Book notes: It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be.

It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be.
by Paul Arden

Nearly all rich and powerful people are not notably talented, educated, charming or good-looking. They become rich and powerful by wanting to be rich and powerful.

Your vision of where you want to be is the greatest asset you have. With having a goal it is difficult to score.

So how good do you want to be?
Everybody wants to be good, but not many are prepared to make the sacrifices it takes to be great. There is no instant solution, the only way to learn is through experiences and mistakes. You will become whoever you want to be.

You can achieve the unachievable!
If you think you’re unable to work for the best company in it’s sphere, make that your aim. Nothing is impossible.

Have you noticed that the cleverest people at school are not the ones that make it in life?
As long as the goal is there, there is no limit to anyone’s achievement.

The Fundamentals

Don’t seek praise. Seek criticism.
If, instead of seeking approval, you ask, ‘What’s wrong with it? How can I make it better?’, you are more likely to get a truthful, critical answer.

Do not covet your ideas. Give away everything you know, and more will come back to you.
If you give away everything you have, you are left with nothing. This will force you to be aware, to replenish. Ideas are open knowledge. Don’t claim ownership.

Don’t look for the next opportunity. The one you have in your hands is the opportunity.
We are always waiting for the perfect brief from the perfect client. It never happens. Successful solutions are often made by people rebelling against bad briefs.

Accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative.
Avoid knocking the competition. It usually serves to publicise them rather than you.

Don’t put your cleverness in front of the communication
I have no argument with intuitive, clever ideas. These are often the best. The problem is that good ideas do not always come along, great ideas even less so.

There is a book which was written in the 1950’s but is still relevant today. It’s called A Technique for Producing ideas by James Webb-Young. It doesn’t give you ideas, but it helps sort out what you want to say and helps you arrive at an original and relevant solution.

Don’t promise what you cant deliver
In our vision of how we hope it will be, we leave no room for failure. If instead you undersell, pointing out the possible weakness and how to resolve them, should they occur, you are not only building a trusting relationship with your client but you’re able to solve any problems.

Know your clients aims
Most clients are corporate people protecting their own mortgages. They mistakingly see ideas as a risk rather than an advancement to their careers. Therefore their motivation may be quite different from their brief to you. Find out what the clients real objective is.

What do do when your client wont buy!

Do it his way. Then do it your way.

A client often has a fair idea of what they want. If you show them what you want and not what they want, they’ll say that is not what they had asked for. If however, you show him what he wants first, then they are relaxed and are prepared to look at what you want to sell them. There is also the possibility that they may be right!

When it cant be done, do it. If you don’t do it, it doesn’t exist
A new silly idea can be both unfamiliar, or silly, or both. It cant be judged by description. it needs to be done (made) to exist. It is unlikely that anyone will sanction the cost of something they don’t understand, therefore you have no choice but to do it yourself. At whatever cost. You may have to beg, steal and borrow to get it done. But that’s for you to work out how you do it. It’s exciting. It’s difficult and it’s fun. If it was easy anyone could do it.

If you cant solve the problem, it’s because you’re playing by the rules.

It is wrong to be right
Being right is based upon knowledge and experience that is provable. Knowledge comes from the past, so it’s safe. It is also out of date. It is the opposite to originality.

Experience is the opposite of being creative. If you can prove you’re right, you’re set in concrete. You cannot move with the times or with other people.

So: it’s wrong to be right because people who are right are rooted in the past, rigid-minded, dull and smug. There is no talking to them.

It’s right to be wrong
Start by being wrong and suddenly everything is possible. You’re no longer trying to be infallible. You’re in the unknown. There’s no way of knowing what can happen, but there’s more chance of it being amazing than if you try to be right.

Being wrong isn’t in the future, or the past. Being wrong isn’t anywhere but being here. Best place to be eh?

Give yourself some spin

Play your cards right
How you perceive yourself is how other people will perceive you.

… and now for the commercial break

Doing a layout means having an idea
Try treating the layout with the same intensity you bring to the main idea. Don’t just arrange words and pictures. Invent a brand image for your client.

Suppliers are as only as good as you are
You are the magic. The art of the art director is to get talented people to exceed their own capabilities. To be original, seek inspiration from unexpected sources.

Do not try and win awards
Originality cant be fashionable, because it hasn’t as yet had the approval of the committee. Do not try and follow fashion. Be true to your subject and you will be far more likely to create something that is timeless. That is where true art lies.

What is meant by the word ‘Creative’?
Before you make your pitch, find out exactly what your client means by the word creative. It is probably different from your definition.