AC#193: You Are Not Your Idea

By Todd Henry

When you create for a living, it can be difficult to separate your identity from your ideas. But when you confuse these things, you will consistently fail to do your best work. Listen in to hear how to avoid this common pitfall of creative work.

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About Todd Henry

Todd is the founder of Accidental Creative, the author of The Accidental Creative: How To Be Brilliant at a Moment's Notice, and an in-demand speaker and consultant for creative teams. Connect with him on Twitter or Facebook.


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Comments

  • http://bradwebster.squarespace.com Brad Webster

    Great thoughts! One thing I like to share with my freelance clients when we are going over concepts is “You are not critiquing my art, we are trying to find your vision. If a concept doesn’t work we need to rule it out quickly”. It really helps them be more honest and straight forward in the design process.

    • http://www.accidentalcreative.com/ Todd Henry

      Great point, Brad. I think those lines are often crossed and clients can forget that you are there to help them capture their vision, not to show off your abilities.

  • http://dyanavalentine.com/ Dyana Valentine

    Todd–you hit the nail on the head! Avoiding the I am vs. I do mind games is an elite sport and you’ve given us an excellent tutorial on the stretches (questions) and basic skills (appreciative inquiry) to get playing for good, not self-destruction. Keep kicking booty.

    • http://www.accidentalcreative.com Todd Henry

      Thanks Dyana! The feeling is mutual – love your work.

  • http://www.facebook.com/stefanholt Stefan Holt

    Creative and Marketing go hand-in-hand…as a marketer I have to create promotions/ideas/tactics/strategies/design/content all the time in order to engage our customers. Many, myself included, have fallen into the trap of trying to please others instead of justifying the creative idea.

    I kind of compare it to a creative courtroom…your project is on trial, not you. You are j the attorney defending the idea / concept. Using your skill, expertise, experience, and most of the time, passion on why you did what you did. Once you leave it on the floor, it’s over. Celebrate when you’re congratulated for good work. Pick up and regroup when it’s not. Makes for being better creative people in the future.

    All the best
    Stefan
    http://www.facebook.com/stefanholt