Great artists need great discipline. MF Hussain needed discipline to paint more than 1000 canvases. Even if the oft mistaken impression is that creativity needs some kind of substance abuse, in reality, discipline is required to get things done.
You don’t always need to be in a kind of an alternate reality to create. Also, what one wonders is creativity only the domain of ‘creative people’?
My definition of creativity is very simple: When you create anything, which did not previously exist it is creative. It could be a fine top sheet with all the thoughts, action points for a great strategy, a media plan. It could be one or several ideas for a great campaign. It could be creating a 5-year business plan, project planning or even ideas on how to improve profitability in a division or a company.
But what is essential is getting ‘it’ done. Prioritization of tasks is important for creating anything. We have to guard our time against unnecessary distractions which aids in procrastination. Knowledge workers do need distractions I acknowledge. Smoking, social media, socializing are the 3 major S’s which contribute wholesomely to the above. The human brain does not like discipline. But it also does not like a whole bunch of other things.
How many of us can swear that we like eating healthy, that we exercise regularly, detox from social for a while? There are so many other things that we know are good for us……
The only mantra to get productive in an ad agency or anywhere else, especially in a creative business is simply – ‘get down to it’. Yes. As plain and mundane as that.
Get the team, get the whiteboards and just get going. If you like to flesh out your idea in solitary confinement, so be it.
Bottom line is ‘Just do it.’ …borrowing heavily from Nike.