Proximity vs. Perspective:
How close to the work are you?
If you work two feet away from the screen, you are concerned with every pixel. But, in time, you may find yourself working 30 feet away from the screen. And while it’s commonplace for ECDs to piss and moan about the fact that they rarely get their hands dirty and do the real work, it is also true that as you get further from the screen, you also get further in your career. The good news is that with a greater distance comes a greater understanding — of what the client needs, what their business needs, and what your agency needs. In other words, what you lose in proximity you gain in perspective. You build a broader base upon which to solve problems, find solutions, offer critiques, provide feedback, make judgments, and deliver praise.
Build your foundation to broaden your horizon
To get there of course, you have to start at the beginning. Before you can critique the work you have to understand the fundamentals of the process and what the work entails. You have to be capable of doing the work itself. I started in production, doing keylines. There’s nothing closer to the screen (or the work) than that. Over the years, I developed skills as a designer and copy writer, and eventually became responsible for more campaign work and broadcast spots. Without really planning to, I had built a foundation that ensured I understood the production process. This fundamental understanding is critical for your professional development, and eventually positions you to be responsible for the big picture work your agency is doing.
That demands understanding, empathy, and an ability to get the message and then translate it for the business, the agency, and the creative team. As agencies adopt flatter organizational models, the ability to learn from everyone in the room — whether it is a director of strategy, an account supervisor, or your client — becomes crucial. It’s a skill you can learn by virtue of working with a talented team. Once you understand what the client is really asking for, you’ll find yourself advocating for them. That’s a powerful place to be, in the room, and in your career.
My advice to a junior creative: take three metaphoric steps away from the screen. Get a wider perspective. Learn to see beyond the pixels and look at things from a new different slant: from the point of view of design, from the aspect of the agency and its business, and begin to learn to look at what each team member adds to the project at different levels. What do they contribute and how do they do it? And how do you communicate to each colleague, from a level further away from the screen? To tell a great story you need every single version of context. You need to see all the points of view — which requires you push back from the screen and take a look around.
Make yourself uncomfortable
Are you stuck sitting three feet from the screen? Want to move from 30 feet to 300? Here are some quick ways to change things up:
To change your perspective, change your job title
At least in your head and in your actions. Challenge yourself with new responsibilities.
Work for a different agency
You’ll encounter new procedures, new ways of doing things, a new squad. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll learn.
Move to a foreign country
Live in a different culture. Spend at least six months there. A year is even better. While it may seem daunting, it’s well worth it.
Take on new projects
Category experience is overrated and in our industry, increasingly irrelevant. You don’t want to just be “the car guy.”
Slow down to go further
While you have to be good at the task you were given, you can risk losing sight of the job you can do. Instead of charging into the work at 100 miles an hour, considerate it. Work a bit every day, then reflect on what you have accomplished, and what remains to be done. This approach forces perspective on the project. Sleep on it. Look at it with fresh eyes. Take a step back.
Comfort leads to complacency
To move forward in your career, you will have to move beyond your comfort zone. That means doing something, without actually knowing how to proceed, without guarantees, or even a known destination. So go ahead. Volunteer for the tough assignment. Take that night class at your community college. Better yet, teach one. As you step outside of your current limits, you step into uncertainty. That’s where the magic happens. And that’s where you’ll gain the perspective to move forward.
