Hegarty on creativity : there are no rules

188 Pages·2015·7.25 MB·English

by  Hegarty

Sir John Hegarty is founding Creative Partner of Bartle Bogle
Hegarty (BBH), one of the world's most awarded advertising
agencies. He has been honoured with the D&AD President's
Award, inducted into the New York Art Directors Club Hall of
Fame and was the first recipient of the Lion of St Mark at the
Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. His previous
book is Hegarty on Advertising, also published by Thames &
Hudson.
Introduction: On Creativity
Feel like writing the next hit song, painting
another Mona Lisa, or becoming the next
Tarantino? If the answer to any of these questions
is yes – or if you can easily substitute in your own
creative goals and still say yes – then you can bet
that understanding the creative process is going to
be crucial to your success.
Creativity touches all our lives in a thousand different ways, from
the clothes we buy to the buildings we live in, from the food we
eat to the cars we drive. Creativity invents, perfects, and defines
our world. It explains and entertains us.
Almost every facet of our lives is influenced by it.
And its impact is only getting stronger as time
goes on. It’s not surprising then that we’re always
being told the future is creative!
But what drives creativity? Inspires it? Sustains it?
I’ve spent the past forty years pursuing a creative
career in advertising. In this time, I’ve had the
privilege of working with some of the best creative
minds out there – filmmakers, musicians, writers,
illustrators, photographers, and designers.
In my experience, very few people have a clear
idea of what is meant by creativity or what it
means to be creative. No, it’s not an excuse to
grow your hair long, wear weird clothes, and be
rude to people. You may wish to do all those
things, but that won’t make you a better creative
person. But being aware, sensitive, passionate,
concerned, committed, and above all inventive just
might – these are the necessary ingredients to a
successful creative career.
There are many ways of defining creativity but the
one I like best is ‘the expression of self.’ It’s a
definition that captures my belief that we’re all
creative – though naturally some are better at it
than others.
The creative process is about inputs not outtakes. This book’s
about how you get started, how you keep going. Not what you
want to create. You’ll have to decide that.
We’re all creative but only some of us will be
lucky enough to earn our living by it. Interested in
being
one of these lucky few?
Read on.
Here are fifty provocations on creativity – on
nurturing it, sustaining it, and harnessing it. But
remember, there are no rules, only guidelines.
Infuriating, isn’t it?
By the way, if you're holding the special edition of
this book, you can eat it. Flip to page 126 for
further details.
Now that’s useful.