Building your creative genius and finding your eggs.

There’s no such thing as an uninspired person. Creativity isn’t a a quality, characteristic or skill that someone either has or hasn’t got. Creativity cannot exist without imagination, and we’re all inherently creative, because we all have an imagination that’s reflected by who we are as people.

Everyday, we take in information, forge relationships and make choices that’s influenced by our own personalities and views. If you don’t think you have a single creative bone in your body, then you’re viewing the creative process in the wrong way.

I’m going to tell you a little story about the day-to-day lives of the individuals working at Wyatt International, so that you will start to look at the process differently, and find a way to unlock your creative powers.

The wall of weekly wins

On the fourth floor of our building, located on Francis street, sits a delightful bunch of hardworking and passionate people who make up our Client Service team. Take a quick look around and you’ll soon notice the words “Weekly wins” scrawled on a whiteboard. Now, at this point, our story starts to take a light-hearted and humorous turn.

Upon closer inspection, you’ll see scribbles of the team’s weekly wins include (but are not limited to);

• Having the willpower to go to the gym and turn down free muffins.
• Our Head of Brand Strategy, Simon Hall’s announcement that his rescued ex-battery chickens laid 3 eggs (check out their Instagram page @the.mothercluckers).
• The arrival of supplies for our recent interiors refurbishment project.

Naturally, we could be celebrating a few recent new business wins of which the entire team has worked diligently to achieve, but I love the fact that we celebrate the small things as well as the big.

But this also got me thinking about eggs, and not the calcium carbonate housed infant chicken variety, but the fragile ideas and dreams we all hold in our minds.

I’m talking about the project, side hustle or past-time that takes place after the working day’s over.  Whether it’s writing short stories, reading, learning a new instrument or language or painting, there are so many activities stokes the fires of our creativity. These side-gigs help develop our tastes and unleash creativity.

They give detangle our thoughts, bring us a sense of calmness and start to think about things without boundaries. When these dreams are turned into reality, it is something truly spectacular. And while some never manage to see it bear fruit, some have dared to try

The importance of pursuing what you love

One of my favourite examples of this is Havas London’s ECD, Vicky Maguire’s sweet shop, Suck and Chew. Formerly described as the “purveyors of traditional sweets and vintage treats”, the shop has now since closed, but I love hearing about side creative endeavours. It’s at that point that you truly learn something special about who someone is as a person, and  what really makes them tick. It’s a moment of raw honesty when someone reveals something which they love and have pursued.

Another fantastic side project that comes to mind is Nigel Edgington Vigus’s coffee table book that’s dedicated to the art of the fairground Waltzer. Upon delving into the wildly colourful homage to fairground art, you could instantly hear the sounds synonymous with fairgrounds of days gone by.  Each page oozed with his passion and pride for this project – it was inspiring.

Finding your North Star

I recently listened to a podcast (CMO Moves) featuring an ex-colleague from JWT, Musa Tariq. His story is truly an inspirational one and I encourage you to read more on his achievements. During the infancy of his career, he rose to be the youngest marketing chief in Ford’s history, after holding senior positions at Burberry, Apple, and Nike.

When asked for his final advice to the young group of marketing professionals sat in front of him, simply encouraged them to find their ‘North Star’. When you find your ‘North Star’, you know where you’re heading, and it’s to a place that’s meaningful to you, and will help settle your mind. It’s something that truly drives you, and will propel you forward to greater heights. It will become your reason for doing what you do.

I’ve met wildly creative people from all walks of life, and some of them can be found under Wyatt’s roof. I know people who have nursed the most interesting, wacky, unusual and wonderfully different side projects and hobbies. From illustrating children’s books to creating a successful coffee brand, from board game creators to fledgling app developers, it’s a whole wide world out there, with some amazing passions.

Of course, we are passionately driven to build brand and business performance but within our walls at Wyatt, we count a number of wildly creative and inspirational people with some truly surprising stories to tell. From writing and producing a play produced at theatres in Birmingham, Coventry, and London to spending countless hours crafting the perfect cosplay, we love exploring our hidden passions. If you’re ever in the area, pop by and we’d be happy to tell you about a few exciting eggs we are sitting on.

If you’re looking to create an equally great project to transform your brand and business, contact us and we’ll be more than happy to help.