Using your creativity to develop unique ideas to sell a product or service isn’t easy. Creativity transcends everything from professions to culture, television, and movies and of course marketing campaigns. The slightest idea can flourish into something that touches and impacts people around the world. In music, lyrics are written down, recorded, and laid over guitars, pianos, drums, and other instruments played with precision by masterful musicians. But where does the idea itself come from? Do the words come first, or does the musical score inspire the artist to write the lyrics? While many examples could express how an idea can take on a life of its own, let’s consider two that reference the pain associated with the loss or the absence of children.
Tears in Heaven was written and released by Eric Clapton in 1992. While the song itself is beautiful, it becomes more impactful when you understand the painful circumstances ingrained in its roots. Tears in Heaven was written and dedicated to the memory of Eric Clapton's son Connor. He tragically fell from a balcony and was killed when he was only four years old. Many of us could never comprehend the toll a tragedy like this would have on a parent's psyche and yet, Eric Clapton was able to put his pain and loss into words and share it through his music.
Letter 2 My Unborn was released in 2001, almost six years after Tupac's death. It was to be a love letter to guide his unborn child with the lessons he learned through his life. Imagine having the foresight to put pen to paper to share your knowledge, hopes, and dreams with a child you somehow knew you would never meet. Whether Tupac had a child or not remains unknown. What is widely known is that he regularly predicted his death in his music. Tupac's lifestyle and confrontations with the police might have inspired him to write a song to communicate with his unborn child from beyond the grave in case he had one.
Good creative ideas are hard to come by, and people always say creativity is subjective. Sometimes, regardless of how strong you believe they are, the ideas you come up with don't resonate with your audience. It's hard to be unique. Still, if the two songs above are proof of anything, a creative spark can come from anywhere and under any circumstance. Whether it's a new brand campaign, blog, short story, content marketing piece, musical composition, or something else entirely, your own life experiences can provide inspiration. You may find the idea you're looking for is just beneath the surface.
"I love that marketing doesn't force me to pick a lane. I get to be the analytical one who figures out the strategy, but I also get to be the creative one who brings it to life. It's that constant back-and-forth between the two that makes the work actually feel like me." – Sakina, CMA Intern
One piece of advice that stuck with me was to stop waiting until I felt 'fully ready' before taking opportunities. A lot of growth comes from putting yourself in environments that challenge you, even if you're still learning. I've learned that experience builds confidence.
While scouring social media sites, job postings and your favourite companies searching for opportunities to get your foot in the door, you kept seeing one constant – required experience. That's something you just don't have. You're trying but you can't seem to get your foot in the door. Either you get no response or the response is that they've decided not to move forward with your application. That sucks.
