5 Insights on Creativity – Hegarty on Creativity

Summarizing some of the main insights Sir John Hegarty, one of the biggest names in the creative industry, shared in his book “Hegarty on Creativity”.

Hegarty on Creativity is a massively entertaining little book published in 2014. Written by Sir John Hegarty, the founding creative partner of Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), one of the most awarded advertising agencies known. Sir John Hegarty is a truly creative mind that produced great advertisement ideas during his 40 years in advertising. You can’t help but wonder just how good he was at it. Here are five insights on his creative process that will surely make you a better creative.

1- The blank page

Creativity, as Hegarty explains, is in every aspect of our lives: what we eat, wear, like to do or listen to (Hegarty, 2014). You reading this article must mean you want to come up with something new, and a blank page is usually the start. Though it can be very intimidating for us to feel that we may fail, so much so that we leave that blank page blank. Hegarty suggests that you start small, and not overwhelm yourself with so much (Hegarty, 2014). So let’s say you want to write a novel – start with a character and from there his hopes and dreams. Bit by bit you’ll have all the pieces together forming what might be the next big seller. The most important thing is don’t be still. Instead, fill that page with ideas or scribbles, whatever gets your creative engine going.

2- Power of reduction

The great French philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote to a friend and concluded his letter with this:  “my apologies for this letter being so long. Had I more time it would have been shorter.” When you’re trying to create something, it has to be for a reason, an attitude you want to express, a point, a message (Hegarty, 2014). Whatever it is you’re working on, always remember to keep it simple. “The power of reduction, as we say in advertising, means taking a complex thought and reducing it to a simple, powerful message,” stated Hegarty. In business, it is said that complexity ruins profitability, though you shouldn’t downplay your idea either, because then the idea will not “stick”. It’s important for your idea to stay impactful so that it captures people’s minds (Hegarty, 2014).

3- Be bold

If you can reduce the number of words, that’s good, but to get rid of them entirely is even better. Instead, focusing on visual communication could have a more powerful impact. BBH, Hegarty’s advertising agency, was working on a black denim campaign by Levi Strauss and needed a concept to work with. The message was that wearing Levi’s black denim means you’re different; you’re not like the rest. Instead of displaying photos of models wearing black jeans with a text saying how cool it looks, the advert showed sheep – lots of them. The campaign was a huge success, and Levi presented Hegarty with a life-size black sheep that later became the agency’s logo (Hegarty, 2014).

4-You’re not original

No one is original, as his book stated: “There is no such thing as originality.” I remember glaring at it, taken aback. Everything we create must be inspired by something else, continued Hegarty. Ideas are borrowed things that you can improve on, twist, or blend with other ideas to better express yourself. Hegarty attributes the value of an idea in how it was first inspired and reinterpreted. Rather than originality, we ought to seek freshness, and question ourselves on if it makes people stop. Does it make them reconsider their views? Awaken an interest in them? Does it inspire them and make them think? (Hegarty, 2014)

5-Expose yourself

Ever found yourself unable to produce any work? Well, the key to get you out of that block is for you to literally get out. Exposure is exactly what you need to stimulate your senses (Hegarty, 2014). Don’t do the usual though, go some place new or order something different. Allow yourself to truly experience your surroundings; a conversation overheard could be the spark you need to ignite your creativity. Isolation is bad for a creative, “The great creative people I know are constantly working. Looking, thinking, watching. They are curious by nature… everything they encounter is being absorbed, processed, and reformed, eventually to turn in some new shapes as an idea’’ (Hegarty, 2014).

Needless to say, the book offers a lot more than these 5 insights mentioned in this summary. Hegarty on Creativity is the push every grumpy creative needs to get going. Just remember to start with that blank page and fill it up. And seek freshness in your creation instead of originality, because originality doesn’t exist. Express yourself with very little words, if any are needed at all. You need to be different and daring in your expression, in order for your creativity to go far, because the usual will only put a leash on it.

Reference:

Hegarty, John (2014) “Hegarty on creativity” London, UK, Thames & Hudson.