Creativity is collaborative. Learn from others, research and explore other work, then when you have an idea, share it with others and let them build on it and enhance it. Knowing which input to take and which to disregard at the right time is the key.
Experiences need to be human. Everyone wants the latest technology. Everyone wants the latest feature and show craft. They importance is ensuring these remain relevant and are used in a human way that draws people in to play.
Never be hands-off. Everyone in a creative agency is working towards a common goal – to deliver the best work. For events and experiences, every team member should be willing to do whatever is needed, no matter your title. There’s no such thing as “not my job”. I’ve been the ECD, CD, copywriter, builder, client liaison, floor sweeper, glass polisher, editor, voiceover guy, coffee maker, Bunnings-runner, flower arranger, wayfinding sign holder – whatever it takes to make the experience flawless. You either care or you don’t.
Have values, stick to them. Values aren’t values if you’re willing to compromise. If you’d compromise, they’re just suggestions.
Self-reflection is the path to perfection. Sure, you may never reach perfection, but self-reflecting at the end of the day about when you did well and what you did poorly helps you improve a little bit each time.
Be confident, not arrogant. All the awards are fun. All the client praise is exciting (and important!). But nobody wants to work with an egotistical creative person. Stay humble.
Listen. I’ve learnt everything from others (and about them) by just shutting up and listening. Hear their opinions, understand their background, listen to their experiences and what they love to do. Every audience is made up of a wide variety of people – the more you know about them, the better.
Technology is a tool. Embrace it. Ai is just a tool to make creative work better and faster, but it can’t have original ideas. It needs a real person to type in the data, refine the requests, improve the output and deliver the finished product. Completely removing the humanity will also remove the audience.