Confidence is a key, according to Nils Leonard, the co-founder of independent creative agency Uncommon Creative Studios in London who has spent 25 years creating award-winning work and building a brand behind it.
Leonard told the Advertising Council of Australia’s This Way Up event that part of a creative’s success is having confidence in the work that you’re producing.
“The futility and this learned fear and resignation we have in this industry is killing us," he said.
“The people you're with where your time seems to have more impact, where the output seems to matter more, whether things that happen in that room seem to get bigger, prioritise those who amplify it.
“Know and understand what your version of good is. Chase it every day in every project and interaction.
"A good day is a day where things clearly move forwards. Dreams became more real. Work was made, fame was achieved. A good day is a day where you know the things in your life move forwards.”
In a highly AI-driven world where AI art becomes commonplace, Leonard said that the key is to focus on style and taste.
“The truth is that style and taste are things in our industry that we don't talk enough about," he said.
“Style is the answer to everything. To do a dull thing with style is preferable. To do a dangerous thing with style is art.
“In the AI world, taste is going to be the differentiator. If everyone can generate images or build an edit then how you build it, the things you feed it and the references you collate will be the differentiator."
What kept Leonard motivated over time was the collation of achievements; through his work's craft, headlines and experiences.
"Life tactics as a creative are incredibly important," he said.
"Become a collector. Collect headlines. Really do about your work, your achievements. I call them the evidence of your success.
"When stuff gets hard, or even worse than hard, boring, this is what keeps you going.
“Taste cannot be taught but accumulation of high quality inputs can be helpful.
"The more stuff you collect, bring, grab, snipe, take and pull from places, the more able you will be to push that taste into everything you do.”
Some creative ideas get slowed at the execution process when requiring others for support.
Leonard believes you should become the person you will need to execute an idea.
“The more you can do, the less you need people,” he said.
“Learn to design, script, draw, write, edit, code, diarise, organise, prioritise, meet, charm, sell, PR and smash social and shamelessly win jury's over.
“And learn to ask for money. The more you can do, the less you hide from the things you're nervous about, the more powerful you will be and the further down the road you will get.
“Are you dependent on people less ambitious than you to make your dreams come true? In your agency, with your clients, they don't care. So the more you can do, and the more you understand that, the less likely you are to have to wait.
The client-agency relationship is built upon convincing clients that the work you do matters. But Leonard says you need to ensure you believe that yourself first.
“Having the idea is half the job. Expressing it to people is another act entirely,” Leonard said.
“The world will give us all the inputs we need to come up with stuff and you get to be the one that pushes through the barriers to make it happen."
“Our ability to articulate idea, to make them believe it's worth doing, to love it, is all on us.
“Articulations of craft, art direction, design, like all other stuff, you have to learn it, and know what you're fighting for in every project.
“Clients will approve direction in the room. They also have to take your work and go and battle what we call an end of level baddie on your behalf in a meeting you won't get to go to. And they have to love what you've made.
“That's your task. To make your clients not just understand but love what you have and move them. You have to move them.”
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