The Art Directors' Club

I have always loved to have my hands on things.  I like to know how things work.  I like to create.  I like to be innovative.  I love for people to look at my work.  If I could be anything in this world, actress, singer, leader of the free world, I would choose to be an Art Director.  

I love that Art Directors have so much power.  When you flip through a magazine, it is the visual appearance, not the writing or the research or the company, that stops you in your tracks.  It is the art, the design, the appearance.  And what amazes me is that the design does not have to be intricately crafted to be powerful.  With the right touch, someone can make only three measly  squiggly lines come to life.  

Not just anyone can be an Art Director, though.  It is a skill and a talent that only a handful of people have.  I want to be in that club.  I want to be someone with a specialized skill--someone that can do something extraordinary and it comes naturally. 

 

Art Direction speaks to me also because it presents the opportunity to make a very intimate connection with someone you don't even know.  I love interacting with people--making friendships, networking, people-watching.  I love it because everyone is so extremely different.  Art Direction presents the opportunity to make connections with people that are not only different from you, they are extremely different with each other.  While they can be from Sudan or Scotland, they all share a common trait:  the desire for beauty.  Sure, beauty can be the way a string of words hits your ear or the way a feather feels when it is brushed across your arm, but I think the most powerful beauty is visual.  And no, I am not talking about a 6'4" man with sandy hair, piercing eyes and a glistening tan.  I am talking about taking beauty in visually--it is easier for me to determine beauty by looking at something, not reading or hearing.

I want to create beauty for people.  I want to create something that makes people feel powerful and inspired.  But most of all, I want to create things so beautiful that when people look at them, they feel beauty within themselves.

The Objective: Stop Putting the Objective on Your Resume

I am so relieved that I don't need to write an objective for my resume.  Whenever I would create or update my resume to apply for a job or college I would cry out in terror when I had to update my objective.  

Doesn't it seem that my objective is obvious if I am giving you my resume?  If you are offering me a position and I give you a resume, I want to fill the slot that is open.  Does anyone even read the objective?  I feel like the act of writing an objective is just a contest of who can string the words "obtain", "pursue", "interest", "elevate", and "enhance" most skillfully together.  Objectives don't even make sense at first.  You read it, reread it, furrow your brow, cock your head to the side, then begin to try to interpret the jumble of words that sounds as though someone put forth a painful amount of effort to make himself sound more intelligent than he actually is.  Phew!  That was a mouthful.  

Okay, I have given "objectives" a hard time here.  They do serve a very useful purpose.  Thesaurus manufacturers all over the world found a boost in sales once objectives became the norm in resumes.  

It is just really nice to know that someone else, someone more educated and experienced than I recognizes the superfluity of objectives.  

Alright, I am done ranting.  But seriously, what a relief! 

Account Planning

Account Planning is simply not for me.  I don't want to insult the Account Planners out there.  In fact, I want to applaud you.  You can maintain great focus when accomplishing a somewhat mundane task.  

I guess my first qualm with Account Planning is the label.  Planning...Hmmm....  I am not much of a planner.  I am a doer.  

It frustrates me that the Account Planners spend so much time researching and planning the campaign, but they do not get to be a part of the creative process.  The thought of planning and researching without being able to creatively brainstorm suffocates me.  To me, the glory of advertising is being able to physically create.  It tortures me to think of spending my life doing something where I cannot be artistic.  

One of my loves of advertising stems from its hybrid nature:  it mixes technical business skills with artistry.  Account planning takes away one of my passions and let me tell you--I'm not cool with that.

Recently, I had to assume the role of an Account Planner for a project in my advertising class.  The main purpose was to do research and learn about our assigned product, but I could not help but dwell on brainstorming creative ideas for a possible campaign.  Over and over again, I had to snap myself back on track and remind myself what my goal was.  I do not have the ability to focus on just that aspect of advertising.  I prefer the creative side of things...you know, discovering unique visual solutions and making solid connections with people through just a few powerful words, thinking differently.  Frankly, I can't spend all of my time researching without getting restless.  

Absentee Ballot

I filled out my absentee ballot today and while the feeling of bubbling in my vote for this historic presidential election was immensely satisfying, I couldn't help but walk away from the experience a little melancholy.  The root of my disdain comes from the fact that I had to pay the postage on the envelope.  And while the amount was a paltry forty two cents, it was 'the principle of the thing' that upset me.  The whole idea behind the voter paying postage hints at an undertone that one must be fiscally capable of doing so.  Our country was based on the idea that anyone can vote--rich or poor.  And there should not be a financial barrier to voting.  To me, this idea is faintly similar to that of a poll tax.

It is simply unAmerican for our government to require us to pay postage on an absentee ballot!  Any imposition that presents an obstacle to voting simply should not be allowed.  End of story.

Muffins and Cake

Carol saunters out of the elevator towards her cubicle one groggy Sunday morning. Skinny latte and muffin in hand, everyone she passes realizes she had to skip breakfast at home in the interest of time. But there are no judgments. Clearly, Carol chose the healthy route on a morning when grabbing a doughnut and a hot chocolate would have been much faster and easier. Carol arrives at her desk and releases her satchel. She pulls out her chair and plops her latte and muffin on her desk. Just as she gets settled and is about to eat her breakfast, her boss, Janice, rushes through the halls and attracts quite a lot of attention. It is painfully obvious that Janice is running late. Unlike Carol, Janice chose the unhealthier option. Since her daughter turned three yesterday, her house had a surplus of birthday cake, so Janice grabbed a piece on her way out of the door. As Carol took the first bite of her muffin she (and the rest of the office) smugly judged Janice for her blatantly unhealthy breakfast.

One of the most fascinating things to me is the general acceptance that muffins are good for you, when in fact, they are just dome shaped mini cakes. Think about it...why do you like muffins so much? Is it because they are conveniently packaged portions? Is it because they are sweet? Is it because they can come in a variety of flavors? Is it because of that drizzle of glaze some bakeries put on top? Guess what. I just described a cupcake.

And that is why I love muffins so much...even moreso than cake. In an ideal world, I would eat cake every day. However, there is a certain stigma to being a cake-eater. Think back to Janice. Didn't you feel sorry for her? Oh...she is so frazzled that she is eating cake for breakfast. That is so pathetic. And didn't you find yourself thinking, "keep up with that cake habit of yours and you'll be developin' some nice muffin tops pretty soon..."

Carol and her muffin, on the other hand, get off scot free. When you read about her, you thought, "Attagirl, Carol! Way to make a healthy decision!" But deep down, she is thinking, "Bahahaha! I have tricked the office into thinking I am a healthy eater and made a wise decision for breakfast. Now, I will discontinue my inner monologue so that I may enjoy my cake. Hahahaha, Janice! You are a sucker."

Muffin eaters, beware. I am on to your scheming.