Being Creative

It always amazes me how "being creative" is at times a big circus act with elephants and even scary clowns. Years ago, I went to my first pre-pro meeting at an agency in Boston who were planning a Halloween commercial for particular store chain. I was young and naive, and had never had a professional animation type meeting before. My father always wore a suit when going to important meetings and I felt at the time that I couldn't go wrong being dressed properly. I couldn't have been more wrong. I donned my "wedding suit", the only suit I owned, and went to the posh ad agency offices confident that I had made a good and smart fashion choice. When I got there, I was greeted by the creative director and producer for the agency and we sat down in a large conference room. Their first question was, "Where is the creative?" Mr. Dapper and now confused (me), responded by confidently telling them that I was in fact the animation director. They had a nice chuckle with a "No really" attached then asked again if the animator was going to join us. Luckily, I chose to use my feet for some fancy foot work and not as a chew toy and told them that unfortunately the "creative" couldn't make the meeting and that I came in his place. They asked if they could reschedule since this was to be a "creative" meeting. I like any good producer/account executive/lawyer instantly agreed that tomorrow would be a better day and apologized for the confusion. "Ha, yeah, you guys saw right past my little joke, ha ha." They shook my hand with odd looks on their faces and I knew that they were equally confused. Why did this knucklehead show up and tell us he was the creative and then cancel the meeting as quick as he came? "WEIRDO" lingered in Bold Helvetica in the thought balloons above their heads, at least that's what I saw. I dodged a bullet, but knew I had to come up with something good to gain the agencies confidence once again. My suit had them convinced that I was a business bozo of some sort and about as creative as a used tissue. I decided that I had no other choice than to give them what they wanted. The next day I entered the agency once again this time dressed in a cut-off, ragged hoody ravaged in oil paint, tattered shorts and sandals. I walked into the conference room, grabbed their presentation storyboard off their cute little easel and tossed it to the ground and said abrasively, "Who did this piece of shit." I plopped down in front of the same two agency creatives who sat stunned, surprised, and yet with ridiculous grins upon their faces. The thought balloons above their heads read once again, "WEIRDO" but this time it was the right type of weirdo. Egotistical, brash, all elephant and scary clown. I won them over, "being creative". The meeting went swimmingly and I was instantly hired to "redo" their board which they gave up like an unwanted step-child. Got paid, and even though the spot never happened (too much money for the client", it had nothing to do with the "creative." Sometimes the act is just as important as the talent. Embrace your inner scary clown.