January is International Creativity Month and we felt inclined to devote a post to this un-event which is the lifeblood of our business model.

Time, and even space, for creativity is more and more challenging to find in 2011 when we are “connected” every minute of every day. In the advertising and marketing industry, we are tasked with learning how to make the most of these new connections for our clients and their audiences. As a result, most of us are massively over connected and over stimulated on a daily basis, leaving little room for actual creative time. In fact, as I went around the office to get some input from the team on their creative practices, I received one really humorous (and sadly true) statement: “I don’t have much time to be creative because the client forgot about the ad and it’s due to the pub in 5 minutes.”

I can’t claim to know the secret to creativity. As an Interactive Producer at Creative Link, I’m tasked with interactive details, project management, research and data. But, I also like to think that in managing these projects, I protect my creative team from being bogged down with the planning and accounting, empowering them to be at their most creative. As such, I’ve compiled a few of their practices for sowing the creative oats when technology seems to plow them over!

1 - Only schedule meetings on “meeting days”. This might mean Mondays only or Tuesday and Thursday, but keep meetings to those days. Other days of the week are devoted to creative collaboration and producing top quality work.

2 - Block time on your calendar for brainstorming or solitude. You can make these meetings ‘private’ on your calendar so that no one knows what it is. Everyone will know that it can’t be moved and you can’t be interrupted. Bobby says this time for him is “creative enlightenment in my meditation-teepee in which I enter a trance-like state. In this dream-world my mystical creative power animal, a pantone 2592C colored wallaby brings me the solution to my design challenge.” Well, that may not be exactly how it goes, but you get the idea.

3 - Reserve some office space for escape and creative collaboration. For us,  the “purple room” (dubbed so because of the crazy purple 90s furniture) is a great room with natural light, windows across 2 walls and white board across the other 2 walls. We close the door and start throwing out ideas. Rick shared, “Brainstorming is always good when you're with a small group and there is an understood safe zone for sharing all your ideas.  It should be an environment where it's okay to share bad ideas, really BAD ideas.  I've noticed it helps to purge those bad ideas so you can get to the gold hidden beneath.”

4 - Go somewhere you can disconnect and can’t be tempted to use technology. Heather nailed this one: “everyone's heard the adage ‘the best ideas come in the shower’ and that really is true for me. It's usually while I'm doing something simple or repetitive that ideas will spring up seemingly out of nowhere.” Oh yeah. The white noise of the water, the warm steam that relaxes tension, and the lack of electrical plugs is the perfect place for a “creative pause”. And, it’s your own private white boarding space! Just steal those bath crayons from the kids!

5 - Change the scenery. Rick believes, “another great way to keep the creative juices flowing is not stay stagnate, keep moving.  When working on creating concepts for commercials and videos I have spent time watching movies in my living room, sipping coffee at a coffee shop, sitting in the lobby of a swanky hotel downtown, or just driving aimlessly... all in one day.” I, personally, love to rearrange my desk. Sometimes just a new perspective is all that’s needed to break through a creative block.  

6 - Recharge. Often. This can be whatever you enjoy most or whatever helps you to “recharge your batteries” as our Chief Creative says. Our creative team recharges by listening to music (really LOUD), driving fast cars (on the race track, of course), visiting new restaurants, and getting a spiritual recharge at church.

There is no sure fire way to foster creativity and a certain amount of creative output just has to be chalked up to pure talent. Creative Link definitely has the talent. Sometimes we just need some parameters to help it flourish. We hope these tips have given you some ideas to boost your own creativity.