Popping Up; New Faces and a Creative Spring Clean (PART 1)
4th February 2011“BEING CREATIVE” can sometimes can be like, so URGH… ESPECIALLY in February when the baubles of Christmas are long gone and the beach balls of summer are simply too far away.
This is simply NOT ACCEPTABLE if you work in PR… So – you need to find ways to jump start your brain into being creative. For me (ahem – and for many MANY creativity experts much wiser than I – check out De Bono , to pick out a big gun, on the topic and his six hats!) stepping out of the routine and focusing on something different (from taking a walk and reading a book, to even wearing hats) is just the charge you need to come up with interesting solutions.
And last night, when I went to my first ever Creative Pop_Up in Totnes, Devon (which lets face it is PRETTY well known for its off-beat, alternative look at the world), organised by the dynamic Phillipa Rose of Redfront, I felt like I got a whole new battery (right – I am stopping this flipping car metaphor now)… I have not felt this energised, zingy and sparky for ages…
Why was this event so different? Why am I running on ‘Creative Full’ (Sorry! Couldn’t resist it!)?
Lots of reasons I think. Because I didn’t know anyone at all, I was forced into new situations and conversation with a whole new crowd who don’t work where I do. The venue was cool and different and there was a DJ with decks and everything (not everyone’s cup of tea –but it promoted such a relaxed vibe). But most of all, this was an event full of VISUALLY creative people – people in the arts world, gamers, photographers, graphic artists and so on. And their work was splashed all over the place – on laptops, screens, on backs of business cards and more (I only got ONE business card in the normal shape – and even that had the photographer’s pictures on the back).
And, it was so inspiring to think about collaborating with these people, to think about PR fitting into this milieu and how we present ourselves in a visually creative world when we are essentially wordsmiths. I have been buzzing on the whole experience all day.
For me, being creative has always been about making connections, putting ideas and thoughts together in an interesting and compelling way. But to do this we need a cupboard full of ideas and thoughts – a bit like collections. Events like the one I went to can be gigantic creative shopping malls - allowing us to collect goods for some time down the line.
My cupboards are full; I have some new business ideas to follow up on; some people I want to connect with and loads of stuff stored away for a future date. And, so, I suggest to you that you go shopping (sounds good right) but shopping for images and ideas and the ephemera (transitory stuff) which makes the world turn.
But, I am left wondering…
As we I search for increasingly visceral experiences, I wonder how this will affect PR and perhaps more interestingly how we present ourselves when amongst other creatives. If we say we are creative, how do we prove it?
A question for Part 2 perhaps!
