Welcome to Episode 23 of Navigating the Fustercluck—a podcast full of snackable insights to help you navigate the topsy/turvy world of creativity. My name is Wegs, like eggs with a W, joining you from Deaf Mule Studios in Dallas, and no matter what aspect of the creative world that interests you, this episode is for you. Especially the majority of you are neglecting the fact that you have to feed and water yourself. Yep, ya gotta feed and water yourself. The Grind If there’s one thing that we can all agree on, it’s that while it can be crazy fun, working in the creative world can also chew you up and spit you out. The pressure to produce, the timelines, the hours, crazy clients, crazy co-workers, crazy bosses…There’s a whole lot of crazy going on. And I think it’s getting worse. Why is that? Technology When we talk about technology, it’s usually about how much easier it makes our lives. And that’s the case in creativity. But not always. Sure, designing and editing have been transformed by computers. But now those you answer to know that you can make more adjustments. They want more options. More detail. (Hell, comps todays are basically ready to go out as is.) And finally, they want it yesterday. Where once the creatives held the magic, today, technology does. Shamans & Magicians Once upon a time, creatives were regarded as possessing some sort of magical, mystical powers. They were considered shamans and magicians. (Some even gave themselves god-like status.) Whatever their status, they were given ample time to concept and craft their ideas. Then came technology. And the game became less mystified and more became expected. Not a bad thing, necessarily. That is until nitpicking, indecision and ego created delay after delay. And a fraying of confidence and order. That’s not the fault of computers, that’s the fault of people. People supposedly leading the process, not throwing themselves down on the timeline as human speed bumps. It continues to this day. Media With more media, we need more content. And in real-time. That means we need that content, faster. And faster. And faster. And we need it all coordinated from medium to medium. Often with multiple agencies. Not an easy task. Can’t Go Back to Future We’re not going to create more time by going back in time. OK? Times have changed and going back to the old ways ain’t goin’ to happen. We can’t simply demand more time to work. Nor should we. We’re going to have to create time within the deadlines we already have. Project Management One way to save time is not to waste time. To move the process along as smoothly as possible. No holding onto information longer than necessary. No left out requirements or misinformation that costs precious time. This requires better communication, better processes and people who are good- make that great- at preserving controlled chaos. And it will be chaotic at times. It’s the job of these master cat-herders to keep as much momentum as possible going. Overthink Often we don’t trust ourselves enough. We don’t know when to stop. Creative development falls victim to this all the time. If we don’t know how to edit our thoughts and to recognize great ideas when they’re staring us in the face, we lose time. Collaboration When it comes to collaboration, the equation should add up to 1+1=3. People getting together to make something greater than the sum of its parts. When performed properly, I’d contend that by adding the right people, you can save more time. Listen to the earlier episodes on collaboration to hear more on why that is. It’s About Time As Technology magnet and NBA owner, Mark Cuban, says… Time is the most valuable asset you DON’T own. You may or may not realize it yet, but how you use or don’t use your time is going to be the best indication of where your future is going...