Pro Tip: Read & Listen to Everything
I'm always working on really listening – in meetings, in everyday life… everywhere! It's like I’ve trained my brain to soak it all up. It might seem to you like information overload but I think it's a good thing as it sparks so many ideas in my commissions and daily practice. Similarly, have you ever noticed how many golden ideas are hidden in a creative brief? If you learn to really read those words, you'll find the little nuggets that help you come up with the best solutions to any challenge.
To read and listen might seem really obvious to most, but it’s also about keeping your mind opened and yourself tuned in.
Listening: Here me out
In a client brainstorming or briefing meeting it’s important to listen to EVERYTHING. I always find golden ideas in their words.Train your brain to listen as the client might not even know they’ve given you gold. A good example is that recently I was part of a meeting with a coffee company. Amongst the plethora of gold from the client two fun phrases shot into my brain, tasting notes and the god shot. FYI a god shot is a very unique espresso, which borders on perfection, as if it had been blessed by the gods. Whilst in the meeting I quickly drew the below thumbnails.
You can see now that just a simple turn of phrase has sparked something magical. My ears and brain were in tune and ready to receive. Is it useful though? Maybe! Regardless of whether I use it for client work I still have this nugget to use in my ongoing coffee based personal work.
Reading: Words to hang your hat on
Buried in every brief, quote or problem there are words that will show you the way to communicate something visually. I call these: words to hang your hat on. For example, here’s a random quote where I’ve hung my hat on three words featured in bold.
“Life is beautiful and I have time”
Next steps… Think about the overall meaning of the words and what they mean together also. Then research iconography, pictures and symbolism of these words on Google or Pinterest and draw them out into little thumbnails.
Finally… combine and thumbnail the most interesting and then choose one to work up. I haven't worked one up here but you get the idea.
For extra creative fuel, a good place to start is to find the goal and mission of a creative brief and then research how to depict those visually. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Go back to the client with questions and to expand on statements. It never hurts to ask for more information.
Summary
So there you have it! Hopefully you’ve understood the importance of actively listening and reading to uncover valuable creative nuggets. Always pay close attention to client conversations and written briefs and keep everything in tune to hone in on those key phrases and "words to hang your hat on." Being 100% present can spark so many creative ideas and lead to more effective visual communication, not just for client work but also your personal practice.