Organization; Something Creatives Need To Actually Focus On

Think about eating in a dirty kitchen, driving in a cluttered car, or trying to find your favorite pair of jeans in a massive pile of unfolded clothing.  What did you think about while imagining yourself doing these things? The mess and the way you felt being around it.

Messy life, messy mind. It’s hard to think straight when all you can focus on is the mess around you. The same concept can be used to explain creatives and the way they organize their thoughts and projects. Organization is something creatives need to actually focus on. It’s important, almost as important as finding the big idea, because the big idea isn’t going to be found if you’re constantly searching through all the mess to find it.

De-clutter your life and mind so you can clutter your notebook with ideas and concepts. Work with people who will give you the level of organization you need to succeed, and if they don’t, make them. Embrace organization, don’t hate it. It only makes your life easier and your work better.

I think creatives tend to think organization = time. Organization can bring you from 0% to 50% really quick and is necessary to include in the process of finding the big idea…if you’re looking for the best one, that is. If you’re looking for mediocrity, stay in the clutter. Your competition will soon be passing you by, waving at you as you’re sitting in your pile of trash, trying to make your way out.

Organization = clarity. Organization = research. Organization = strategy. Organization = good ideas.

Create a schedule. When do you need to have something done so you’re not procrastinating at the deadline of your next big campaign? If you haven’t already learned, procrastinating leads to creative blocks.

Create a list. What do you need to accomplish for your big campaign? Cross the items off as you finish them and move on to the next. Don’t think about 5 different parts at once. Think about one part, then move to the next. Don’t confuse yourself. Be clear. Be organized.

Do your research. Research is half the battle. What is your client trying to accomplish? How are you going to measure it? Are they already measuring their progress? Figure out where they are at NOW before you move on to what’s NEXT. If you don’t do your research and figure out where they are at NOW, how are they going to believe you when you tell them that you were the one that brought them to where they went NEXT?

Create your strategy. Use models that already exist. Create your own model. Whatever it takes to come to the conclusion that THIS concept WILL work. Yes, there is always a risk, but when you are organized and find the strategy that works best for your client, that risk lowers.

Create your good ideas. Organize them. Find a pattern. Write everything down and analyze the ideas from start to finish. Take a break. Find more ideas. Combine two of them. Delete most. Find the big idea through all the little ideas and run with it.

Focus on organization and I promise you, your work will be better. Your creative career will excel, and you’ll wonder why you never focused on organization before. Make organization your new BFF and wave at your haters as you pass them by.