October 29, 2006
advice to a young advertising hopeful
Brad sent me an e-mail earlier today:
Dear Hugh,
I stumbled across your site tonight and downloaded “How To Be Creative”. Fantastic. I’ve got my “cash” handled, the “sex” is the hard part (no pun intended). [Ref: “The Sex & Cash Theory”].
I love commercials. Good commercials. Stuff that makes you think, or shoot beer out your nose, or that inspires you. I’ve always loved commercials. I write them in my sleep. I even challenge myself by trying to write ads for the mundane things in life. Cotton balls…or pencil sharpeners. The problem is, I’ve got no one to write commercials for.
My day job pays well but allows zero creativity. I get to write the occasional ad to get more people through the door, but I work in a non-sexy industry. The leap from my world to the creative side of the advertising world seems like a big jump. How do I get there from here? It’s not just the jump that is daunting though. I’ve worked for myself or with small companies most of my life. The idea of drowning in the office pool of a massive company is uninspiring. Where do I find my “sex” with an independent firm who likes to take chances on creative types with no experience in the field? How do I get experience?
I’m willing to go to school, but where do I start? My ideas are in my head, and I can translate them verbally, but I can’t draw to save my life. Do I start in art school? I’ve taken some course work toward an MBA. Do I get a job somewhere else in an advertising firm and slowly work my way toward the creative end of things?
Unless someone on the bus just happens to ask “do you have any great ideas on how I can sell my new line of cotton balls” I’m destined for a life of “cash” without “sex”. If you have any ideas, directions or life altering criticisms, I would be eternally grateful.
Sincerely,
Brad
Dear Brad,
I’d give you the same advice as I’d give any young advertising hopeful, just starting out:
Start a blog and start posting your best ideas up there. If your ideas are any good, somebody worthwhile will find it eventually. And it’s a lot quicker, cheaper and easier than schlepping a vinyl portfolio around town, trying to get interviews.
Of course, with this approach you may have conflict-of-interest issues with you current employer. iI that’s the case, you might want to consider publishing the blog under a pseudonym.
Good luck and Godspeed!
Hugh
PS: Thank for the kind words!
"Hugh's Daily Cartoon" Newsletter.
A new cartoon sent out every weekday morning to your inbox [RSS version here.].
A wee chuckle to start your day off right etc.
Here’s an idea for a cartoon. Since every blogger’s solution to everything is “start a blog” how about doing some sarcasm around that?
Q. How do I get a job?
A. Blog
Q. How do I make money?
A. Blog
Q. How do I win friends and influence people?
A. Blog
Q. How do I get laid?
A. Blog… but get out of the house first!
For Brad,
take a pencil — drag it over a piece of paper — don’t think — congrats you have just become an artist — ( graphic art is taking a line for a walk.) Paul Klee said that…google Paul Klee, ‘copy’ some of his stuff — and other ‘stuff’ to internalise and then drop me a line
andrew
Hi Hugh — speed dating is allowed ain’t it ‘-)
Q. How do I find a cure for cancer?
A. Blog
brad, i am an advertising creative at a great shop in new york and the only way to break into this business (unless you are abnormally lucky, talented, and good-looking) is to go to porfolio school. anyone who tells you otherwise probably does not work in this business at a worthwhile agency. check these out: http://www.creativecircus.com http://www.miamiadschool.com http://www.adcenter.vcu.edu. GOOD LUCK!
to brad, i am an advertising creative at a great shop in new york and the only way to break into this business (unless you are abnormally lucky, talented, and good-looking) is to go to porfolio school. anyone who tells you otherwise probably does not work in this business at a worthwhile agency. check these out: http://www.creativecircus.com http://www.miamiadschool.com http://www.adcenter.vcu.edu. GOOD LUCK!
Dear Brad,
I’ve been self employed since I was nine years old. I’ve had ‘jobs’ a few times in my life and found that they were just an exercise in slow strangulation. Eventually I cast the shakles of ‘work’ away, and rejoined the world of entrepreneurism.
I used to teach a class at the local University. Business Students would always ask ‘what is like to be an entrepreneur?’ I responded the only ways I knew how.
1) I quoted Steven Wright: You know when you lean back on a chair, and you get that feeling that you are going to fall over backward, but you catch yourself before you do?.…I feel like that all the time.
2) I did a juggling demonstration. Juggling one ball in one hand…working a government job. Juggling two balls in one hand.…working in management. Juggling three balls with two hands…working a career in business for someone else. Then pause, juggle juggle juggle.…big finish.…‘And now to experience Entrepreneurism!’.…and I begin throwing balls at the front row of the audience. That usually gets the point across…you never know what’s coming at you next!
Hugh’s ‘How to be creative’ is on my receommended reading list for anyone considering self employment or free thought. So is leaning on a chair until you almost fall over. If you can feel comfortable being on the edge, and you can deal with the freedom of an open mind.…it HAS to be hell working a job.
You want to know how to get free? Well, do it in small steps.
I found another forum where small business owners come to ask questions of ‘experts’. Experts compete with their best answers to business questions in hopes that you will award their answers and efforts with points. The person asking for help decides which experts get the points. You want to find out if you have ‘the right stuff’ and if your ideas are sound…come on over and see how you stack up.
See http://www.marketingprofs.com/ea/index.asp
Join the forum, and post your answers. Take your skills for a test drive in the real world, and see what happens. Once you feel confident…make the break.
Good luck in your quest, and hey, feel free to get in touch. Always nice to expand the circle of friends and meet like minded folks.
“Start a blog and start posting your best ideas up there. If your ideas are any good, somebody worthwhile will find it eventually. And it’s a lot quicker, cheaper and easier than schlepping a vinyl portfolio around town, trying to get interviews.“
ROFL OMG
George Monbiot has soem interesting ideas about freedom and career success — article at http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2000/06/09/choose-life/