I might have told you this one before. But I think it bears repeating.
Once me and a passel of other creative directors produced a worldwide multi-media campaign. Though our ECD had approved the initial work, mid-stream he took a short hiatus. He was missing when the work got made.
When he came back, he hated it. Really hated it.
He sat the lot of us down and dressed us down. What he said is important. Something I've never forgotten.
"I'm not pissed that the work sucks," he said. "I'm pissed our level of ambition has started to drop."
Ya.
Every once in a while something happens and your work isn't what it should be. The worst thing you can do is accept that.