CHALLENGING TIMES? OR TIME FOR CHANGE?

19 March 2020

If you’re a creative or work with or in the creative or live sectors – words like: challenging, interesting and devastating feature heavily in most conversations. Is there a silver lining though, or can we create one? Isolation and interruption needn’t halt all creative work and business. I have no intention of stopping. This stuff is what makes me tick after all. I love it.

With so many individuals, brands, governments, agencies and suppliers struggling though – I want to do something about it – so I am.

I’m no medic, nor do I have a few billion to back a bailout. What I can help with though is how you, and we all – together, come out of this better prepared for a world that will demand more considered work and creative work and working. Three and half minutes of video to explain the ideas, training and initiatives coming your way soon… for free.

Take care, more very soon.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

Hi, I’m Will Glendinning. I’m a producer, writer, designer and director.

And greetings from the Glendinning bunker.

Now words like challenging, interesting, catastrophic even are being used quite frequently at the moment and for good reason. And if you’re a creative too and work in or with the creative industries you don’t need me to reiterate the challenges everyone’s facing.

But is there a silver lining though? Or can we create one?

For me, life’s about experiences: finding and creating them.

Whether it’s finding them exploring nature or heading off on expedition to the bottom of the world or creating them: producing events, creating content, writing, developing ideas, designing furniture, developing a menu for dinner with friends… whatever it is, I need to explore and I need to create, it’s what makes me tick.

Creating experiences or creative work isn’t just about the end result. I get excited about every stage of the game. A game with four stages or quarters.

First there’s the idea, whether for a new business, new product or service, an expedition, a trip away, the need to sell to, communicate with or entertain people… whatever it is, coming up with ideas, strategy or thinking for many of us is our life blood and for some of us, it’s what makes us tick.

Then there’s the research. Ideas are great but most won’t come to anything. And it’s the research, due diligence or just trying something that determines if an idea has legs or that moves that idea forwards.

There’s then the development and design. At this stage, the ideas become tangible. We’re designing, we’re developing, we’re planning. It is, if the idea has merit, exciting, often challenging but exciting.

Then finally there’s the end result, be it a product, a service, a new business, an event, an experience, some marketing, communication or entertainment, an expedition even. Whatever it is, it’s the bit where something actually happens.

This cycle of activity is what makes me tick. I love it. If I’m not doing one or all of these things at any one time, I’d go crazy. So I have no intention of stopping. And crucially, unless everything you do is online, it is by and large only really the final stage that is affected by the current temporary situation we find ourselves in globally. The rest of the stages needn’t stop, nor should they.

Creativity and creating can continue.

Of course, the immediate issues that affect each of us, our family, our friends, our businesses and those that need our help should be the absolute priority.

Now, I can’t help with employment, cash flow, making payroll, business continuity or medical advice.

But what I can help with is how you and each of us come through this stronger, more creative potentially, reinvigorated and hopefully better equipped for the world that will demand more considered and creative work and working.

Reinvention and change is inevitable, whether through choice or forced upon us. So in the coming days and weeks, in and around the day job, I’ll be putting out all manner of suggestions, thoughts, training, insights and other initiatives to support individuals, brands, governments, agencies and suppliers who work in and with the creative and live sectors. All free – there’s no cost and no signups or anything like that.

At the very least, this will spark some debate, thinking and reflection.

And if it helps move on how you, your team, your business or your clients work more effectively, creatively, efficiently or profitably, or helps you find or create new work, even better.

And who knows, maybe some new ideas, new ventures, or new businesses even may evolve out of it too.

Thoughts, ideas and suggestions welcome.

Thanks for watching, take care and I’ll speak to you again soon.