“If you want to build a ship, don’t herd people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery
A very large part of what I do as a creative director is cast vision. Images and stories start in my head and my job is to explain what I'm seeing to a team of people. Not only so they can see what I'm seeing, but so that they might be captured by the vision itself, so that what once was my vision, becomes theirs. Eventually, they must long for sea as much as I do.
Paul Arden says that when giving a pitch or a presentation, instead of using words, paint a picture.
Don't give a speech. Put on a show.
In the last few years, I've taken this to heart. When I'm sharing a vision, I show way, way more than I tell.
To give you a little glimpse into my process, below are a number of slides from the mood board I recently presented to our teams for what I'm hoping we'll create this Christmas. The images are as much about look as they are about style and feel. They are also meant to move and inspire, so I work hard at finding the most evocatave images possible.
Next time you need to share a vision, paint a picture - with pictures (preferably beautiful ones, of course).
