27.7.10

We Are Not KreativeS

My name is Ben, one of the three writers here.

I’m approaching the end of my rather enjoyable time at AUT University majoring in Advertising via Bachelor of Communications. While it’s been tough slaving away for 2 days a week and getting B+ results for essays written the night before they’re due, I feel that I need some sort of challenge to keep me occupied while the work piles up in my final stretch towards graduation.

Once upon a time I looked into studying journalism, however since then I’ve realised that I’m a shit writer so I’m hoping that this project will open gateways into some much needed writing experience, a creative outlet and some bitches.

The advertising industry is mainly divided into two specialisations.

First there are the suits, the face of an agency whose job is to look after clients and do all the PR work. They are the ones who wear the Bluetooth headsets and charge their lunches to the Man. The other half of the company consists of the creatives. The creatives are the mans the with plans. They’re the ones behind the scenes who think up the ideas for those ads (not adds) that you all know and love. I’m not talking about the ware-whare mailers or the Briscoes lady, I’m talking about the ones that make you look twice, the ads that make you smile when you realise you’re a sucker. I want to be a creative at an advertising agency.

Now, creatives at any agency will work in a team of two consisting of an art director and a copywriter. Naturally, the art director directs art and the copywriter writes copy, easy. While my bolskiff Hugh likes to think he can direct art, I want to write.. the copy. Hugh and I aren’t a creative-duo so we’re going to be competing for the top spot with our respective partners. I’ve already said that I’m a shit writer so I need to figure out a way I can turn my hopefully half decent ideas in words.

So why not write a blog?

We’ve already been given a few live briefs (meaning they're currently being worked on in the real world) this semester including designing campaigns promoting the brand values of TV One (with an imaginary budget of $250,000, oh my gosh) and raising awareness for PlanetFM, a radio station who are fluent in 47 different languages.

Hopefully through this blog we can explore ideas and express ourselves creatively. We hope people will follow us for informational and recreational purposes as we delve into the abyss where we think we are clever.

I’m going to finish with a fun little video that was shown to us in one of our classes that will blow your mind off. Judging by the 11 million views on the tube, you’ve probably already seen it. But I don’t care.

Also, remember to check out the FYI and Foolery page for the in-house art competition!

LATER!

The Creative Partner

How many times have you had an idea at a random moment? What if you kept that Idea to yourself?

This thought only occurred to me a few weeks ago as I was staring back and forth between a brief and my creative partner. Who at the time was reclining in a chair lazily scratching a sharpie across the pad on his lap drawing massive boxes.

I was ‘mildly frustrated’ by the brief and somewhat confused as to why he was drawing boxes around everything so I asked him. He said “I’m drawing lines, this pen is really nice to draw lines with” suddenly the words what.the.fuck. sprung to mind. The moral of the story is I spent 7 hours in a basement watching boxes be drawn and thinking about the importance of circles while getting next to no work done.

As creatives the idea of the creative partnership is thrust upon us from the get go, however, it’s hard to see why.

Are we really more productive as a team? Or is there more benefit if you go solo?

Imagine you get that random idea, why share it? Why not take it, develop it, fire your partner and work your way up the agency ladder? Better yet, why stop there? Do it several times, earn a ton of money and start your own agency called (Insert your initials here) eg. HAB then pay yourself and only you because it’s your agency, your ideas, and because you did all the work, you earned it.

Two words: Pipe. Dream.

The reality of our work is that we need partners. Why? Because like it or not we are shit on our own. Creative partners are there to produce what you cannot. Art Director and Copywriter, black and white, work together to bring to life something hopefully a little more vibrant and interesting than grey. But what makes a good creative partner? Supposedly if you are the extreme opposites of each other you will be fine, personally I think that is total crap.

If I don’t like someone I’m 90% sure I’m going to hate rather recklessly on their Ideas if we aren’t gelling. How is that productive? Two different views + two large egos and an ‘I’m always right mentality’ = creative carnage and possible homicide inquiries.

Get a partner who agrees with you but pisses you off in a good way. Then you can get work done but still punch them in the face to show them that despite thinking so, they aren’t better than you. Respect each other. A team is only as strong as its weakest player, and in a team of two, that means a 50% chance of being shit.

Oh, and I’m Hugh, I’m an Art Director.

Cheers

Thought Provoking Essay On Writer's Block

You know the story. It’s late at night. Quiet. You’re on the computer, bleary eyed and disappointed that you’ve exhausted your bookmarked collection of funny cat pics and German scat films. Sighing, you flick back to your favourite word processing program to finish off your article or work plan or essay or fictional prose. Your fingers fall quivering on the familiar keys of your keyboard. You’re ready to type your tits off.

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I think nearly everybody in the literate world has experienced some level of writer’s block. God, I’m struggling just writing this very blog entry. Yes, I’m suffering writer’s block while writing about… writer’s block. I should be writing Alanis Morissette lyrics or some shit.


I guess I’m lucky that I haven’t suffered from particularly persistent cases of writer’s block; mine will usually only linger for a few days, to a week at most. You do hear of the odd case of established authors getting writer’s block for years and years, and in some cases even abandoning their profession altogether. Extremecore.

I’m somewhat sceptical that the writer’s block I encounter is a serious problem. Could it simply be my addled brain inventing this condition as a means of justifying my lack of creative inspiration? Addled. Addled?

‘Addled’ is a funny word. Why the fuck does it remind me of a snake? Hmm. I Google’d that shit anyway, just to make I was using it in the right context. Apparently ‘addled’ can mean two things:

  • to be mixed or confused
  • to become rotten

…I guess both are applicable here.
Anyway, I conducted some research (by research I mean skimmed Wikipedia, and by skimmed Wikipedia I mean watched Redtube) into the causes of writer’s block. My findings were most illuminating. The most common causes of writer’s block include:

  • physical illness
  • depression
  • the end of a relationship
  • financial pressures
  • a sense of failure

…none of which apply to me. I think. Although I may be developing both depression and a sense of failure after reading the last possible cause:


“Writer's block may also come from feeling intimidated by a previous big success.”


Previous success? Me? I’d be fucking elated with any previous success.

Achievement complexes aside… As a creative writer, I personally encounter writer’s block mostly when I’m writing a section of a story that I’m just not interested in at all. I might be trying to conjure up a simple transition, or add to the exposition of some bland character, and my brain will just seize up, draw a total blank. I’ll pull on the cord and out will fly a cutlery set instead of a parachute. It’s frustrating to say the least, especially when working to a deadline, and can potentially result in some poorly written stuff.


However, it’s a completely different kettle of dicks when I’m composing the exciting parts. I can’t write fast enough when it comes to the chapter about the dismembered prostitute. Just try and stop me when it’s time to pen the overtly descriptive, boldly explicit seven page blowjob scene. I’m an orgy of activity when it comes to these bits.


My diagnosis? Selective Writer’s Block.



Next week: overcoming writer’s block.











Oh, and adder = a type of venomous snake. That’s why ‘addled’ reminded me of a snake. Addled… adder… snakes… you see where I’m going with this. Yeah.


Welcome, First post YUUUSSSSSSSS....

Hey!

We'll be updating this blog weekly. We'll introduce ourselves seperately so I won't go into that.
Needless to say (or needful to say) we will be having a weekly drawing competition amongst ourselves and these pictures will be able to be found on the FYI and Foolery page, we hope you enjoy them enough to care about clicking your mouse once nearish them to vote for the winner.

Cheers.