Integrity, Creativity, and Mysticism

What do you tell your clients about the “muse?”

Do you sell them on a story that leads them on a mystical journey of discovery?

Do you tell them about moments of epiphany, insight, or brilliance you’ve experienced, with an unspoken bait that maybe, just maybe… you will have a moment of epiphany on their behalf?

Do you lean on intangible inspiration as your primary value delivery?

Now the kicker: Do you believe yourself?

It’s unfortunate, but many creative agencies have a hard time proving their value beyond the soft and ethereal world of artistic vision. We as a culture are quick to reduce our responsibility of impact on your business, and we love to remind our clients that the work we do is subjective.

The reality is that it is easy to sell subjective work when you have talent on your side.

It’s also easy to over-claim subjectivity and do some fancy hand-waving to make your clients happy; they can’t accomplish the level of aesthetic impact that you can.

But what if you’re just being lazy? What if you could have tested something, and just didn’t? What if your real value could be measured more directly?

What if you’re afraid of a possible truth — that your work isn’t producing as much tangible business value as you think it is? What if you are selling hope more than you are selling an asset?

I challenge you to be true to your conviction. Avoid this trap of selling by way of mysticism — of over-glorifying your particular creative process as some proprietary concoction.

Be willing to be honest with yourself, and you will likely realize more growth in your business, more awareness in your talent, and perhaps more peace about what you’re selling.