A few days ago I had an interesting conversation to someone. Then suddenly after talking about my life and work at the agency and about the distance learning programme I am currently doing (or not doing), this person said: “You’re a person who always plays safe, right?” Woo. You are so wrong. I just don’t like surprises and therefore think about the possibilities to come before doing something. Oh, wait. Maybe this person is right.
While still thinking about this I stumbled across this post by total stranger and “iMate” Marcus. You are so right. I am 25. And I have nothing to be angry about. I started to work in advertising when I was 20. Straight after finishing school I went to a small ad agency and then to Germany’s leading copywriting school, Texterschmiede. After joining Leagas Delaney and then later TBWA I work at Kolle Rebbe for nearly 4 years now. Shot some commercials, went from junior to mid-level, won some awards and stuff. My life is somehow a comfort zone. Nothing to complain about. Happy. Nothing to fight for. Everything is fine. But probably this is the point why I am unsatisfied. Everything is okay. But what does okay mean? Nice, medium sized, fine. Not very bad, not very good. For me okay might be the most unsatisfying word. At our school we used to say that okay is the little brother of shit. And it is. I am not happy. Because (that’s what I think) when you are a creative okay is nothing but mediocreness. To put this right: This feeling mostly applies to the limitations and borders that are set for my work. I love my agency. But wait. I love most of the people. I don’t like the rules. Tidy up the room. No pictures on walls, nothing on your desk except your MacBook and the phone and maybe some briefs. How is a creative person supposed to work in an environment like that? And furthermore I maybe a bit tired of always pushing our creative directors to not always present the “safe” ideas. I had some key moment a few weeks back. I was working late and at 2 am changed the whole presentation because I was not satisfied. I was supposed to present the work so I thought that I have to like it nevermind what my creative directors might think. On the next day I presented to the client. It was great. They said it was the best presentation they ever saw from my agency. The reaction of my creative directors? Angry. But what should they say? “Hey we left agency before the presentation was finished and then this kid came along, changed everything, put stuff into the presentation we never saw and then made the client happy like never before!?” Probably not.
I know that maybe I could have fallen (is this grammatically correct?) on my butt. Nonetheless my brain felt better for it. So back to the general situation. After thinking about all this stuff I remembered this video on the website of Wieden+Kennedy. And Ademar is so right.
That’s why I promised to myself that I will leave my comfort zone. Jobwise. Once a wise man said “Do one thing every day that scares you.” And that’s nearly what I will do. I will stop to wait for my dreams to knock on my door. I will ram their door or at least ring their bell. What door? I will tell you. Don’t laugh. Since my second week in advertising my aim was to one day work for Wieden+Kennedy in Amsterdam. So why didn’t you send your portfolio there and see what they will say, you might ask. An awarded person can’t be that bad in what he’s doing, right? Right. But I was afraid. It’s like asking the most wonderful girl at school if she would like to go out with the president of the chess club (or something like that). But now I am angry (thanks, Marcus). No, I am unsatisfied. And dissatisfaction, not money, is what makes the world go round. And while some may say that I am stupid to think about probably leaving a well-paid job in one of the top agencies in Germany for maybe an internship at some agencies in London or maybe for a trainee job at WK Amsterdam, I just can say: I am 25 and have the right to do stupid things. Or at least on thing a day that scares me.
And believe me, I am scared. Afraid of the big fat “NO!” out of the mouth of some people I deeply respect and would like to work with. But I’ve got nothing to loose. Unsatisfaction can set free all the energy you’ll need to change things. But it can’t recharge its batteries. So let’s change something and see what time may bring. Maybe I end up staying in Hamburg but trying to make this place THE place and maybe change will happen. Updates, anyone?
Oh, here is one of the text I think might fit on this:
“I work, I wonder, get things done yet take my losses, too. I kill my darlings, kiss some asses, tell a lie (but not to you). I move the mountain, I cross the ocean. I throw the dice, cut the crap, confront. I sharpen edges. I curse, I claim, I rock the cradle, thrive. I scream. Of love, of fear, of joy. I excel, exclaim, exhale. Maybe get more wrinkles, more grey hair, perhaps take a diet…..and fail. I question answers, change the odds, at times I ride the tide. I break the rules and bite the dust. Mouth open wide. I beat the drum, I blow your horn, or – who knows – ring your bell. I stir the fire, I make great waves, shoot horses, stars as well. I random order, unchain hearts, I think big fish of you. I want, create, believe, persist and fail. I get up, I dream, I wish and do.”
