Drink, drugs and copywriting
The other day, a client facing a big marketing setback confided to me that he was going to go home, have a glass of wine and try to think it through.
I nodded sympathetically. Many’s the time I’ve combined work with leisure by doing some copywriting over a drink in the evening. A drop of something can often loosen up the flow of words, particularly when something expressive or colourful is required. (However, it can also cloud the judgement, so I always wait until the morning to send the results to the client.)
Newsflash: drugs were involved in the making of this record
No-one who enjoyed Under Milk Wood, Sgt. Pepper or Kubla Khan could deny that alcohol and drugs can enhance the creative process. Some of our greatest cultural works had their genesis in altered states. And they reached even those who never touched anything stronger than tea.
Yet I’m not sure how my clients would react if I revealed that their copywriting had been done under the influence. Even those who liked a drink themselves might be disquieted. And if I told a client I was going on a week-long acid binge to get ideas for their slogan, I’m pretty sure they’d be looking for another copywriter. (Not that I ever would, I hasten to add.)
The serious point I’m making is that although we know of many factors that boost creativity, we often deliberately exclude them from the corporate workplace, however acceptable they might be elsewhere. We might grudgingly allow a few pictures over a desk, or a radio on in the background, but these are intrusions of leisure into the world of work, not deliberate attempts to stimulate our minds. Even something completely wholesome, like spending some time in a natural environment, is only allowed in the rigid structure of the corporate ‘away day’ (if at all).
Those in the creative industries often make more effort to stimulate creativity through the working environment (although one suspects that it’s also partly for show). In my view, all work is creative – not just marketing, but every other business function too. We all have innate creativity that we use in solving the problems of our day. Why don’t we do more to stimulate it in the workplace?
This is why freelancers sometimes have the edge.
All my clients care about is whether or not I get it done well and on time!
I agree, freelancers DO have the edge. I don’t drink any more, so don’t get the “benefits” of that any more
… but some of my best ideas have come from strolling around the countryside near to where I live. Occasionally, I also get some work done.
Nice post.
Having worked both freelance and in a corporate environment, I can see both sides to this argument. Freelancing requires a great deal of self-control and motivation. Creativity is great. Getting no work done is less so. An office environment offers very little in the way of distraction.
In a similar vein I’ve edited PR photos for a client whilst being a little under the influence. It’s funny how I ended up using techniques & filters I wouldn’t normally use on people pictures. As you can imagine the images didn’t get sent and I had to do them again in the morning!
Don’t drink while I write, though maybe I should! Take care to surround myself with sensual stimuli: kooky hats, lucky stones, music. Clears the mind and prepares it for writing. Still, I’m kind of glad to hear others drink, makes them more human somehow!