Professional Lessons from the Creative Process

As a creative who specializes in photography filmmaking, I usually receive emails and messages from creatives seeking advice. Over the years, I’ve written down and reminded myself of certain key points with each project. I thought it would be beneficial to share some of these ideas here on LinkedIn. 1. Debrief: After each project, taking the time to debrief is essential. Reflect on what you did to achieve the goals, identify the challenges faced, and consider how you and your team can learn from the experience. Evaluate whether your ideas were too ambitious or if the brand or client didn’t fully connect with your vision. Gathering all this information helps you refine your approach and apply these lessons to your next project, guaranteeing continuous growth and improvement. 2. Clear Communication: Establishing open and transparent communication from the start ensures that everyone is on the same page, from the production team to the client. This helps manage expectations and keeps the project moving smoothly. 3. Collaboration: Successful projects are built on collaboration. Engaging with your team, valuing their input, and working together towards a shared vision is key to creating something special. 4. Adaptability: Flexibility is crucial in creative work. Whether it’s adjusting to last-minute changes or finding creative solutions on the fly, being adaptable keeps the project on track. Remember to be Nimble! 5. Storytelling: At the core of every project is a story. Whether it’s a photo shoot or a film, the ability to tell a compelling story that resonates with the audience is what sets the work apart. Story is everything. 6. Attention to Detail: The little things matter. Paying close attention to every element—from lighting and composition to styling and post-production—elevates the final outcome. It's all in the details. 7. Client Relationships: Building and maintaining strong relationships with clients is just as important as the creative work itself. Understanding their needs, keeping them involved, and delivering on promises fosters trust and long-term partnerships. Remember no client is the same. 8. Passion and Purpose: Bringing your passion and sense of purpose to every project keeps the work authentic and impactful. It’s not just about the final product, but the process and the message behind it. This is your personal stamp and DNA don't forget it. 9. Professionalism: From meeting deadlines to maintaining a positive attitude, professionalism sets the tone for the entire project and ensures a smooth experience for everyone involved.

Rick Rubin went on stage in Helsinki the day after my talk. Someone asked how he resolves creative differences with artists. His answer was simple: change the conversation from "I disagree" to "let's build it." Then he shared a story: An artist played him a song. The transition didn't work. Rubin told him so. The artist said, "We'll just cut that part in half." Rubin thought to himself: What a dumb idea. But he didn't say that. He said, "Let's try it." The artist played it. It worked. Rubin is a legend. He's produced everyone from Johnny Cash to Jay-Z. Instead, he bit his tongue and let the artist prove him wrong. The principle: when you make an idea tangible, it stops being the person's idea. It becomes something you can both look at objectively and improve together. Once you build it, the truth is obvious. Here's what this looks like in practice: Your designer wants to change the entire homepage layout. You think it's too risky. Instead of three meetings debating it, you say: "Let's build a prototype and test it with 50 users this week." Your sales team wants to restructure the pricing page. Instead of blocking it because you're worried about conversions, you say: "Let's run it as an A/B test on 20% of traffic for two weeks." Your engineer wants to rebuild a core feature from scratch. You think it's overengineered. But instead of killing it in the planning phase, you say: "Spike it out in three days and show me if the performance gain is real." You're not saying yes to everything. You're saying, "Let's find out." Rubin also said something that stuck with me: "If there's disagreement, I always side with the artist's vision. Because to them, it's their career. To me, it's just one piece of my portfolio." Most leaders think backing down makes them look weak. Rubin knows that siding with the person who has the most at stake makes better work happen. Your job isn't to be right. It's to create the conditions where the best idea wins. Stop debating. Start building. P.S. This insight is from this week's newsletter where I break down why Yamaha dominates while Steinway got sold to private equity: https://lnkd.in/efSqP_9K P.P.S. Access additional research links, the podcast, and the full archive in the first comment 👇 Thank you to Nordic Business Forum!

𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 > 𝗡𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 × 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 = 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 Just witnessed a piece of art that didn’t speak; it sang, without a single sound from a human. - No musicians. - No hands. - Just bowls floating on water, playing hypnotic melodies by design, not by force. It wasn’t just art. It was a masterclass in leadership, innovation, and human potential. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝘀: ↳ 𝙎𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙨 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝘽𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙘; 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝘽𝙤𝙡𝙙. → According to the Stanford d.school, simplicity is the end goal of deep understanding. → We tend to over-engineer, over-manage, over-explain. → It often comes from removing noise, not adding more layers. 👉 Simplify policies. Clarify communication. Uncomplicate onboarding. Let people breathe. ↳ 𝙄𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝘿𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙉𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙗𝙤𝙖𝙧𝙙. → A Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study found that the most innovative companies encourage “serendipitous discovery”, ideas that emerge from observation, not just ideation. → Who’d expect music from bowls floating in water? 👉 Your next breakthrough may come not from benchmarking competitors, but from observing the unmet human needs within your workplace. ↳ 𝙎𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝘽𝙚 𝙖 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙮. → A Harvard Business Review article shows that leaders who practice reflection make 20–25% better decisions. → This art installation was pure stillness in motion, a space to feel, not just analyze. 👉 Imagine building workspaces or cultures that encourage moments of pause. Where silence isn’t awkward, it’s empowering. ↳ 𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 = 𝙑𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨. → No hands were seen, yet harmony was created. → The art functioned through a smart system; not micromanagement. 👉 Let culture carry the rhythm, not control. Empower people. Design roles with autonomy. Trust the process, that’s where real engagement begins. 💡The Big Lesson: - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅. - 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿. ↳ What’s one process you can simplify today at work? ↳ How can you build magic into your HR strategy, without needing a bigger team or louder voice? ↳ Are you giving your people space to breathe, or just tasks to complete? Let’s reimagine leadership, HR, and innovation, not by adding more, but by making less feel like more. 🔔 Follow me [Redwan Masud Hoque] for more reflections where art meets workplace culture, where simplicity sparks innovation, and where HR becomes a creative force, not just an admin function. #HRLeadership #Innovation #WorkplaceCulture #Simplicity #HumanDesign #FutureOfWork #QuietLeadership #MindfulHR #DesignThinking #Inspiration #Creativity

The psychology of thoughtful creation To THINK BEFORE CREATING is a form of resistance in a world that celebrates immediacy. It means stopping the impulse to produce for the sake of producing, to observe, to understand, and to give meaning to every decision. It is recognizing that clarity does not emerge from speed but from stillness, that quality is born from the time we dedicate to reflection. It is not about slowing the creative process down but about giving it direction. Thinking is the first act of design, the foundation on which everything takes shape. → When the mind gives itself time, ideas gain depth. What once seemed scattered finds connection, what was instinctive becomes coherent, and what was an impulse turns into strategy. The pause is not emptiness but a fertile space where information settles and ideas naturally arrange themselves. In that silent interval, creativity stops being reactive and becomes a conscious process. → Structured thinking seeks harmony, not accumulation. Understanding the whole before the parts allows every element to respond to a greater purpose. That is where design transcends aesthetics and becomes a language, a way to communicate order, balance, and meaning. Decisions are no longer random; they become part of a system where every detail matters. → Thinking with intention gives creation purpose. Every gesture, texture, word, or form acquires significance when born from reflection. Brands that take time to think achieve coherence between what they do, what they show, and what they stand for. Reflection turns execution into expression and form into experience. → Mature thought recognizes interdependence. Nothing exists in isolation; every decision affects the whole, and every choice communicates beyond itself. Within that network, limits are not barriers but structures that give freedom its meaning. To think before creating is, in essence, to design with consciousness, purpose, and precision. Featured brands: Glossier Clasique Guerlain Febble Wildhood Schwarzkopf Professional