What do you think. Does this make sense? Or am I just stupid? Feel free to comment. And: Thanks for the attention.
This entry was written by , posted on März 30, 2007 at 12:13 pm, filed under Think. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
I am going to Zurich over my long weekend to visit my mate Hannes (if you like search the comments for “Hannonymous” or something like that, but in general every improper comment is from Hannes). So the next post, if there will be a post, will be from Switzerland. Perhaps I finally will post that life- or at least mind-changing thing I am talking about for some time when mentioning Marcus and that person I can’t mention here. When there is no post on Saturday or Sunday, Lauren, could you please kick my backside (like you did for that Culture Jamming post). Thanks for your attention. I will bring cheese and chocolate. What a nice combination.
This entry was written by , posted on März 29, 2007 at 10:54 am, filed under Break. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
I’ve just got a call from someone to my phone at the office. That someone told me that another someone desperately tried to call me on my mobile and was freaking out because “everybody checks mailboxes every day”. No. Not me. Because I don’t have my mobile with me. Forgot it. And I am fine with that. I don’t like the fact that people think I should be available at any time on my mobile. Why should I? If it’s that important write an email, SMS or twitter or something. I’ll check that.
Be sure that it’s not because I don’t like you or disrespect you. No. But just because my favourite TV show or magazine or newspaper is interrupted by advertising that doesn’t mean that it can be interrupted by incoming phone calls as well. One’s enough. Honest. But this time it was just because I simply forgot my phone. I had my PowerBook with me because I need it for working stuff, you know. I had my iPod with me because I like my way to work accompanied with some fine music. I had my keys with me because I need them to lock the door. I even had some cigarettes with me because from time to time I like to enjoy a smoke. I definitely had my wallet with me because I need my ticket for the underground and some money to buy food and the newspaper. But I didn’t had my mobile with me because I don’t need it to survive my day. Because it’s not that important for me to get calls from whoever feels like talking to me. The ones that are important have my office number (though a bunch of unimportants have it as well). My mobile remained unanswered yesterday. And will remain untouched today. Two days off for my mobile to recharge batteries. Two days off for me to recover from being available at any time.
This entry was written by , posted on März 28, 2007 at 10:14 am, filed under Think. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
Today I was angry. Very angry for it was very early. The reason was pretty dumb: I forgot to set my iTunes back from UK to Germany and because of this mistake wasn’t able to purchase the new and yet old beatsteaks track “Jane Became Insane”. Now, two hours and probably 56 times “Jane Became Insane” later, I am jumping around in the office. Happy and insane. And for all those unhappy and un-insane customers of the iTunes Store UK here are the beatsteaks. With some “NaNaNaNaNa” that will leave the Kaizer Chiefs crying like a whole kindergarten.
This entry was written by , posted on März 26, 2007 at 10:33 am, filed under Music. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
Some weeks ago Russell set up a new assignment for the Account Planning School of the Web which I occassionally join in (as long as it’s not a too big amount of work). Currently I am thinking about a thing that someone I can’t mention here and Marcus’ latest post made me think about. Will post about that later. It’s a question of life changing things so let me think a bit. That’s why I only will post the charts for APSotW and maybe later add some links to classmates. And, please, don’t be too critical because it was done on a 2 hour train ride from Berlin to Hamburg. And by the way: the competitor I took is Balzac Coffee und you can find them here. Thanks for the attention.
This entry was written by , posted on März 22, 2007 at 10:26 am, filed under Brands. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
There is a brilliant post on Rob’s blog about Google being the new Microsoft which turns out to be a general rumble about Google. Here is the quick link to the post, it’s worth spending some minutes of your lifetime on it.
This entry was written by , posted on März 21, 2007 at 9:54 am, filed under Brands. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
Nina, my small and lovely art directress, is not at the office. Because of working on the weekend she missed her flight to London on sunday but managed to rebook it to this morning at around 6 am. As always when she’s not at the agency I am in a bad mood and slightly bored. No one can say “Oehmchen!”, this wonderful misspelling and defigurement of my surname, in a sweeter voice than her. And nobody is allowed by the way.
Therefore, people from London, if you see a very small girl scuffing down Oxford Street today it might be Nina. Say hello and give her a nudge. And just in case you’re not from London visit her blog and kick her backside in the comment section for being to lazy to do her first real post (you may also use this comment thing to leave some words of admiration for the sweet blog title, must have been the idea of a smart copywriter…).
This entry was written by , posted on März 19, 2007 at 3:16 pm, filed under Break. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.