I love this quote by Rick.
I love it because it’s basically shining a light on how creative people think.
Or at least, conceptual creative people.
And yet so many don’t know how to get the best out of them.
Judging them by the standards, criteria and logic they live by when the whole point of working with them is because they aren’t like them.
What’s worse is that it is not just clients who often fall into this type of behaviour … but people in the agency as well.
Planners.
Suits.
C-Suite.
You see, when creative people show their ideas – especially in the early stages of development – they’re not just responding to the brief, they’re literally revealing their vulnerability.
Showing how they think.
Expressing how they feel.
Exploring where their imagination is taking them.
Putting themselves on the line to be judged, evaluated and questioned.
Imagine if you had that?
Oh you probably think you do … but it’s very different.
In more traditional functions, you are being evaluated but you’re being evaluated by a set of relatively determined logical constructs.
But creative people think differently.
They get to ideas in different ways.
It’s literally why they can create what others can’t.
The twisted, ridiculous, addictive logic that solves problems in a way that draws people in rather than pushes them away.
Which is why from the moment these 2 different mindsets meet up, there’s a palpable tension between structure and chaos.
Which means anyone who don’t appreciate the creative journey can fuck everything up without much effort.
Killing ideas rather than encouraging.
Evaluating for perfection not potential.
Dictating rather than understanding.
Being more a foe than a friend.
And while everyone may want to make something great, they have to remember greatness never happens instantly.
It takes time and space to grow, evolve and emerge.
Which requires encouragement, excitement, confidence and respect.
And while I get we live in highly competitive, demanding times … rushing the process doesn’t really help.
Either does writing something off before it’s even had a chance to find out what it is.
In fact, both are literally counterproductive in the most damaging ways.
Which is why if you want to increase the chances of getting to something amazing – whether client or colleague – respect the possibilities, nourish the vulnerabilities and don’t let your ego trample on the people putting their creativity on the line.