Picture some of the most famous works of art in history. We’re guessing Mona Lisa by da Vinci, Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans, and Van Gogh’s Starry Night come to mind, among others. These beautiful creations all have one thing in common: their uniqueness. Sure there may be copies or “works inspired by” now, but these OG paintings are the square one.
Yet there was a time when each of those iconic pieces of art were blank canvases, with someone staring at them and wondering what they would hold. It took inspiration for these paintings to come to life and become the cornerstones of the art world that they are today. This same process is true with any creatively inclined marketing project you take on. Today we share the thoughts on creativity from our Senior Art Director, Carol Armitage, our Production and Studio Director, John Clavijo, and our President and Creative Director, Rob Marbury.
Inspiration Can Come From Anywhere
Do you have an inspiration “ritual” to help get the creative juices flowing? Carol and Rob have their go-to design blogs that they visit to keep their design muscles flexed. John stays up to speed on all the latest technology developments while also following a few of his favorite graphic designers’ blogs. It’s helpful to look at different types of inspiration as well as competitor work when beginning a creative project. You can avoid accidentally traversing a road that has already been taken, as well as get a sense for what’s out there, and how you can improve upon it — and make it more unique.
But there may be times when inspiration hits you out of nowhere or comes from a completely unexpected source. Rob routinely makes use of the voice recorded notes on his phone —ideas for projects often jump into his mind when he’s not at the office (Atlanta traffic tends to be a very inspirational time!). When Carol hits a creative block on a project, stepping away from the computer and making a trip to the gym, or stepping outside for a walk is the perfect reset button. Don’t box your creativity in; leave yourself open to inspiration at all times.
Don’t Force It
At Marbury, we truly embrace the concept of “team,” especially when it comes to discovering new and inspiring ideas and concepts for client projects. One of the ways we put this into action is through our Idea Lab meetings , where everyone in the office has the floor and can share an idea for any one of our clients — even something we are not currently working on. From these meetings, we have been able to find new inspiration and take our projects to new heights that our clients love.
Our team also loves taking group trips every once in a while, just to get out of the office environment and experience something different together. These bonding times usually allow for conversations between departments that might not regularly get the chance to chat, leading to new ideas and major project inspiration.
Neither of these exercises are forced. They are opportunities for a break from the norm, — and isn’t that what CREATIVITY is truly about? Breaking from the norm. . If you’ve tried all your usual inspiration tactics and you’re still tapping your pen against your empty sheet of papers, take a break! Change the scenery. Now might not be the time for you to have your creative breakthrough. You may need to call in some inspiration reinforcements to help guide your project down the correct road.
Don’t Skip Inspiration for Speed
Inspiration tends to follow its…own…timeline…no matter how hard you try to bend it to yours. It’s so tempting to cast inspiring creation inside and go for the faster route of templated work that promises speed and satisfaction for one neat fee. But just imagine da Vinci or Van Gogh throwing up their hands and quickly scribbling down something on par with what everyone else was doing. Now imagine your company falling in line with the rest of “what everyone else is doing” instead of standing out with something truly unique.
At Marbury, we see ourselves as your creative outlet. Sometimes, clients come to us with amazing ideas brimming with direction, and sometimes they come to us with little more than a sentence scribbled on a napkin and a desire to see their company grow. The beauty behind what we do is that we can take your inspiration journey – wherever it currently is – and help you create a “work of art” website, logo, ad, or whatever you and your company need to stand out from the crowd. If you’d like to become the da Vinci of your industry, contact us today at group@marburycreativegroup.com and, together, we can get started on your masterpiece!
*Source: Mona Lisa art depiction from art.com
