The Power of Creativity

Written by Zoe Brock

Creativity is being able to use imagination or original ideas to form something valuable. The creative team at The McKinley Avenue Agency harnesses their creativity to produce distinctive content for clients and their audience. Their visually appealing work grabs the attention of the audience and helps to increase engagement on ads and content for clients and student media partners.

Katie Harp is the Executive Director of Creative Services at The McKinley Avenue Agency. She is responsible for overseeing all design and creative concepts for external clients and internal promotions and products. With her role, Harp is able to develop her own definition of creativity and has the opportunity to witness how creativity can help a business.

"To me, creativity means the ability to think outside the box, generate fresh ideas, and find innovative solutions to challenges," Harp said. "Without creativity, a business will have no way to innovate, differentiate themselves, and adapt to changing market dynamics. A culture of creativity within a business promotes employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention. This, in turn, leads to higher levels of productivity and collaboration, further powering business success. At The McKinley Avenue Agency, we foster creativity by creating a collaborative environment, promoting open communication, providing opportunities for collaboration across departments, and empowering students to take risks and think outside the box."

The McKinley Avenue Agency provides valuable experience and insight for students as to what it is like working in the real world at an advertising or strategic communication agency. Here at their agency, they can unlock their full potential and develop who they are a professional while making connections with like-minded individuals who are supporting them throughout their journey.

"My time at The McKinley Avenue Agency has provided me with hands-on experience applying creative solutions to real-world challenges for clients across industries," Harp said. "Collaborating with talented students and learning to give and receive feedback has further honed my creative skills, preparing me to tackle complex problems with innovative approaches."

The creative team develops unique and engaging content for clients that highlights their mission and what they have to offer to the community. Building relationships with clients is something the agency loves to do and the opportunity to hear back from trusted clients about how the agency work benefits their business is the main goal and students appreciate the chance to hear how hard work paid off.

"The McKinley Ave creative team has done a great job listening to our vision and producing assets that reflect the brand goals of our campaign," Jeff Eads from Staying IN said. "During our work together, we have had a collaborative relationship that welcomes ideas and invites constructive feedback. I look forward to our continued partnership."

As long as humans are alive, creativity will be reaching new horizons that have yet to be discovered. It only takes one to embrace the uncomfortability and explore what most people are afraid to do. It is difficult to practice creativity, but there are no limits to what you can do.

"My best advice to someone trying to practice creativity would be to embrace failure," Harp said. "Try to hold a mindset that welcomes experimentation, risk-taking, and the understanding that not every project will yield immediate results. By making mistakes, you can learn how to move forward."

McKinley Avenue's creative team goes above and beyond when it comes to embracing creativity and channeling it into the work the agency does. Their work is curated with dedication and commitment to the values of The McKinley Avenue Agency and Ball State University.