Three Creative Resolutions for 2022

I’m not one for big new year’s resolutions.

Wanting to avoid the “new year, new me” rush at the gym means I don’t sign up. Giving up comfort food feels cruel as one of the few luxuries in the depth of winter. And dry January is off the cards with a birthday this month.

So, it’s quite out of character that I’m setting myself some new year goals – let alone to be publicising them!

But over the holiday period, I finished my first book with the Brands2Life Business Book Club – Creativity Inc. For those that haven’t read it (and I’m sure many of you have, as I’m a little late to this party), Pixar founder, Ed Catmull shares his founding story and, more importantly, how he and his team have managed to continue fostering the amazing creativity and originality which has resulted in some of the best film storytelling seen at least in my lifetime.

Now this blog isn’t a book review? – but reading it has made me want to look at my own creative practices and what changes I could make to keep improving them in 2022.

And to add a little more accountability, I’m going to share them with you here…

1 ? ? ? ? Ask more questions

This sounds like an obvious one. But it goes beyond the way I’ve thought about this goal before. Asking more questions in PR is essential for drawing out the story, whether we’re speaking with a client’s spokesperson or customer, or as a team as we try to dig deep into a topic and draw out the most new and interesting angle.

I’m taking this creative resolution out of the (at this point, figurative) office. It is amazing how the most seemingly random anecdote or fact, remembered at the right time, can spark a new idea. So, this year I’m not only out to listen – but expect a whole load more questions.

2 ? ? ? ? Read more books

If you’ve read this far, this resolution might come as no surprise. But I will tell you why I am focusing on books here and not just reading more generally. Firstly, I’m not someone that picks up a book for two minutes. When I’m dipping in for a chapter, I’m finding myself a comfy, quiet spot and I’m making time and space to read. Creating this environment when reading Creative Inc gave me time to stop, pause and think about what I was reading – which showed by the amount that I could recall in our book club discussion. If you’d asked me the same questions about the articles I’d read in December, I would have struggled.

The second, but not entirely separate reason, is sticky notes. Apologies to any friends that want to borrow the book after me, because it comes with lots of reminders of great ideas. Having these tangible bookmarks will – I hope – make it much easier to come back to these points in the future when I’m looking for a creativity boost.

3 ? ? ? ? Enjoy the process

One thing I love about PR is the fast environment. I may not have the need for speed when driving (quite the opposite and apologies if you ever get stuck behind me), but I love the change and drive it brings to our work. But the speed can make it tough to enjoy the creative process at times – particularly when it feels like THE idea just isn’t coming. So, the toughest of all my resolutions, is that I want to challenge myself to keep enjoying the process, no matter how long it takes till we find that idea. I don’t just want the elation of the a-ha moment. I want to stay inquisitive with every question and optimistic with every setback. And while I think it’s fair to assume I won’t manage this all the time – I’m going into this year with the best intentions!

So here are my resolutions – or at least aspirations – for creativity for 2022.

Do any resonate with you? Or what other creative resolutions are you setting yourself this year?

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