Creative people are the lifeblood of Stone Ward. And I’m not just talking about the folks that make the ads. Whether one works in brand strategy, media planning, public relations, digital, moving pictures or the traditional “creative department,” creativity is the cost of entry. So it’s only natural that as an agency leader I am constantly studying the traits of creative people–seeking to understand how to best manage what are some of the brightest folks around.
Then last week I had the pleasure to attend Demo Day for a program in Fayetteville, Arkansas called the ARK Challenge. This is a 14-week program where nine start-up businesses go through an intense time of developing their business models and pitches with coaching from all kinds of experts. Ultimately, Demo Day is the culmination of the program and the opportunity for these creative entrepreneurs to pitch their businesses to investors and compete for three $150,000 checks to fund their developing businesses. The energy in this room, much like our agency, was electrifying and reminded me again how special creative people are.
I read an article recently on the Fast Company Business and Innovation blog featuring excerpts from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s book, Creativity: The Work and Lives of 91 Eminent People. The excerpts are a reminder that creative people truly are complex and paradoxical. Artist or entrepreneur, here are 10 points about those interesting people whom we all want to be part of our companies.
