This is part of the #getcreative series of blog posts… a collection of thoughts by different professionals (on different blogs), centered around the topic of creativity. You can see a list of other #getcreative posts at the end of this one, or see the whole conversation here. If you’d like to join in, just write a post, tag it with #getcreative, and let people know about it on twitter.
I’m a fulltime professional copywriter. By trade, I help companies clearly communicate who they are, and what they do. I help companies build their brand, better reach their customers, and ultimately build a community around their products/services. I help them write better stuff, and be better companies.
Sitting down to write about creativity as it relates to my job, I had a lot of opportunities. I could have written about nearly any aspect of writing, from ideas to composition, even to grammar and revision. However, I’ve chosen to write about the creative process. It seems important because that’s where everything starts. Done well, the creative process lays the foundation for compelling and effective copy. Done poorly, it merely sets the writer up for frustration and disappointment.
I start each copywriting project with a planning/strategy session; this is where my creative process takes place. I ask questions to myself out loud, as well as parce ideas out longfrom with pen and paper. The message and tone of each piece reveals itself as I think about: What’s the idea here? Why is this cool, and Why does this make sense? How is this going to be read and How can I write it better? I don’t stop the process until I’m hit with such clarity, and infused with such excitement, that I can’t help rush to the computer to jot down ideas.
As you can imagine, once I do start writing I have a clear vision of where I’m going. All I have to do then is fit the right words into the right place, and make them occur at the right time. That’s as simple as figuring out a puzzle, and the end product not only reflects a tidy finish, but the power that only clarity of ideas can convey. I know what I want to say, and because I’ve already run it through my internal filters, I don’t mind saying it. Directly. And simply.
It’s like building your own house. As you put the layers on top of each other — foundation to frame, frame to finish — you have knowledge of what each one is designed to do in the context of the whole. You get how it’s constructed, you understand what’s required as you add to it, and you can easily fix any errors or leaks you encounter on the way. Once you’re done, you feel ownership over the final product, and appreciation for the exterior look as it represents the total effort. It’s the best you can possibly do, and reflects your power in its simplicity.
Writing is no different. If you take the time and effort to go through a proper creative process, you’ll end up with the most powerful, most clear, and best final product. It’s not magic, and there’s no fairy to grant you creative wisdom. Just work, effort, and dedication to seek depth and harmony in each sentence.
That’s how I #getcreative. You?
Other posts in the #getcreative series:
- Gwen Bell - Considering the Creative Process
- Dee Wilcox - My Creative Process
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