Every creative project starts in the same place: no audience, no guarantee, no map. It’s tempting to wait until you’re certain people will notice, but the truth is, every successful creator begins before anyone is watching. You show up because something inside you insists on being made real. At first, the audience is small. That’s actually a gift. It gives you space to experiment, find your voice, and connect more deeply with the people who genuinely resonate with your work. Over time, those early supporters become the foundation for everything that follows. What defines a creative professional isn’t one big breakthrough. It’s the quiet decision to keep going and to make your craft part of your identity. Each time you show up, you’re casting a vote for the person you’re becoming. There will always be moments when the work feels invisible, when progress feels too slow, or when others seem to leap ahead. But consistency has a compounding effect. What feels small today often becomes the moment you look back on and realize it was the turning point: the time you decided to persist anyway. Generosity is what keeps creative work meaningful. It’s not about giving everything away; it’s about showing up to make someone else’s path clearer. The most enduring creators aren’t chasing the next win, they’re focused on creating something worth continuing. And while creative work often begins in solitude, it’s sustained by connection. The people you meet, the collaborations you nurture, and the community you build all shape your ability to grow. Emotional proximity, not physical, is what keeps ideas alive and helps them spread. Creative success isn’t about luck. It’s about patience, purpose, and persistence. If this message resonates, share it to encourage someone who’s just starting out. And for more insights about building a long-term creative career, subscribe at dorieclark.com/subscribe

Everyone tells artists to hustle harder. But science says the opposite. Research shows unconscious thought leads to more creative ideas than conscious effort. A few years ago, I went on sabbatical at the Bellagio Center in Lake Como. No meetings. No deadlines. Just time to think, write, and compose. That space changed everything. Here are 5 principles that make strategic rest your most productive tool: 1. Stillness Creates Clarity When you're always producing, you start repeating yourself. Stepping away helps you hear what's missing. Action: Schedule 2-4 week blocks with zero creative output pressure. Paul Simon took a long break before Graceland. That pause led him to South African music. A sound that redefined his career. Studies show almost half of creativity variance comes from recovery patterns, not work patterns. 2. Environment Shapes Imagination New places reset how you think. Unfamiliar settings create unexpected connections. Action: Change your physical environment completely. Go somewhere that challenges your routine. Georgia O'Keeffe found her color palette in the New Mexico desert. Ernest Hemingway wrote A Moveable Feast in Paris cafés. At Bellagio, I had dinner every night with scientists, poets, and composers. Those conversations helped me see connections between art and ideas I'd never linked before. 3. Document Without Pressure Creative breakthroughs need incubation time. Write down ideas without forcing them into finished work. Action: Keep a simple notebook. Let ideas marinate. Trust the process. At Bellagio, I wrote pages of unfinished sketches. Later, those became full songs. REM sleep and downtime improve creative problem-solving by 60%. Silence can be part of the writing process. 4. Rest Is Part of Mastery You cannot create forever at full speed. Strategic breaks aren't weakness. They're essential. Action: Build sabbaticals into your creative cycle. Even 48-hour breaks shift perspective. James Blake canceled his tour to take a mental break. That pause helped him return with Assume Form. His most open and spacious album. Research proves: vacations increase creativity for months afterward. 5. Make It Time In, Not Time Off A sabbatical isn't avoiding work. It's doing the deeper work your art requires. Action: Protect your rest periods fiercely. Say no to "quick projects." The break IS the work. Your next breakthrough isn't hiding in harder work. It's waiting in strategic rest. ♻️ Share this with someone who needs permission to rest 🔔 Follow Kabir Sehgal for insights on creativity

