Since leaving college and art school, I’ve worked for many years in this industry and much to my dismay, have come to a conclusion and realization. I would say to myself, and even younger people coming into the field, with great confidence, “It’s not really about art, it’s business! Don’t take it personally when a client doesn’t love your creative” (easier said than done). It would seem tempting to simply take a client’s creative direction and regurgitate exactly what they’re asking for but how can I expect money conscious consumers to be passionate about a brand enough to buy if I haven’t put my heart into the project?
Over the past several years I’ve come full circle in my attitude and now have embraced my original passion for “creating”. For good or bad I’m going to expose my neck on every single project (commence chopping…watch the hair).
Although it really isn’t about painting pretty pictures, to me it is about innovation in a field where it seems everything has been said and done. The challenge is even greater to create something original, something innovative, something that draws attention, inspires, motivates or simply entertains people. This may not seem to apply to a simple case card for a summer promotion – or does it? I can apply the same passion for “creating” a case card as I do for designing a liquor bottle from a pencil sketch. If art is subjective, so are people’s perceptions. I (we) have the ability to alter that if even slightly (if I smoked cigarettes I would light one now).
On a less serious note, I’ll end this with an artist joke. An artist asked the gallery owner if there had been any interest in his paintings on display at that time.
“I have good news and bad news,” the owner replied. “The good news is that a gentleman inquired about your work and wondered if it would appreciate in value after your death. When I told him it would, he bought all 15 of your paintings.”
“That’s wonderful,” the artist exclaimed. “What’s the bad news?”
“The guy was your doctor…”
Jeff – Senior Art Director