Computer Arts

InsIght spring 2017

computerarts.creativebloq.com

Suddenly right when we were least looking we
find a like-mind or perhaps two. Someone as mad
as we are who overlaps and is different all at once.
Suddenly 1 + 1 = 3. It’s a joy. Our voice has grown.
Finally we can be ourselves only better. Is this
success? Hell no. We’re just starting out. 
At first we earn trust not money. We complete
projects we amass experience. We become sought
after respected even valued. Our opinion is sought
and paid for. We go to expensive black-tie award
dinners to get the accreditation we crave from our
peers. Our work gets put up on the fridge again.
Often it’s a commercial profit-making kind of fridge
this time. We pay to win. We convince ourselves that
this is ‘good business’ that we’re ‘putting something
back.’ That we’re building our profile attracting
better talent clients and projects. Of course we are.
Everyone does it right? No! All we’re really doing is
helping the guy who owns the fridge to get rich.
Is this success? For a while it certainly feels like it
yes. People congratulate you at first and then after
a while – especially if you keep winning stuff – they
stop. But in the end we’re still looking for something
better so we keep going.
Is it fun? Hell yeah! Everything we ever wanted
is now ours almost. We’re doing great work. We’re
earning trust building a reputation. We took a risk
backed ourselves and went out on our own. Perhaps
we did it with like-minds. Our company is growing
we’re paid well we’ve won awards. People know who
we are what we’ve done; they rate us we’re inside
the circle we’re in. So is that success? Of course
not. Well... it’s a small measure of success. A few
centimetres on the yardstick of progress. All that
really happened is we joined a society within which
are others who are looking for something more
meaningful just like us.
Sadly inside the circle there are only people like
us. Hunters and gatherers feeding off one another.
Incestuous and cannibalistic. Sharing their victories
pushing their profiles and fighting for scraps. We
have to get outside this circle to thrive. Imagine how
weak our genome would be if we had never left the
cave that’s creativity at its worst right there.
Once we’ve achieved this ‘success’ we need to
find the courage to go alone all over again. To look
at success objectively and to see it for what it truly
is we have to get out of that inner circle. In fact we
have to work even harder as an outsider to get into
the inner circles of others that’s where next.
That’s where we’ll meet incredible people. We’ll
see the same fire burning in their eyes. They have
dreams too but from a different perspective.
We want to work with them and they want to work
with us. What’s our dream project? Let’s go get it.
Anything is possible. Outside the circle it’s 1 + 1 = 3
all over again. We’ll find a fresh set of collaborators

we’ll learn something new we’ll work with the

best to do the best work. It’s that simple.

Let’s be honest as creative people we suffer

from something of a disorder. We hate to do the

same thing twice. We’re all about bigger better

next. We want to do things that have never been

done before. We want to be first. 

Success is so relative. There will always be

someone more successful than us inside that circle.

Someone who has something we don’t that we want.

Even if there isn’t it’s good to believe there is because

it keeps us honest and stops pop from eating itself.

The ultimate fulfilment doesn’t lie inside these

tiny circles of success but in something so much

bigger: putting back helping others to learn setting

them a bar to raise inspiring them to do better work

than we did. Sharing. Wise people say that if we want

to be remembered we have to write a book.

Well how funny! Now we have. But that’s not

a measurement of success in itself. We can

pay to publish a book just like

we can pay to win an award.

Becoming an educator

inspiring someone else to go

further to do better that’s

success. It’s a success so great

that those we inspired will

inevitably surpass our own

achievements. They’ll stand on

our shoulders tread on them

even to reach even higher than

we did. So is that success? Yep. That’s what

success  is to us and that’s what our book is for.

Did our work on the fridge help our brothers and

sisters to do better drawings? No. But that’s the

theory. Sorry brothers and sisters we guess you’ve

either got it or your haven’t. Will this book help other

designers do better work? We hope so. Legacy – that’s

the only kind of success we’re interested in. It’s a

constantly evolving ambition. Just like the monkeys

on the cover of our book we aren’t finished yet.

Do you agree with GBH’s definition of success? Tweet your

thoughts to @ComputerArts using #DesignMatters

We hate to do the same thing

twice we’re all about bigger

better next. We want to do

things that haven’t been done

win A cOPY OF chArM

bELLigErEncE & PErVErSitY

This extract was taken from GBH’s

new book Charm Belligerence & Perversity

• which showcases the work and opinions of
  the creative agency organised not chronologically
  but by psychological state. To be in with a
  chance of winning one of five copies go to:
  http://www.bit.ly/ca-gbhbook