fund-raising project, but has grown into an international art phenomenon. Last year over 5,000 artworks from 43 US States and 22 countries were entered in this exhibition. Help ROCO build a truly global exhibition of artworks from all 50 US States and with more international participation than last year.

6x6x2011 Global is the fourth exhibition of thousands of original artworks, made and donated by celebrities, international & local artists, designers, college students, youths, and YOU. Each artwork must be 6×6 square inches and signed only on the back, to be exhibited anonymously. All artworks will be for sale to the public for $20 each (at RoCo and online) to benefit RoCo. Artist names will be revealed to the buyer upon purchase and all artworks remain on display through July 10, 2011.

For more information go to www.roco6x6.org.

Generating creative heat when your life is on fire.

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Keeping a hot creative streak alive is hard enough when the corners of your life are mom-could-even-visit tidy.

So how are you supposed to keep generating smart, fresh work when life is laced with personal loss, financial struggle, or heartbreak? You know time will eventually change your situation and feelings—but your creative deadline is two days from now and you’re not sure you’ll even make it past lunch.

As creatives it’s vital for us to be connected to our positive and negative emotional experiences—it’s an important source for much of our creative inspiration. But when emotions are a crushing tsunami, how can you survive and begin to allow for an even flow of creative thinking?

According to Julia Cameron, author of the classic guide to creative recovery “The Artist’s Way”, survival lies in sanity, and sanity lies in paying attention:

‘The reward for attention is always healing…In times of pain, when the future is too terrifying to contemplate and the past too painful to remember, I have learned to pay attention to right now. The precise moment I was in was always the only safe place for me. Each moment, taken alone, was always bearable…’

Often getting into the moment is something you can do at your desk over a cup of coffee and a good blank stare out the window. Maybe you have to find a spot in the sun somewhere. Wherever you are, in that moment and then the next, focus your attention on something that delights you. The pool of sunlight that rakes across your desk, the smell of fresh cut grass through your studio window, the sound of kids laughing on the playground outside your building.

Cameron believes ‘…the quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight. The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.’

I’ve just got to say, from my own experience, it’s finding delight in the moments surrounding a dark event that’s pulled me though a workday or work session with my creative partner—productively. A heightened radar for delight can even lead you to more inspiration than you’ve experience in quite a while—or even ever. Also, know that pain, once passed through, will lead to emotional knowledge you can write about, create an image of, or use to better understand a once foreign demographic you need to communicate to.

Bright new idea spots. To come.

If you’re in a place like this right now, I hope this is of some help to you.

How much can you tolerate?

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You need creative flow to rock new concepts. But we all have “flow-suckers” that we allow to drain our energies. They appear as (daily?) worries about tasks undone, things unsaid, etc.

In the coaching world we call them “tolerations.” Things you tolerate on some level every waking moment that take a drop or teaspoon or gallon from that creative body of water of yours. They weigh you down and hold you back from doing you best work and truly connecting with the people and experiences that nourish and inspire you.

And they keep you from growing.

A big one for me was the reoccurring worry-set around tax preparation and filing. As a freelancer I absolutely dread what my tax bill will be. So I have a tendency to procrastinate the visit to my accountant. Adding weight to the distraction and extending the fret-time long beyond tax season. Which caused me to delay planning a summer vacation, getting a new Mac, buying CS5— things that would support my creative production.

But the good news is every toleration is somehow fixable and as you take on each one you lighten up. You’ll feel more like the grown-up you really are, have a clearer head and notice the inspiring nuances in the life around you.

You know where I’m going with this.

So, what can you do? Simple. Identify the top three things you’re tolerating right now. Write them down. One of them might be a pivotal one that when dealt with can knock off some of the others. Once I saw what my tax toleration was doing to my overall energy, I took some constructive steps to deal with it. You can too. Step by step. One at a time. Then start on the next batch of three, or 10 or whatever.

In fact, why the hell wouldn’t you?

Freelance Expo This Thursday

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RAF Freelance Expo on Thursday, April 22, and the Memorial Art Gallery from 5:30-7:30pm. RSVP to attend.

If you are a freelancer there is still time to exhibit at the event and showcase your work. RSVP to exhibit.

Marketing directors and agency peeps. Do you use freelancers now? Do you feel you may have the need to hire a creative freelance employee? Even if you not have an immediate creative need. I encourage you to come to the Freelance Expo. Our goal is to bring freelancers and decision makers in the marketing profession together. To make a contact. Network. So that when there is creative need, you have someone to contact.

