Creative Streak

Fun Facts About Your Brain

Some fascinating fun facts on a Friday about your brain.

Your brain weighs about 3 pounds (1.3 kilograms), and roughly 2% of your total body weight. All of your skin weighs more than your brain.

Your brain is made of both grey matter (40%, comprising neurons which gather and transmit signals) and white matter (60%, comprising dendrites and axons, or the network which the neurons send their signals.)

There are 100 billion neurons in your brain, and each neuron has between 1,000 to 10,000 synapses.

Your brain is made up of 75% is water, and 60% fat. It's the fattiest organ in your body.

There are no pain receptors in your brain, so it can’t feel pain ... no matter how stupid that idea is you have.

You can't tickle yourself because your brain knows the difference between an unexpected touch and your own touch.

Why Clients Don't Buy Creative

As a creative director, sometimes I feel like a mother. I help birth an idea. I help nurture it along. I help dress it up and send it off into the world for the first time.

Then someone calls me and tells me the client hates the idea.

While I'm still smarting, here's some general thoughts on why clients don't buy creative.

1. The client couldn't visualise the strategy. Sometimes the problem here is that we have the wrong strategy. The "right" strategy means it eliminates, addresses or minimised one of the campaign problems of issues. If the client doesn't get the strategy (or agree with the issue), the idea won't make sense - no matter how brilliant it is.

2. The client didn't think the idea was exciting enough.  Or, thought we could do better work. First and foremost, the idea needs to wow ME. Then, I need to translate that WOW to the client in two ways:  in the presentation itself (through pictures, active words, etc.), and secondly, by my presentation style. (If you aren't interested in your topic, no one else will be either.) At the same time, I've seen and heard client deliberately throw cold water on a good idea, just to see how we'd re-act. When we don't stand up for ourselves, we might as well not have shown up.

Bits & Bytes, 11 July

During five weeks of vacation, I got 257 e-mails on creativity, innovation, websites, links. In a word: Oy.

On a cold, wet Sydney winter's Sunday afternoon, here's some of the ones which made me stop and think for a few minutes.

A Definition of an Insight

I liked this definition of an insight, from a post entitled “How to Find The Best Insights,” by G. Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Vitón, CEO and president respectively, of Maddock Douglas.

"An insight — for the purposes of innovation — must embody a penetrating customer truth rich enough to generate significant ideas that can help build your business. Ultimately, an insight seeks to make someone's life simpler, more convenient, more economical, or even more worthwhile."

I Hear Voices In My Head ... and Sometimes They Give Me Good Idea

I wish I could hand a copy of this article to some of my high school teachers. “Discovering the Virtues of a Wandering Mind” (New York Times, 28 June 2010) reveals that “the doodling daydreamer is getting some respect.” It does on to say “A wandering mind can protect you from immediate perils and keep you on course toward long-term goals. Sometimes daydreaming is counterproductive, but sometimes it fosters creativity and helps you solve problems.” Amen.

The Four Agreements, Applied to Business

Many people deservedly know Don Miguel Ruiz from his appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s television show to speak about his philosophy in his book The Four Agreements. I was introduced to him by my friend Greg in New York who gave me the audio book as a gift.

But, true to the Aussie personality, friends here in Sydney scoffed at the New Age spiritualism and the "icky" motivational philosophy ... and I had to agree, during the moment.

But when I re-read the book again this weekend, I was struck again by its relevance to the business environment. If you could scrub clean the Aquarian elements from its core philosophy, you might agree its essential clear tenets which should describe the behaviour of the most effective leader, a strategic creative thinker, or an ideal team member.

Be impeccable with your word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

Don’t take anything personally. Nothing others do is because of you. What others day and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

Don’t make assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can do avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

Always do your best. Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

If you like Ruiz' style and philosophy, you'll love his website.

If you're curious about the book, take a look here, on Amazon.

Overused Buzzwords and Marketing Speak in Press Releases

My good friend Suzanne Ross of The Aerie Company sent this link to me a few days ago. (Sorry, I've been off on holidays for five weeks, and just now getting back to a keyboard.)

As background, Adam Sherk - a search and PR strategist for Define Search Strategies (owned by The New York Times Company) - analysed the number of words used in press releases archived on PRWeb over the past four years. "Leader" and "leading" were the two most used words. I've included the top 20 words below, or click on the link above to see the entire list.

Used together, the words really do repel the reader. ("As the leader of our industry, we at Acme are leading yet again by producing the best and most unique solution from the most innovative team of innovators with award winning exclusive technology.")

It reminds me of something that John Bennett (my first journalism teacher at the University of Iowa) said in one the early classes: "It's easy to select a word to use, but far more difficult to select one with impact."

1. Leader
2. Leading
3. Best
4. Top
5. Unique
6. Great
7. Solution
8. Largest
9. Innovative
10. Innovator
11. Award winning
12. Exclusive
13. Premier
14. Extensive
15. Leading provider
16. Innovation
17. Real-time
18. Fastest
19. Easy to use
20. Dynamic

The brilliant comic is by Drew & Natalie Dee and . Go here to see to their website and BUY SOMETHING. (I have heaps of their T-shirts.)