Raoul’s 2 Cents

The Creatives

Don Draper (not his real name) has been one of my TGIF subscribers since forever. I’ve wanted to have lunch with him every time I would go to New York but my schedule was usually too tight. Fortunately, a few days ago, I had such an opportunity and Don treated me and my wife to a scrumptious Italian feast. I knew he was in the ad business but I didn’t know he was that good. Being in the ad business myself, it was particularly fun to exchange notes.

When I mentioned the TV series, Mad Men, he scoffed at the shenanigans the writers depicted as far from his reality. What was real though was how competitive the ad business is. No matter how good you are, there is no assurance of faithful clients. Sadly, it is common for even the large companies to steal ideas/concepts from creatives who present their “marketing pitches.” And the field is getting more competitive because new technologies change the landscape dramatically and new “guns” crop up everyday. Don, who is also an art professor, confirmed my beliefs about the politics of some schools who treat their students more as customers and were more interested in providing “fun” rather than an education.

With so much uncertainty in a “creative” career, why do so many people pursue it? One Broadway play,  “Chorus Line,” has a banner song entitled “What I did for Love.” The lyrics truly encompass the rationale behind an irrational quest. Artists/creatives pursue their uphill dreams for the love of art and not for money. Of course Steve Jobs was one amazing creative who was also gifted with an uncanny business sense.

If you are a creative, you know exactly what I am talking about. And if you know of one, on behalf of the creatives of the world, please treat your artists well. Feed them right. Don’t take advantage of them. Pay them what they’re worth. Encourage their ideas to flow. In a drab template-driven world of logic and business, creatives are the special sauce that gives the dish that amazing flavor. Artists are the spice of life. Their imagination and talent can help you reach the stars.

TGIF people!

“When I have a terrible need of — shall I say the word — religion, then I go out and paint the stars. ” — Vincent Van Gogh

Announcement: If you are in the Temple City, CA area tomorrow, Saturday Oct.27, I volunteered to do caricatures at the pre-Halloween event of the Temple City Baptist Church starting at 4pm. There is no charge.

Some helpful links I googled for creatives: Article in Entrepreneur magazine(mostly for performing arts), Graphics, Negotiate Your Salary, etc.

Joke of the Week

Part 2 of Witty Sayings By Phyllis Diller

Shared by Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Videos of the Week

Crazy Cheap Asian
Sent by Art of Sierra Madre, CA

This is a parody of the famous movie. There are actually people like this. My Dad’s side of the family is famous for this.

WATCH VIDEO

Crazy Body Stretching
Sent by Don of Kelowna, B.C.

My back started to ache just watching this. I was surprised to find that there are a lot of these contortionists in Youtube. I wonder if they ever get back pains.

WATCH VIDEO

Don’s Puns

From Don’s collection of puns

Parting Shot

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C. who shared this photo