Within the marketing, communication and advertising industry every
presentation of ideas and concepts turns into a pitch where clients, peers or people at higher ranks buy into what we are presenting or trying to sell. Every time you present and communicate ideas, your audience experiences not only your ideas and concepts but also your personal creative attitude.
Attitude relates to your own feelings, self-understanding and behavior, and how you engage with the world and the people around you. Your attitude is connected to your personality and it influences how others perceive you.
Creative attitude is often associated with the complex personality
characteristics of so-called creative people. These characteristics include being curious and interested in exploring new things, being imaginative and
realistic, humble and proud, passionate and objective, and playful and
disciplined. Being confident in your work but also being open to constructive feedback and expressing courage when presenting ideas and concepts can help shape a positive attitude. Seeing problems as opportunities, and confronting challenges as they arise, as well as practicing and nurturing your creative skills are additional elements that can influence attitude in a positive way.
For many of my former students, creative attitude has grown from the understanding that creativity can be a part of life. Creative attitude becomes a way of looking at life, a belief that life becomes richer when creativity plays a part in it.
Exercises
Personal Twist: Myth, Legend, Fairy Tale or Fable
Using a personal story that you discovered through your Morning Pages, or of personal choice, write a three-page, double-spaced retelling of your story in the form of a myth, legend, fairy tale, fable, urban legend or conspiracy theory.
You can use elements of the above story types to accent your story, or you can add elements of your own story to a classic tale. Utilize strong storytelling elements and “sticky” factors. Make sure to think creatively and mix it up!
Present your story to one or several friend(s) or colleague(s) in a five-minute presentation. Include three visual elements of your choice.
Musical Time Travel
Music is great for setting a mood and even evoking a certain time period. You can leverage this when working on projects in which you would like to tap into the feel of a certain era or historical moment, for instance the patriotism of the WWII era or the turbulence of the 1960s. With your sketchbook in hand, play a song from a specific era, such as Benny Goodman’s Sing, Sing, Sing with a Swing to represent the 1940s or Led Zeppelin’s Black Dog to represent the late 1960s. Create an image or the rough draft of an advertisement that is
influenced by or references one of these eras.
Sight, Seeing and Perception
Go to a museum or art exhibit with a friend and your sketchbook. Decide in advance which selections of the collection you wish to view. As you enter each room, split up and agree to meet at a set time.
Suspend your judgment and look at each painting or sculpture with fresh eyes. Avoid looking at the information labels until after you have had a chance to fully appreciate the piece deeply. Make notes in your sketchbook on what moves you.
Meet back up with your friend and share your impressions of the works that speak most deeply to you and why.28
Musical Interpretation
Select a set of several songs that vary in pace and style. Try some with lyrics, some without and possibly songs that use natural sounds or sound effects. As you listen to the music, use your sketchbook to sketch, draw or write anything you feel inspired to draw or write. Try to work quickly, impulsively and without judgment to interpret the music visually.
You Are a Cartoon/Comic Author (Part 3)
Again, buy a local Sunday paper and pick a new cartoon/comic. White out the text in the word balloons and write your own copy.
The World Is Waiting for Something You Created
Good ideas are our most precious asset. The world is waiting for something you created. What is it?
The “The World Is Waiting for Something You Created” exercise is credited to Jung v. Matt, London, http://www.jvm.com/en/home/index.html.
Retail Environment Observation
With your sketchbook or a notebook handy, head to your local mall or a favorite shopping area. Walk around and observe the elements that make up the environment of the store spaces. Pay careful attention to how the space engages your senses: sight, sound, smell, touch and taste (if applicable). Make notes on what elements are used to define the store space and enhance the customer experience. Consider how they convey the brand of the store.
Compare one of your favorite stores with another store that you do not like.
What are some of the contrasts? What are the goals of each environment?
What are the details of the environment communicating to you in both of these spaces?
Adapted from a class exercise provided by Brenna McCormick, Boston, MA Visualization of Concepts, Part 1: Beauty
The world is becoming increasingly visual. In order to communicate effectively we need to come up with innovative, original and creative ways to show
familiar concepts in unusual ways and unfamiliar concepts in familiar ways.
Visualize Beauty with 9-12 images/key visuals.
The presentation can be produced in an abstract, concrete, symbolic or descriptive way, or can also make use of analogies. The key visuals can be in relationship with each other, e.g. tell an overall story or script or can be independent from each other.
This assignment should encourage you to be playful, take risks and experiment (try out new things you might not even think of).
The key visuals should have an appropriate size of 8 ⁄ " × 11" to present to an audience of 6-10 people. You can use any visual design tools or elements available to you (e.g. photography, painting, drawing, collage, and objects).
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CHAPTER EIGHT