The 3-Rings of Creativity!

By Rory Bolen - Creative Director | Producer | Hack Writer | Circus Monkey-for-Hire

I've preached to my creative teams an approach that has done well for us for several years, winning awards and driving client sales.

Here's the 3-Ring Circus of Creativity.

1st Ring - Opening Act: This is the solid, intelligent, straightforward approach that anybody in that product category or industry would respect. Basically, it's the meat and potatoes, the must-have worst-case scenario, good images, content, copy, etc., needed. Good above-average creative work.

2nd Ring - Daredevil Act: This creative is outside-the-box thinking that grabs your attention, excites you while entertaining you, and pushes your boundaries to the edge of being uncomfortable. I told our creatives... "if this was your business, what would you do or make it your style even if that's not normal practice for that industry or product category?" An artistic approach to images or product shots or naming, etc.

3rd Ring - OMG!!! Unicorns - Pink Elephants and Everything Falling From the Sky is On Fire: This act is where you push all boundaries and walls, and there's a good chance the creative teams may be under the influence of something and far from sober! (allegedly - please insert corporate legalese here) Most likely, these ideas are scribbled with stick figures and diagrams on the back of a cocktail napkin. But the beauty of this work is there is always something you can pull from it and tone it down to appeal more to the masses. It is always easier to tone down wild and crazy ideas than boost or bedazzle a weak or lame idea.

Creating ideas and concepts from these three approaches and taking the best while shaping them into client-ready campaigns and pitches.

But the three core principles used in all three approaches above are...

1.) Use Your Decoder Ring: The approach has to be the best way to illuminate, illustrate, and explain the problem and the solution brought to the table by your product or service with creative messaging.

2.) Be Open for Business: There is no bad idea because you can sometimes take a sliver of that concept and apply it to another creative approach by giving it another twist. But you and your team should be open to new and crazy ideas because it is easy to be judgemental and block ideas without allowing them to take shape or breathe. This different perspective may give you an angle yet to be explored before taking you to that unbeaten path to new creativity.

3.) "What If...?": Keep that creative curiosity flowing throughout the process. The ability to take a little nugget from an idea and twist it in another direction for that brilliant home run concept.

"What if... there was a crazy, creative genius that was seeking a new gig and a LinkedIn article helped him score a new job...?" (insert professional emoji in with tongue-in-cheek image here)

About the Author: Who is Rory Bolen?

A creative guy in the dead center of the universe.

Raised in a small town by a blue-collar family.

Lived college and adult life in Chicago - Phoenix - LA.

Lost a bet - got married and moved to the burbs.

But negotiated a motorcycle and a bulldog (Roxxy - xx because she's double trouble)

Currently dying a slow, boring death in the suburbs.

Ran with the Bulls in Pamplona.

Performed on stage at Moulin Rouge in Paris.

Had a rough encounter with Johnny Cash.

Fine dining with chef friends but a fast-food connoisseur.

Been both hand-over-fist rich and coin collection cashing-out poor.