Advertising is a creative world. A world full of creative people who feed on innovation and give birth to some of the most extra ordinary campaigns in the world. However these carefree souls are forced to work under strict deadlines and deliver their creative best in a short span of time.
Creativity as a concept
Creativity as a concept involves entering a world of differential perception to think of strategies that are out of the box. To explore possibilities and bring about innovations. This creativity can never be bound in the shackles of time. Creativity is timeless and knows no boundaries. Thus deadlines and creativity are two abstracts that can never be combined in a single string.
Creativity in practice
Creativity in practice can never be seen in isolation of time boundations. Especially in the advertising industry every creative thought whether in the copy or in the design is born within strict deadlines. These deadlines act as both enhancers and destroyers of the creative strategies. While on one hand, having a deadline stimulates the mind to think, on the other hand, a great idea might be killed in its initial development stage due to the paucity of time.
Surviving the deadlines of the industry
In an advertising agency, deadlines are an unavoidable part of routine office life. A person must evolve the right balance between creativity and the deadlines to survive in this industry. Client briefs and requirements change by the minute and it becomes necessary for creative strategies to develop within time limits. Deadlines help to focus our attention and make sure we get work done rather than worrying about inspiration. The key is to sit and suffer through it. It comes to you when it has that pressure.
The key lies in:
1. Make and follow the schedule:
Keeping a log of how long a particular task will take to complete can help in setting up realistic deadlines for the future, which is the first step towards meeting those deadlines.
2. Break it Down:
It is important to break up tasks into smaller sub-tasks and create small milestones out of each of these tasks. This will help to keep you motivated and it will also give you a better idea of whether you’re on track or falling behind.
3. Start with the difficult
Knocking out your biggest tasks first will help keep your timeline from slipping and set you up for hitting that deadline.
4. Take responsibility
What is at stake is big, clients invest a lot of money for advertising. In order to meet the deadlines you must take responsibility of your actions. The more you feel accountable, the more motivated you shall be to meet your deadlines.
Tackle the obstacles and beat the deadlines! Once you are in it (advertising industry) you are their to win it (the world with your creativity).