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Wednesday, April 25, 2007

The creative process


Working in marketing, you are pretty much expected to be creative on demand. It used to freak me out. You could be sitting in a meeting and someone would decide they needed a clever tag line for some project. Then everyone would turn and look at me. I've always been tempted to shout what comedian John Daly once said on a conservative talk show when he was asked to be funny, "I'M NOT YOUR MONKEY."

The problem is, the creative process isn't always pretty so you don't want people staring at you in the middle of it. It's kind of like making sausage. Once you've seen it, you lose your appetite for sausage.

I'm sorry, that wasn't a very creative analogy, but it is apt. Sometimes being creative simply involves slapping a bunch of crappy ideas down, grinding them up and forming them into a ball that you bounce around until it feels right.



But creative or not, the important thing is to have a ball.

Sorry, I'm not feeling very creative at the moment and it's the best I could come up with. Plus you are all looking at me. I don't like it when people look at me.

I see dead people?


Oh, nevermind.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Bacon tastes good, sausage tastes good" Vincent Vega

Lights in the wake said...

I'm sorry Tim, but in many ways you are, in fact, our monkey. Don't worry tho, everyone is someone's monkey. Now create!

Time said...

Leather Squirrel, I see dead squirrels as well.

Lights,
I'm dancing as fast as I can.

Hayden said...

sausage. yep. I like the analogy. don't want to think about whats inside, and don't want to think about whats holding it together. don't wanna' think about it at all, just experience it.

so, keep dancing, monkey! ;-)

ok, that was rude, but I'm required to be rude once in awhile to keep you on your toes (dancing).

hahahahahahahahaha.............

nevermind.

Time said...

Hayden, It takes two to tango! So, ha, ha, back at cha! :)

Harmony said...

I think Monkeys are sweet!!! Everyone's always looking at you Tim, we have no choice, your mug is everywhere we look.....and what a lovely mug it is too....LOL

Steve said...

More like a BABBOON!

and that mate ain't a bad thing.

You, me a case of beer......

Wonder what we come up with?

Naughti Biscotti said...

Creativity requires a child-like curiosity and playfullness. The rubber ball was a great analogy. I don't mind if you stand there all day bouncing that ball, as long as I can come back and see where you threw it.

BlazngScarlet said...

Dance faster you naughty little monkey!

*giggle*

Time said...

Angel w/o wings,
Don't let the Monkey Playing Cymbals know you think monkeys are cute. He'll be all over your leg. It isn't a pretty site :)

Steve,
Monkey see, monkey do.

Shandi,
“When I was a child, I played as a child. When I became a man, I put my childish things behind me." This was so no one else could see me play with them. And you never know where the red rubber ball will go. :)

Blaznfyre,
It's easier for monkeys to concentrate on dancing if people aren't shouting out directions all of the time...faster...slower. It's not easy being a monkey :)

Kindness said...

Your masthead... lol... I am going over the Shandi's blog to flush my eyes out.... I have been a little out of it lately...

Anonymous said...

So true! All writing is much like making sausage. You look good with green hair, by the way, you might consider that a permanent change.

Time said...

Kindness, You could use my masthead to help you quit smoking. Everytime you have the urge to smoke, open up my blog. You should be cured in no time :)

Kat,
The green hair was unintentional, but I think you are right. It's better than the natural gray it is drifting toward.

anna said...

I can totally relate to your quasi-rant about being demanded to be creative on the spot. I work in marketing too and I get that all the frickin' time. It frustrates me that non-creative types don't understand the creative types.

Time said...

Anna, then you know what it is like to dance when you don't feel like dancing and still make it look enthusiastic.