Please, please stop saying "Anybody can be a creative."

There is a clandestine effort – conscious or deliberate, I cannot say – to diminish the value of creative. The thinking that fuels this conspiracy is that being creative is more a hobby than a career path. As a writer, I'm often asked to "come up with something fun" for a neighborhood event, a relative's wedding, or a school project, as if nothing were more fulfilling than to add more work to my life.

"Anybody can be a creative" is a phrase I hear bandied about ad agencies, usually by upper-management types who are trying to foster this wild idea that creativity lives in the ether, waiting for anyone to pluck its fruit. I believe the statement is said as an attempt to be inspirational. It's not. It's insulting.

For example, were I to approach my mechanic and say, "Hey, anybody can fix a car," he'd likely take umbrage. My mechanic, born with a clever knack for understanding complex machinery and trained to be among the best in his field, deserves better than my droll assessment that his skills are pedestrian at best. As creatives, we deserve the same courtesy.

After all, not only are we born with  more weight on the left sides of our brains, we have honed and labored  our craft since our childhoods. To say, "Anyone can be a creative" is no less ridiculous than saying anyone can be a brain surgeon or an NBA power forward. 

I could never be an accountant. I could never be a world champion hotdog eater or a capable plumber or a cutthroat divorce lawyer. I haven't the talent for any of those pursuits, but I appreciate those who do. I should hope they have the same respect for me. 

Jeremy Harper is Chief Instigator of Storm the Castle Creative and is not available to create your birth announcement. 

Ending the War on "Happy Holidays"

I have a friend and colleague who hates this time of year, at least in portion. It has nothing to do with seasonal depression or Christmas commercialization or the bone-chilling cold. His Yuletide disdain stems from a benign expression and has sapped him of his good cheer. 

"I hate having to say 'Happy Holidays,'" he grouses, glaring at a growing pile of Holiday card job and ad requests on his desk. 

My friend yearns for the quaint days when "Merry Christmas" covered it all, when no one was compelled to appeal to the sensitivities of multiple beliefs. To him, including everyone means sacrificing his own culture – one that was universally accepted before society began to overthink itself into a political correct abyss. 

But the world is much, much smaller now. We live in an age where marketers know you better than you know yourself. Today, everyone is our neighbor, whether they live in Paris, Arkansas or Paris, France. The world is our market place, but individuals are the target audience. A seasons greeting is as likely to be "Happy Diwali" as it is "Merry Christmas." 

As an agent of advertising, I've not only accepted "Happy Holidays," I've embraced it. It's the tidy "glad tidings" that fits neatly into conversation and a corporate greeting cards. It offends no one except those who long for incandescent Christmas bulbs and aluminum Christmas trees. Faithfully translated, "Happy Holidays" literally means "Merry Christmas," "Happy Hanukkah," "Happy Festivus" or any of a dozen greetings you may wish to extend this frigid winter. 

Learn to love Happy Holidays, y'all. You'll find the season merrier. 

Things I learned by launching my own creative shop

I had no idea how many hours I'd spend sucking down coffees at Starbucks

Starting a business is like having a baby – you can't help but to pass yourself as an expert once you get started. This isn't one of those posts, though. Truth is, you start a business knowing nothing, and you likely close shop just as educated.

But I have learned a few things in the short life of Storm the Castle Creative; things I wish I knew going in, and things I'd have never known were it not for good friends. Since I am you're good friend, I share my new wisdom with you. 

1. Absorb the knowledge of your peers. I'd be absolutely nowhere without the insight given to me by friends in the business (looking at you Kitbash and Cody Scott Productions). From setting up my G-Suite business services to learning how to properly invoice a client, the people who have "Been There, Done That" are your most valuable mentors.
2. Stay in touch. Resist the urge to "do it on your own." Your former co-workers and clients are powerful sources of advice and excellent business leads. Call them. Invite them to lunch. Grab a few beers. And listen. 
3. Don't make stagnant hours unproductive. You likely won't start with a full portfolio of clients. You'll have stretches of maddening inactivity that will make you question your life's new direction. Rather than go completely mad, use the still hours to build your website, set up lunches, polish your LinkedIN – work on your brand. 
4. Bank. Lawyer. Accountant. You may be a brilliant creative, but maybe you're not much of a business person. (I'm not.) You need business banking accounts. You need to incorporate. You need to understand how taxes affect you. Visit these professionals and make their wisdom yours. 
5. Appreciate your worth. Your first instinct out of the gate will be to lower your worth to attract business. Don't. If you start your business cut-rate, you will have to dig yourself from a cut-rate reputation. Also, you might be tempted to divulge your ideas when putting together proposals. Don't. Your time and your ideas are your primary assets. Don't give them away.
6. Force yourself to "be on." As an agency writer, I wrapped myself inside a cocoon of creativity. Now I'm in business, and I have to be on. Don't ignore phone calls. Remember your follow-up emails. Be engaging and charming in mixed company. Your business will pull you out of your comfort zone. Embrace the discomfort and learn. 

I still have so much to learn, and I spend way too much time contemplating mistakes – real or perceived. If you have it all figured out, let me know.

I'd love to take you out to lunch.

Brands can be brave.

Jeremy Harper is Chief Instigator of Storm the Castle Creative who spends his free time staring into space.