As someone who has worked in an agency environment, I have observed that many agencies tend to label all of their graphic designers as "creative." This would often frustrate me because the term "creative" should not be used so casually.
Creativity is a big responsibility, and it's not something that can be easily assigned to anyone. So, I decided to dive deeper and understand what creativity really means.
After reading and searching, I came across the book "#Cracking_the_Ad _Code" published in 2009 by Cambridge. This book defines creativity as one of the most elusive traits to define. In Popper’s phrasing, creativity is a divine spark that may not be dismantled and examined by the use of scientific tools: “There is no such thing as a logical method of having new ideas, or a logical construction of this process. My view may be expressed by saying that every discovery contains an ‘irrational element’ or ‘a creative intuition’ …” (Popper, 1959: 31–32).
This book lists eight creative patterns that are embedded in the most innovative and award-winning commercials. One of these patterns is the "Absurd Alternative" tool, which highlights an attainable yet undesirable circumstance that leads to a benefit from a positive product attribute. For instance, the car company Volvo once used an image of a child rolled up in protective cotton to showcase its product's safety features "see the above picture".
Another book I found helpful was "Creativity Today" by Ramon Vullings. This book not only edutains but also provides a lot of exercises and tools to help people practice creativity in their daily lives.
As a visual designer, I also found the book "Creative Anarchy" to be incredibly useful. The first half of the book covers the basics of design, including the balance between visual and verbal communication, principles of hierarchy, legibility, and readability. The second half teaches you how to break these rules in a meaningful way to create outstanding pieces of art.
Creativity is not just about our careers. Elizabeth Gilbert's book "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear" will change your perspective on how you can live creatively without feeling anxious about everything.
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In conclusion, creativity is not something that just happens randomly. It is not about sitting and waiting for inspiration to strike. Instead, creativity is a set of methodologies that you practice every day until it becomes a mindset. It is the way we approach problems and find solutions.
Get in touch with me if my thoughts resonated with you. 🙏🏼
