Will Work for Praise

There have been days when I’ve really, actually, seriously considered making this into a sign and hanging it outside my cube wall.

One, because I think I’m funny.

And two, because I think it’s also a universal among Creative Services types. Raise your hand if you haven’t gotten all giggly inside just because someone gushed about the amazing work you did on that one thing. Anyone?

I’m also guilty of this ridiculous activity: If a client replies back about how much they really loved something I wrote, I have to go and open the document and re-read it with a big stupid grin on my face. And while I’m reading my own writing back to myself, I’m puffing up like a big stupid peacock and thinking, “Oh wow. Oh my god. I am so genius.”

I really hope I’m not the only one this desperate for validation.

If people think creatives are a little off from the rest of the business population, it’s because our job requires the constant generation of new ideas. When you're in the idea business, you're in the business of taking risks. You have to invest enough of yourself in an idea to bring it from idea-germination stage to idea-executable stage. You gamble that the idea you think is smart, clever, beautiful, or on target is going to be seen that way by other people too -- and 90% of your ideas get rejected. Because... "meh, I dunno."

Can you just imagine that happening in any other line of work? Spending your entire day on a project that you’re really proud of, and then showing it to a coworker who simply shrugs and says, “Not what I was thinking. Try something else.”

What is wrong with us that makes us keep trying?

When my husband was a kid, one of his best friends owned the dumbest dog in the world. This dog was so blissfully dumb, that every day was like waking up to a whole new life. All of yesterday’s lessons, mistakes, and painful encounters would be wiped clean from his slate every morning as he burst forth into a new, freshly optimistic state of consciousness.

And just about every morning, I find myself completely jazzed up as I start sifting through my inbox, thinking, “I’m going to make something amazing today!”

Am I just that dumb?

Concept after concept, idea after idea, approach after approach, rejection after freaking rejection – even for the worst clients from hell… why do we keep coming back with more?

Because when somebody finally loves something of mine, I get to spend five minutes hugging myself and reveling in what a goddamn genius I am.