Laugh, Cry, Think: A Checklist for Valuable Creation

As children, we’re natural creators. Our child brains constantly absorb the world around us. With free imaginations and open hearts, children turn new knowledge and the connections they make into games of pretend, fantastical drawings and wild stories. As we get older, we’re often trained out of the impulse to create freely. It’s harder to remain in that place of curiosity and discovery as we’re taught to see our world in binaries: correct or incorrect, good or bad, what’s done and what isn’t done. This mindset subtly erases the vastness that exists within and beyond binary guideposts, stifling our ability to create from a place of discovery, risk and authenticity.

While order is certainly necessary for any society, creativity is necessary for innovation. In a world where content is king but creativity is confined, how do we make sure the digital marketing content we create has real value? We have to tap back into those latent instincts that made us so prolific in our youth. Here’s our checklist for valuable creation. 

1. Laugh Freely

Laughter is one of the coolest things the human brain and body do together. Seriously. Laughter has been shown to ease pain and improve medical outcomes, it helps us form bonds, and it even improves our retention of knowledge. There are some social norms around laughter, though, that limit its broader usefulness. In the iconic “Chuckles Bites the Dust” episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the function and appropriateness of laughter is beautifully illustrated. More than a simple response to humor, the impulse to laugh can be triggered by joy, grief, anger, fear, irony. Indulge the impulse. It gives our brains the gift of insight about a situation, about ourselves and about humans in general. 

Professionals are trained to be buttoned up, but embrace your laughter and you’ll see more. See more, and you’ll create better, even if your digital marketing strategy isn’t designed to elicit a laugh. 

2. Be a Cry Baby

Man, if you thought laughter was cool, wait til you hear about crying. While seen as laughter’s less attractive twin, crying actually offers a host of benefits for the body and mind. Crying detoxifies the body and helps rebalance your emotional state. Sobbing releases endorphins and oxytocin, relieving both physical and emotional pain. Similar to laughing, crying gives us insight and information. It breeds empathy. Holding in tears and avoiding the emotion connected to them is creatively inhibiting. No matter what we create, its purpose is to forge connections with other people. We can’t authentically forge those connections without allowing ourselves to experience the breadth of fundamental human emotions and experiences. 

So cry more. Maybe not in the boardroom, but alone or with friends and family. Cry when you need to. And in the wake of those tears, take a deep breath into your detoxed body and make something great with your mental clarity. 

3. Think Thoughtfully

Thinking is different from knowing. One of the problems with a binary approach to information, methodologies and practices, is that we become regurgitators as opposed to creators. As anyone with a genetic predisposition to dairy intolerance can tell you, regurgitation is exhausting. This is an easy trap for brands and advertising agencies to fall into. We will always have to absorb and apply knowledge and best known practices to get things done, but we need to free our creative minds in order to make the discoveries that allow for innovation. Get curious about things. Make assumptions and test them. Ponder great ideas and silly nonsense with equal fervor. Keep your brain active and engaged, so it can keep making its thousands of trillions of connections. 

Actively thinking, even about things unrelated to your brand or business, exercises the muscle you need to set yourself apart and reach your audience. Otherwise, your content will be the equivalent of copycat TikTok. 

Find Valuable Creation with Bullseye Media

An advertising agency that produces real value knows creativity and innovation go hand in hand. Doing what works is only valuable as long as you keep asking, “what might work better?” At Bullseye, we know the proven methodologies for successful digital marketing, but we also employ creative thinking to expand upon them and make new discoveries. Our talented creatives don’t simply turn their brains on when they walk through the door, but maintain rich and curious lives that inspire innovative visual, written and video content. Our developers and results team bring intuitive awareness to their technical skills and match data-driven practices with creative ingenuity. Our account managers pair market knowledge with human connection, enabling them to build brand differentiation and empower positive disruption. 

For an advertising agency that prioritizes valuable creation, contact Bullseye Media today. We’ll laugh, cry and think your way to reaching that next level.