What’s the Big Idea?
Have you ever found yourself in this scenario - staring at your screen mind aswirl, jaw slackened, devoid of any inkling of original creative thought? Of course you have. So have I. As I write this, it happened just a few minutes ago, to be honest. Finding the right idea to spark a creative fire can be very much like trying to light a campfire in the rain. If you’re like I was a few minutes ago - looking for that big idea, the one that will solve everything - this article will put things into perspective for you, and give you some tips on finding your creative way.
“Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it.” - Salvador Dali
When you think of great creativity - I mean genius-level creativity - who do you think of? Pablo Picasso? Charles Mingus? Misty Copeland? Nikola Tesla? They are each examples of people who had big ideas that changed their respective worlds. For the purposes of this article, the most important thing I can tell you is this - don’t compare yourself to them.
The reason I tell you not to compare yourself to creative geniuses is simple - you don’t need that kind of pressure. Chances are, you are not a creative genius. That’s OK. Most of us in the creative wing of the communications/advertising industry aren’t either. However, even when we think we’ve made our peace with not being a creative genius, we still subconsciously (or even consciously) put pressure on ourselves to have that big idea - the one that will solve everything. Instead, we should focus on having good ideas rather than big ideas. When you stop pressuring yourself to get the big idea, the good ideas will start to present themselves.
What does a good idea look like and how do we find them? A good idea, believe it or not, is born from good information. We find them the same way you get to Carnegie Hall - practice.
“Making the simple, awesomely simple. That’s creativity.” - Charles Mingus
In the communications and advertising world, creativity is usually centered around a business goal, like attracting new customers, launching a new product or my personal favorite “raising awareness.” This is another reason not to compare yourself to Picasso. For an artist, creativity is not just a means to an end (i.e., sell a painting for money), it is also a compulsive need to create.
Our brand of creativity is (and needs to be) more specific to our objectives. Therefore the best place to start is the Creative Brief. This is where all of the results of your creativity (the business goals) should be established and agreed upon before the project starts. It should also lay out (at least in a general sense) the look and feel of the project. This gives you at least a direction in which to approach your creative project. The Creative Brief is also handy for eliminating all things that may NOT work or be welcomed by the client. In a way, it’s like sculpting - taking away everything that doesn’t look like what you want.
From there, it’s up to you. Like I said before, the creative process is unique to everyone. One bit of advice, though - DON’T feel like you have to go it alone. Collaboration can generate inspiration, even if your collaborators are only there to offer feedback on your ideas. In its highest form, collaboration becomes greater than the sum of its parts. In other words, sometimes you can find a great idea when you’re working with the right people.
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” - Maya Angelou
Everyone has the capability to be creative, whether alone or with your team. Either way, you can contribute to these creative endeavors more effectively by emulating the quote above. Simply put, when you exercise your creative “muscles”, they become stronger.
There are many places on the internet where you can find all manner of creative exercises. Here are three that I recommend:
The Six-Word Story - This exercise forces you to boil down your process to its most basic elements. First, come up with the six most important or impactful words that relate to your project. They may be material to the project, or conceptual - directly or indirectly related. Then try to link them together, either grammatically or idealistically, and keep track of where your thinking goes. Really examine how the words relate not only to the business goal but to each other. Maybe even add images to your words to help illustrate the connections. This exercise, in its simplicity, can help you expand how you think about your project.
Movie Genre Pitch - Take your project and pretend you’re making a movie about it. But not just any movie, a specific type of movie (horror, rom-com, legal drama, whatever). Then pretend that you now have to pitch that movie to some high-falootin’ Hollywood executives. This is one of those exercises that may take you far away from your original project, but it may help you to find the less obvious ways that you can reach your audience.
The Ludicrous Extreme - This one is my personal favorite, and works best with an internal team. The basic premise is to be as bad at your job as possible. Start with the Creative Brief, and develop messaging that will intentionally miss or even offend your target audience. Lay it on thick, but don’t be cruel. The goal of this exercise is to be funny, not mean.
To paraphrase Jay Acunzo, the point is not to be creative, the point is to create. And remember, don’t pressure yourself to have the big idea, just develop those creative muscles, and on the way, you’ll find the good ideas that will make your project memorable.
If you’re looking for a fun, professional creative team to work with on your next project, contact the Kane team!
