Results tagged “creativity” from Percival Perspectives
To Dinner at the House of Commons (as you do) to celebrate
the launch of the Health and Fitness Foundation, a charitable initiative set up
by
Percival created the new logo, an elegant mix of minimal
typography and a stylised ‘barbell’. We also created the identity last year for
the HFF’s sister organisation, the FIA – the trade association of
I hadn’t been to Parliament before, amazingly, and walking through the various halls I felt my jaw dropping again and again. The ancient Westiminster Hall, literally smelling of antiquity, the vibrant friezes of the galleries, the statues of PMs past, and the unmistakable aura of power that infuses the place. You can see how politicians get addicted.
Met some very nice people at the dinner. The HFF’s remit -
part of which is to get disadvantaged youngsters trained up as personal
trainers or through fitness-related higher education – is a really useful part
of the
Every creative needs their own private guru. But I share mine with countless thousands around the world: Julia Cameron, creator of ‘The Artist’s Way’ and ‘The Vein of Gold’.
Her CV is pretty intimidating: ex-wife of Martin Scorsese, reformed alcoholic, Film Director, Composer of Musicals, mother of a Hollywood actress.
She is a guide through the myriad pitfalls of a creative journey, gently encouraging and cajoling, but not in an annoying New Age way. Rather your favourite friend, she’s sometimes funny, sometimes provocative, but always there for you.
She controversially (not everyone likes Julia, as Google will reveal) urges you to sidestep the toxic advice of those close to you – even your loved ones may hate the change that a creative journey brings. She encourages a calm and regular work ethic, and tells you how to avoid the negative energy of ‘CrazyMakers’ – and jeez there are a few of those in our business.
Suddenly, when I read her I realised how jaundiced and blocked were many of the Big Agency Creative Directors that bossed my early career. Instead of encouraging the good stuff and letting the bad fall away, they’d hone in on little errors in consistency or kill great creative ideas with petty criticism. (I love that quote : ‘consistency is the hobgoblin of tiny minds’. Unless you’re talking about tennis!)
As she takes you on a journey, she describes exquisitely where she is in her own life (this is through a dozen or more books, all of which I read), and uses the environment around her to illustrate her stories. She writes of a gorgeous retreat in Taos New Mexico, and how toxic critics are like the rattlesnakes that lie in the sagebrush around her home. New York City is another frequent backdrop.
She gives you tools – Morning Pages (3 pages of handwritten notes about how you are, what you feel, every morning – I’ve never found the discipline to do this.) and Artist’s Dates (weekly solo visits to galleries or any kind of new creative experience - this I do!)
Creativity is often closely aligned with madness, and in her autobiography, the most honest you’ll ever read, she describes in literally painful words her experience of long-term mental illness. It’s strange to hear your guru be so frail, but it has not diminished my opinion of her one scintilla.
My manuscript, half written and unsold, but an achievement nonetheless, would not be there without her.
If you have a creative dream, or know someone who does, Julia really is an incredible gift.
What the hell gives me the right to write about Creativity?
Well, at base level I’ve made my living from ideas for a quarter of a century. More than that, I can honestly say that I’ve given many people their first break, and have encouraged some great work out of people whose previous creative records didn’t seem that encouraging. I’ve started three companies and generated quite a few jobs – a creative process if ever there was one – and created one of the most enduring campaigns in the British advertising canon: ‘The Sunday Times is The Sunday Papers.’ (17 years and still going strong!)
It's also not that usual to have the creative guy lead from the front in a London agency. A creative name on the door is common, but usually surrounded by account handlers and planners. To combine pure business and pure creativity is a little different. (Although very normal in Paris and New York, oddly.)
It’s not all sunny side up: I have a half-finished over-ambitious novel which has sat on my desk for six years. As I write this blog, I’m going to complete it and sell it. Well, that’s the plan. Eek!
But I passionately believe we’re all creative – maybe in different ways and in different degrees – but all it needs is a little encouragement and inspiration. Which is what this is about.
My father was a fantastic professional photographer, my brother is an equally good pro, and I also plan to revisit my favourite hobby, and I’ll share some of my new images with you here.
This is all about committing to positive creativity, creativity in the future, and the power of big ideas. I hope it turns out to be fun too.
Game on.
