Thoughts by Albert Antonio and Kamilia Fauzi
Creativity In Daily Life
When you think about creative people, the first thing that may come to mind is probably Leonardo Da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Shakespeare, Steven Spielberg, or maybe the person you saw on TikTok at 2 A.M.
They have created art and inventions that have inspired and amazed people everywhere. But being creative is not only about painting the next “Mona Lisa” or making the next viral video with millions of views on YouTube or TikTok. It is also about your perceptions along with expanded ways of problem-solving - from making that exquisite meal or planning your next marketing campaign, client meeting, storage organising, or even your year-end accounting. Creativity is vital in all aspects of life, and it is everywhere.
“Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people” – Leo Burnett.
That is why we, Collab Asia, especially as a company that works in the so-called “creative industry,” believe in the importance of creativity in our business.
To encourage our employees, we sent our team of creatives from across our eight offices to attend Graphika Online 2021, one of the most significant creative events globally, so that they could be inspired and share it with others.
If you have not heard of Graphika, it is an international annual multimedia design conference based in Manila, Philippines, that has been going on for 16 years. Graphika has showcased talented artists of multidisciplinary creative approaches such as ILM (Industrial Light & Magic), PIXAR, Tokidoki, Marvel Studios, and many more! Graphika Manila has attracted over 20,000 attendees throughout its nearly 20-year existence.
“Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” -- Albert Einstein
This year we were very fortunate to learn from 9 extraordinary creative minds from various disciplines worldwide.
Pictures by : https://www.instagram.com/graphikamanila/
With 9 speakers from 9 different backgrounds, we sure learned a lot of things. However, after going through their notes several times, we believe some key messages that all of them share.
Conclusion
Learn Constantly
Being creative is not a talent. Creativity is not something that you have or don’t have. If you want it, you have to work for it. Let's accept the fact that ideas don't come out of the blue.
They're the combined results of experience and the knowledge that you've acquired. If you wish to improve your creativity, then start preparing and challenge yourself right away. The best way of doing that is to feed your brain with knowledge & challenges. The more knowledge & experience you acquire, the easier it gets.Do Not Limit Yourself
You don’t need to be artistic to be creative. Creatives will discover new answers rather than simply recognising and fulfilling the norm. For example, you might have to brainstorm different unique methods to cut costs during a budget crisis or acquire a unique litigation approach to secure a client. Don’t let your job title limit how you use your creativity and capability.
Open-Mindedness
Creative thinking involves looking at something in a new way. It is the very definition of “thinking outside the box.”. You have to set aside any opinions or biases you may have and see things in a completely new way. By coming to a problem with an open mind, you provide yourself with the opportunity to think creatively.
Be Empathetic. We Are All Humans After All.
In this pandemic situation, it’s good for us to be aware of every single individual status and struggles. However, let’s not forget that creators, celebrities, and clients are humans that have feelings. So let’s try to put ourselves in each other's shoes, and maybe our world could be a better place.
These key messages are something that we can apply individually in our lives and could also be used in work cultures/businesses.
Here are some thoughts on How We Can Apply These In Our Work Routine:
Learning New Technologies And Business Strategy
As a media company, Collab Asia has to keep up with the latest trends, be it cultural, technology, or business strategies. Therefore, empowering our employees through more opportunities like workshops or training, such as Graphika 2021, is crucial.
Do Not Limit Yourself
Yes, we started as a YouTube MCN, but we are way more than that. At our core, we want to provide people with good content either by supporting creators or by producing content ourselves or through them. By not limiting ourselves, we can do so much more and reach more people.
- New platforms: Tik Tok, Facebook, Twitter, etc
- New kind of contents: Short videos, audio, merch, NFT, etcBuild Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
Fundamentally, openness and honesty make for the best relationships because they lead to trust and faith whether with employees, investors, partners, creators or clients. Therefore, it is essential for us to always act with integrity in any relationship, be compassionate, friendly, loyal, and treat our relationships well.
We should also embrace diversity in thoughts, opinions, and backgrounds, because the more widespread and diverse the relationships are, the more significant the positive impact we can make on the company. In addition, as the company grows, communication becomes more and more important because everyone needs to understand how his/her team can connect to the big picture of what we're trying to accomplish.“We Are A People Business”
Our CEO always reminds us about our core values which connect to managing talent and their stories and supporting every one of us as an individual. As a company, we can do workshops for our employees and creators and make sure they are not overworked but stimulated and rewarded for their passion while promoting better content and building new talent. On the individual level, we should be kind to each other and be mindful of each other, especially since we are a diverse company with people from different backgrounds and cultures.
It’s a lot of things to take in, isn’t it? We hope you get something out of it. But even if you forget most of it, remember this one thing:
“Being creative is not a talent or the end goal -being creative is a way of life.”
Stay safe out there, and don’t forget to put on your mask! If you are curious to learn more about Graphika 2021, you can read more here.
And don’t forget to follow us on our social media!
We are beyond grateful and happy to share our insights and thoughts with you.
Credit goes to Lydia Devina Pratomo, Jorzheema Hamid, Kamilia Fauzi, Albert Antonio, Henry Christian, Giljohn Cleon Campos, Moira Inot Komatsu & Jaye Jihyun Kim for learning, passion and being creative together to make this happen.
