5 lessons for creative thinking

“Advertising is all about entertainment and if you can’t entertain the audience they are switching the channel and going somewhere else.”

Shared by Pushpendra Misra of Flying Saucer Films in a very inspiring session at our office this afternoon. As an ad film director he shared some lessons on creativity and film crafting. I attempt to put them down with a little expansion.

Be a student all your life.
Keep learning. If you think you are a great comedy writer, think again. A few years down the line you could look back at the work and say I can write so much better than what I did. But that’s only if you continue to learn and aim to deliver only better than your previous best.

Wanna be creative? Be a sponge.
Absorb, learn and explore varied forms of art – be it music (listen to something which may not be your style), art (see if there is something that interests you in those galleries) and try to see films which may not be your staple viewing diet.

Say no to “No Entry”.
Don’t shut your mind to a certain style or format just because you didn’t understand it. If underground music or psychedelic trance is not your taste maybe you haven’t grown to like it yet. Give it another shot, you may just find something interesting in it. Be willing to experiment.

Observe life.
Life is one of man’s biggest teacher. So why not take inspiration from it. Look around, you’ll find that your uncle speaks in a very funny accent you haven’t made sense of yet. Your granny is an excellent story-teller. These little observations of life may add spice to your creative work.

Don’t wait for the “big” opportunity to show your best creativity.
Be creative in every form you can. Are you being creative enough to propose to your girlfriend? Start being creative beyond just your work deliverables and you will see that creativity finally seeps into your work too. And before you know it the least expected work can be one of the best in your portfolio.

So, if you think creative ideas came just by sitting in office for long hours and drinking lots of coffee – think again. Get out there and let your surroundings strike that spark within you. Go, explore.