The #creativeprocess is messy and imperfect. It can be both beautiful and rough. The struggles are real and often hidden behind the polished, final output. Rarely do we talk about the tough patches, the doubts, or even the sheer grit it takes to push through sometimes. Here are some of the most important things I've learned about the creative process over time. ➡️ Embrace The Unexpected: Be open to finding inspiration anywhere. It often comes in the most unexpected places. ➡️ Keep Discovery Open-Ended: No idea is too big during the initial design stage. Ask "what if" without any creative boundaries or restrictions in place. Let the ideas flow. ➡️ Constraints Fuel Creativity: Limitations can be your friend. They serve as a catalyst to channeling energy towards finding a truly focused creative solution. ➡️ Iteration Is Queen: Creative breakthroughs often come from a series of iterations. The first draft will never be the final version and often sits so far from where you finally land. Try, Adjust, Repeat. ➡️ Collaboration Brings Perspective: The best work comes from different perspectives. One idea can inspire another, leading to some innovative and creative solutions. ➡️ Revelations Come From Rest: Creative work can be draining. Give yourself time to unplug and recharge. Those "aha" moments often occur when you do. #Creatives, what else would you add?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from almost two decades running a creative studio is not to tie your emotional well-being to the ups and downs of your new business pipeline. Early on, I used to panic when things got slow, and honestly, I’d panic just as much when things got too busy. When a big deal didn’t come through, I’d question everything. Over time, I realized how much luck and timing really matter. You can (and should) learn from every outcome and have honest conversations about why you won or lost a project. But at the end of the day, so much is out of your control. One big opportunity can make or break a quarter purely by chance. My advice to fellow agency leaders: stay engaged, keep learning, and keep moving forward. Don’t let a dry spell, or a streak of luck, define your mindset. A steadier perspective makes you a better leader and, more importantly, a happier, focussed and more tolerable human.

"But shouldn't the creative process be ... a little messy?" This is the pushback I often hear when I talk about implementing rigorous processes in brand development. There's a myth that creative work thrives in chaos, that structure somehow stifles innovation. Here's the truth: A solid process doesn't restrict creativity; it empowers it. Think about it. When you're not constantly reinventing how you work, you can focus your energy on what matters most: the creative output itself. It's like having a well-organized kitchen before cooking a complex meal. You're not wasting time hunting for ingredients; you're focusing on perfecting the dish. Let me break down what a proven brand development process looks like. First, we build the foundation. This means defining mission, vision and values, then crafting positioning and messaging frameworks. This isn't just paperwork; it's your brand's DNA. Next comes identity development. We're talking visual and verbal components working in harmony. But here's the key: We're not just making pretty designs. We're creating a system that can scale. Finally, we activate. This includes templates, campaigns and ongoing creative, all flowing from that strong foundation. Not every brand needs every piece of this puzzle, but the most successful brands I've worked with aren't the ones with the biggest budgets or the wildest ideas. They're the ones that respect the process, then unleash their creativity within it. Simply put, process doesn't kill creativity. It sets it free.

If I had to boil my 2+ decades of experience as a creative down to a handful of “rules,” it would be these: 1. Experts aren’t the answer. The blogs, the teachers, the mentors, the seminars aren’t the answer. In creative pursuits especially…what’s going on inside you is where the answers can be found. Hear what experts say, but don’t always listen to them. 2. Clients cannot tell you what they need. They think they know the best way to solve their problem, but they don’t really. That’s why they hire you.Don’t just “execute” somebody else’s definition of a “good” idea. 3. Don’t aim for ‘better’, aim for ‘different’. If you aim for ‘better’ that usually means you’re walking in the footsteps of someone else. But if you target being different– thinking in new ways, creating new things– then you’re blazing your own trail. 4. Simple is good. Almost every photo that is bad has too much information. Outside of technical basics, the number one reason that most photos fail is because there is no clear subject. Tell one story, and tell it well.  Do one thing, and do it well. 5. “Value” is different from “price.” Focus on delivering value and price yourself accordingly. If you deliver great value with your work — better than expected, and better than your competition– and you can illustrate that through any means, then you should be more expensive. 6. A-Gamers work with A-Gamers. If you want to be the best, seek to be around awesome people–be it other artists, assistants, producers, clients, partners, whatever. Shoot high. Shoot for better than yourself. 7. Real artists create. Maybe what comes out of your studio isn’t perfect, but there should always be stuff leaving the door and hitting the web, the page, the billboard, the gallery, or the street. If you’re for real, you’ll be pumping out work on the regular. There you go. Now don’t just read this list, KNOW this list. DO this list. – 👋 Hi, I’m Chase 💪 Lifelong creator who helps other creators thrive 📸 Award-winning photographer, exited founder & bestselling author