Through the wonders and splendors of the internet I have become an acquaintance of if not a friend with the Ad Contrarian. (http://adcontrarian.blogspot.com/) One morning when he was visiting New York we met at a greasy spoon for breakfast and conversation.
One of the topics of discussion was our blogs and how we write them. The Ad Contrarian told me that he plans his blog posts a week in advance and writes them at once early in the morning.
My approach is completely different. I wake up with no real ideas rattling in my head. I sit at my computer at around 7:00 AM and want something written before I leave for work around 7:45. More often than not, the fear of "facing the white bull that is the blank page" vanishes and I find something that makes me laugh, makes me think or makes me sick. Then I write about that.
I think the Ad Contrarian consistently produces an interesting and intelligent blog. He works thoughtfully and methodically.
I like to think I, too, consistently produce an interesting and intelligent blog. However, while I think I am thoughtful, I have no method other than fear of failure.
The Ad Contrarian and I both produce what I think is a fairly high-quality product. We produce it in completely different ways.
That's the beauty of creativity. It can't be mandated, legislated, best-practiced or time-sheeted. You just have to do it.
George,
ReplyDeleteThat is so funny that Bob plans TAC out, because I would have guessed that many of his rants were off-the-cuff posts that he races to a computer to capture when he's in a huff.
Me--just like you but 9:30 at night. Often I jot ideas down in advance but somehow I've never been able to get the hang of writing whole posts before they're "due." So I tell myself no bed until I get tomorrow's post written. I like my rest so that puts me up against it.
(LOL--I hope I consistently produce an interesting and intelligent blog.)
You're absolutely right. Blog-posts and other forms of creativity come to people in dozens of different ways... and the tighter the box you put around someone else'd creativity, the less likely you are to get anything *creative* out of them at all.
Regards,
Kelly
Hi George,
ReplyDeleteAs a copywriter, I've learnt that there are broadly two types of writers in advertising: One is the Voice of Reason, and the other the Voice of Truth.
I've been an avid reader of TAC and Ad Aged for about 3 years now; and I must say, I enjoy both equally.