"Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through."
— Ira Glass
(Source: barbariangroup.com, via chrispiascik)
8:39 pm • 15 February 2013 • 3,174 notes • View comments
After someone dies you MAY be hired
I was told by a creative recruiter it would be nearly impossible for me to land a job at an agency and by another that someone would have to die (in an agency) before I got hired.
Really motivating stuff. :-)
8:00 am • 6 March 2012 • 1 note • View comments
“Always proofread your cover letter and résumé,” they say.
Well, they should always proofread their online job applications.
2:18 pm • 19 September 2011 • 2 notes • View comments
How About Next………..
A while back I received the best email ever. A creative recruiter from one of my favorite agencies reached out and invited me to come in and share my work. Words can’t describe how excited I was. As soon as we set up a time and date to meet I worked feverishly to make sure my book was perfect to show. The morning of our meeting I get an email from the recruiter asking if we could reschedule. I understand that things happen so I emailed back and suggested a few other dates to meet.
I never heard back from her again.
6:11 pm • 30 June 2011 • 2 notes • View comments
Good lunch to you
I got the best rejection email ever. It was like most responses (at first):
Thank you for your interest. BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAHBLAH BLAH BLAH. We don’t have a right fit for you at the time. BLAH BLAHBLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. We’ll keep you in mind is something comes up. BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH.
(Here’s where it got awesome)
Good lunch.
He ended by wishing me a good lunch. You know what? F my job search, but I think I will go have a good lunch.
Thank you for that.
12:54 pm • 21 June 2011 • 4 notes • View comments
Is it okay to burn a bridge if it's to a really crappy island?
Hypothetically…
An agency is about to lose an account. The CCO and CEO call in the “digital creative team”. Ask them to take one last crack at it. By the end of the meeting, the two guys have the basis of an idea. They go to lunch, and by the time they get back to the office have idea flushed out with TV, social, online films, etc.
Comps and decks get built working with the one solid acct/new biz guy in the place. They fly to client’s office to join the CCO and CEO for the pitch. But, at the last minute, CCO and CEO can’t make it due to other client obligations (or, maybe, to cover their ass in case it’s lost and can blame the “digital” guys). Three guys pitch idea, sell idea, and even get client to up budget.
Around the time it’s done, “digital creative team”, exhausted from CCO and CEO’s behavior, quit and move on to separate jobs.
Campaign wins big prestigious award, but team who concepted, pitched and sold it aren’t listed in credits ‘cos they’re no longer with the agency.
That’s kinda shitty, isn’t it?
http://www.effie.org/winners/showcase/2011/5274
(via: Please ask clarifying questions)
4:26 pm • 13 June 2011 • 9 notes • View comments
F My Book? F YOUR Book!
A few years ago I was looking for a junior gig at agencies in my home town. I’ll make this short and tell you all that it did not go well. I remember one ACD telling me to go home and start my book all over. Six months go by and someone finally sees potential in my book. I get an interview and subsequently get the job. Two years went by and they could not have gone any better. I started working on agency scraps and worked my way up to being part of the lead creative team on many of the agency’s accounts. I decided it was time to move on. A few weeks after leaving the agency I found out that the ACD that I mentioned earlier came in and interviewed for my position. He didn’t get the job.
2:56 pm • 8 June 2011 • 2 notes • View comments
