Why dogs can't meow

My four-year-old brother didn't like dogs, so he tried to turn Smokey into a cat. His training of Smokey started with the most simple of cat-like behaviours, meowing. Over the next few weeks my brother tried his best to get Smokey to stop barking and start meowing. But he couldn't do it. And until his last day on earth Smokey barked like the dog he was.

And the reason for that was simple - Smokey was a dog. I don't mean to liken people to dogs, but there are certain similarities. We're all made in a certain way and are good at different things. I'm a copywriter by profession, that's what I do. My brain is wired for it. Just like a financial guy thinks in numbers and a designer in pictures, I think in words. So why then do people think that creativity can be taught?

I agree that raw talent can be refined, moulded and nurtured, but Cyril from accounts is never going to be Simon from the creative studio (unless he was in the wrong job to start with). We all know the story, someone approaches you with enthusiasm and says, "You have to meet my sister/aunt/son, they're so creative and so good with colours! Painted their entire house in different shades of orange, would you consider taking him/her on in your design department? No formal design training but he's a quick learner." Or "my brother wrote our dad's obituary. It was great, can you take him on as an apprentice writer?"

You don't hear people say to doctors, "My friend can peel an orange in 10 seconds, how about you teach him to be a surgeon." So why do they expect it to work in the creative fields? But my absolute favourite is the "designer, copywriter, 3d animator, photographer hybrid". This guy or girl is so multi-talented that they are a one-man agency. It's just a pity that they don't have any clients (because they could be traffic and client service too).

This leads me to another point about wanna-be creative people - their outsides. According to these eyesores, wearing creative fashion, listening to creative music, following creative trends and using hipster-slang makes one creative. It doesn't. It makes you no more creative, than wearing a bomber jacket makes you a fighter pilot.

So, finally, where then does creativity come from? It comes from within. You either have it or you don't. If you are one of those rare few who were born with a creative gift then nurture it. Nourish it, mould it, shape it and use it to its full potential. But whatever you do, don't like dye your hair purple just to show it off.


About 00h12 (TwelvePastMidnight)
As a dynamic and proud member of the ForeBrands integrated marketing services group, 00h12 is in a fortunate and favourable position to focus on the message and not the medium. As brand custodians, we are able to achieve this by creating big ideas and then weaving them seamlessly through traditional and non-traditional advertising mediums. Our range of services include: design, strategy, copywriting, art-direction, project management, integrated campaigns, production and media.