Admission is free. The food is complimentary. So come on over to the MAG, and who knows, you next big idea could come from a freelancer exhibiting at the event. The Freelance Expo. on Thursday, April 22, and the Memorial Art Gallery from 5:30-7:30pm.

Prez Joe

February 20 Minutes & a Beer Recap

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Hey, thanks again to all you who made it out to Tap & Mallet last night. It’s cool that we’re seeing new faces at every event. Prez Joe just emailed me and asked me to do a quick recap, so here goes:

My talk was about creating websites with great user experience. While “user experience” doesn’t sound sexy (many people don’t even know what it means), it’s a critical part of any website development. At its most basic level, it’s about having good organization and solid content. More specifically, I focus on three things:

  1. Great content
  2. Easy Navigation
  3. A Little Mind Reading

What it all boils down to is asking yourself what your user’s main needs might be and going over the top to deliver on that. Whether it’s letting them embed your videos on their Facebook page, linking them to research that supports buying your product or making your navigation foolproof. The mind reading comes in when you anticipate something they haven’t even thought of yet that delivers even better customer service.

We had some great questions about the value of usability studies (I am an advocate) and about how to talk clients out of their bad navigation ideas :) . A good time was had by all. Hope to see you next time.

Andrea Zuegel

Get Your Freak On.

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Be judgmental. We insist. That’s what I told the 6 judges from various disciplines that judged the work for the 2010 Addy Awards. And well RAF members, we had a very successful first day here in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. They combed through all the print work and were very impressed. We are poised for another solid showing. But our, and their, job is not done. Sunday is the second day where broadcast, interactive, and campaigns will be judged. Pictures from the day one and two festivities will come on Sunday.

Remember to purchase your tickets by March 5th. No tickets will be sold at the door. No matter how much we like you. GYFO!

JOE

Recently discovered on twitter: Lee Clow’s Beard

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I had just about given up on Twitter for the 2nd time. My tweets have been inconsitent and lame (though not inconsistently lame) and I’ve generally found little value. Though I do know the exact travel schedule of many a branding exec. Which is obviously helpful.

Then I came across Lee Clow’s Beard. It’s a steady flow of insight of the “wish I said it that way” variety. Today’s: “Most people don’t have enough time to interact with their kids, let alone your brand. Respect that.”

Who on Twitter do you find uniquely worthwhile?

mj

Non-Profit Matchmaker

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An idea has been slowly percolating in my head the past few weeks — partly from personal need as a non-profit board member, partly from need I witnessed at the last Speed Date event. It’s based on the following circumstances:

  1. There is a large community of non-profits in Rochester, most of which do not have staff or money to publicize their services.
  2. There is a large pool of bright-eyed, bushy-tailed arts/communications students in the area that are eager for real-world experience prior to graduation.
  3. Additionally, we have this great service in the Ad Council, that helps non-profits figure out what their messaging is, and some tactical ideas of how to execute. But I always have the sinking feeling that the execution won’t happen due to lack of resources.

So, the percolating idea is that we (the marketing/advertising community) find a way to coordinate student workers for non-profits. I know this is not a new idea, but I don’t know where it fell down in the past. I realize this is not only hooking up workers with work — there will need to be some oversight by a volunteer mentor, to keep the work on strategy. Perhaps this is a rotating responsibility, or one mentor is matched up to each agency.

I’ll be checking in with the Ad Council to see what role they may play, but would love to hear from all of you as to if and how you think this may work.

“20 Minutes and a Beer” Triumphantly Returns with Jeff Gabel

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A refresher on the premise: relevant topic, local expert, short informal presentation, your favorite Tap & Mallet beverage. What’s not to like?

For November, Jeff Gabel, Chief Creative Officer at Partners + Napier will share his observations on the “common constructs of great ideas”. Jeff is a unique package of big idea, business savvy, and passion for execution. In fact, I recently subjected Jeff to an MRI brain scan, and discovered both left and right sides uniquely well developed and working flawlessly together. Actionable insight yours for the taking. Here are the details:

Tuesday November 17th, 5:30 pm
Tap & Mallet; 381 Gregory Street
$5 non-RAF members, free to members

See you there. Here’s Jeff and I prior to the MRI. When we pulled him out, tube was covered in sketches and post-its.

Jeffs brain scan

mj