Ever had a cheese, jam and Nice ‘n’ Spicy Nik Naks sandwich? Sounds disgusting? How do you know if you’ve not tasted it? I mean you like cheese don’t you? You like jam don’t you? And everyone loves Nice ‘n’ Spicy Nik Naks… so what’s the problem! Are you not curious as to what it might taste like?

Being curious about everything is essential if you want to be anything better than just a good Creative. Back when I was 17 I loved cheese, jam and Nice ‘n’ Spicy Nik Naks sandwiches… I also read an Encyclopedia from cover to cover and in my early twenties I happily listened as my best friend (who’s an incredibly bright bloke) explained Cosmology to me… all because one day I knew this stuff would be useful.

“Remember what the Dormouse said. Feed your head, feed your head”.

Now I’m not a massive Jefferson Airplane fan… in fact if you asked me to hum or sing the song ‘White Rabbit’ to you… I probably could not… yet I know that the end of the song ends with a reference to Alice in Wonderland’s Dormouse. At some point in my life I’ve heard that song or been told about the lyrics or been intrigued enough about it (probably after reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) to know something about the song… and finally it has come in use.

My head is full of potentially useless and useful information like that and every day I cram it with more information… some of which I may use… most that I won’t. I wake to the sounds of Radio 4 and get lost in the great stories and information that gets told… I drive to work listening to Five Live… if I’m in early I’ll read the Guardian Online and keep myself up-to-date with world events… in between doing my job I will avidly read, look and listen to as much as possible and for me Wikipedia is absolutely the best thing that has happened in recent years… as it allows my curious mind to quickly educate itself on any number of subjects from the fate of Photographer Kevin Carter to the history of the Football Pools!

When I say be naturally curious about everything… I really do mean everything… let me give you a few examples.

Be naturally curious about people.

From the woman who works behind the counter at the local Petrol Station to your friend who studies Astrophysics with Astronomy or a business contact who has an MA in Marketing… how do you make yourself able to hold an engaging conversation with all of these people without sounding condescending or stupid? I mean that’s quite a diverse range of people we are talking about.

Try this… as you walk inside the petrol station, take a moment to look at the headlines on the Tabloids… there are literally dozens of ice-breakers right there that will allow you to ingratiate yourself to the woman behind the counter at the Petrol Station… may come in handy one day if you ever have a pitch for Shell or BP. A quick look on the New Scientist Website before setting off to your friend’s house always provides some interesting conversation points… and your client… well being a Marketing Professional you should already have a wealth of sources to ensure you’re up-to-date with the latest news in his or her sector.

Be naturally curious about books, films and music.

I probably haven’t seen the film Batteries Not Included for a very long time… but I always remember the ending where the old home that our heroes live in is sandwiched between two huge skyscrapers… a striking image if ever I saw one… and one that has undoubtedly influenced the end of our latest TV Commercial for Cottages4you… which finishes with a cottage sandwiched between two Georgian houses in a city. In the past I’ve done a McCain’s Oven Chip Commercial that was influenced by the Soldiers in Toy Story and created a Biker’s Champion that owes a debt to the classic 80s movie ‘Wraith’.

Being influenced by someone else’s work is only natural… and should be embraced… as long as you are not blatantly ripping someone off. I make a big effort to read as many books and see as many films as I can… like Wikipedia… Youtube is a fabulous resource for being visually stimulated with music videos, movies and just original ideas captured on film.

And these days books are so cheap that you owe it to yourself to read as much and as widely as possible… everything from trashy novels and magazines to the latest best sellers, classics and industry books that offer new perspectives on things, so you can ensure your viewpoints are as educated or balanced as possible.

Be naturally curious about the world around you.

Whenever I can… whether it’s before meetings or at weekends I make sure I take time to find a café and have a coffee and just secretly watch people. You can learn a lot this way… or if there are no people, position yourself at a window and watch the world… you’ll be amazed at what you see.

What you’ll find yourself discovering are hundreds if not thousands of human truths. From how people behave to how the world works and how we interact with it. I guarantee that practicing this and just taking time to observe the world as much as possible will pay dividends.

For example… if you’re getting on a Train… step back for a moment and watch how different types of people board or disembark… or go into a betting shop and watch how people interact with the statistical information on the walls or with each other. Better still… go to a supermarket and watch how people shop… what they buy… how the talk to each other… you’ll be amazed at what you learn.

Go on, try a cheese, jam and Nice ‘n’ Spicy Nik Naks sandwich.

Being naturally curious about everything is second nature to some of us… we just do it because we are addicted to the benefits it gives us… I love how in a meeting something I hear a few days before can be of use… a home insurance job for example… how did I know burglaries rise on the run up to Christmas… Radio 4… that’s how.

So if you’re wanting to be a better Creative my advice to you is get naturally curious about everything… I guarantee you’ll soon see the benefits… you may even develop a love for cheese, jam and Nice ‘n’ Spicy Nik Naks sandwiches.

If you’d like to have some naturally curious Creatives working for you… why not give Red C a call on 0161 872 1361 or click here

Tags: Advertising Agency Creative, Advertising Concepts, Advertising Innovations, Alice in Wonderland, Award-Winning Advertising Agency, Batteries Not Included, Cottages4you, Creativity, Direct Marketing Agency, Direct Response Advertising, Jefferson Airplane, Manchester Advertising Agency, Nice ‘n’ Spicy Nik Naks, Online Advertising Agency, Radio 4, TV Ad, White Rabbit, Wikipedia, Youtube

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 13th, 2009 at 1:39 pm and is filed under Advertising, Blog, Creative Concepts, Creativity, Direct Marketing, E-mail Marketing, General Interest, Influences, Inside Information, Marketing, Marketing Innovations, Television Advertising, Viral marketing, Web 2.0. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.