Rogue is OK
PHOTO: ROY SON // ROYSONPHOTO.COM
Going rogue or starting completely over is ok. It’s not only ok, but it’s actually quite natural in the creative world. The thought for a left brain, process-centric manager may shudder at the thought of scrapping all progress for a new and untested idea—a rogue experiment. But the creative relishes in this task. Why?
For one, it’s in our nature, we’re emotive creatures where emotion, style, and purpose count—these all require some organic endeavors. Unknown endeavors that you can’t always chart on paper. The search is for something memorable and amazing after all, we’re not laying pipe. Second, it’s the job—to create. To formulate something new out of nothing and often with the pressure of doing it quickly and with as much originality as possible—that can be hard and pressing work. The only way to discover new ways is to go where you haven’t been, and that makes people nervous, that always sounds expensive. Sometimes it might be but often it actually isn’t. A better solution that is dialed and on point will save way more time and money down the road.
Creative thought requires introducing what’s in the head and heart and pairing it to some hands, trying the idea out, giving it legs, mapping it to strategy and testing it’s relevance. The budget and calendar are not always a part of this endeavor yet. Money quells creativity because it forces everyone to defer to something they know will work. When you do that, you have just failed the project for your client whether anyone knows it or not. The most important aspect you can bring to the table was just bartered to a compromise. With talent, a plan and a little faith, the process can be quite different. Giving space to the creative energy will let the incubation of thought settle just right. And the money, your team’s experience will let everyone know when enough is enough and where the edges are for profitability. Just talk about it, be open and transparent. But don’t underestimate the need for starting and stopping, starting and going a few times.
Rest assured, venturing out is the right path—its what your client hired you to do. Not only will the results deliver something unique and different, but going beyond boundaries tests the perspectives and validity of the work because beyond your own front yard lies new territory that your great idea will have to face anyway. Comfortable ideas are dull ones.
So for the anal taskmasters out there, keep tracking the numbers and deadlines, no one’s better at that than you. But give the creative process space and let the creatives go to the deep end of the pool—more than once if needed. Your client or project will be stronger, and everyone on the team just might learn something new. //