I remember a few years ago, a young creative walked into my office and told me that he didn’t have anymore ideas left in his head.
“That’s it, Ferg,” he said. “There’s nothing left. I am totally tapped out.”
I told him a creative guy without ideas is like a milk cow without an udder. Totally worthless. So I fired him.
He was a bit taken back.
Ideas are what makes money for clients and agencies, I explained.
I have been asked on many occasions where ideas come from? I wish I knew. They have been known to pop in my head in the middle of the night, while driving, while listening to music and, on occasion, while sitting behind the desk staring at a blank computer screen.
I do know one thing for certain: when you have a great idea, protect it, guard it, keep it away from people who want to harm it, fight for it and most of all, love it. I have lost ideas because I didn’t fight hard enough for it.
As you grow older, you will learn that great ideas, ideas that really do make a difference in a client’s business and separate one agency from another, are few and far between.
Don’t let them slip away or even worse, let someone tell you to “put that one in the creative bank for another time.” The “creative bank” is the only bank in the world where something as valuable as an idea, quickly loses interest.