5 Things I Learned from Alice3 min read

Growing up as a Millennial kid, I watched nearly every disney movie ever made. I was also fortunate enough to live in a house, where my mother instilled in me the love of reading the original stories behind the mass produced disney happy endings. My favorite story was always Alice in Wonderland. Something about how Lewis Carroll could make so much sense out of the nonsensical prose he wrote was fascinating. It still is. Now, I don’t claim to know a single thing about his intentions, but I do know he had a magical way of connecting with people. Even in a world where most can’t stand to read something longer than 300 words, Carroll got something right. I don’t know a single person that can’t quote at least a portion of that book.

Anyway, I digress. And, because most of you are probably already bored with this post and I’m cutting it close to the word limit where anyone is still paying attention, I’ll cut to the chase. Here are 5 things I learned from Alice in Wonderland that I use every single day as a creative strategist.

1. Every adventure requires a first step.

More often than not, when clients first approach me it’s because they simply don’t know where to start. That first step is crucial to the effective development of their brand, organization, or business. It’s my job to filter the noise and make this first step something digestible, tangible, and exciting.

2. Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.

Imagination is not always lost in business. While all concepts and foundations should be founded in the reality of the client’s situation, it’s alway important to remember that perception is reality and a little imagination can go a long way to influence audience perception.

3. You’re entirely bonkers. But, I’ll tell you a secret, all the best people are.

In case you didn’t know creative strategist, marketer, branding consultant, designer, artist, entrepreneur…are all actually pseudonyms for crazy person. After nearly a decade in the industry of artful influence, I am convinced if you aren’t a little crazy you probably aren’t doing it right. Staying at the forefront of industry trends requires you to do, say, and believe crazy things sometimes. But don’t worry, all the best people are there with you.

4. Sometimes I believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

Sometimes, often times, in this industry you are never wearing one hat. As a branding expert, you also do design, front end development, content, and social. As a marketer, you also do seo, advertising, pr, and coding. As a designer you also do analytics, content, video, and email. It’s a challenge. But one thing I’ve learned is to start the day believing I can do the things that people expect of me (the impossible things) and finding ways to tackle them before my second cup of coffee. And if I get to all six of those things before dinner- well that’s efficiency at it’s finest, friends.

5. If you don’t know where you’re going, it doesn’t matter which path you take.

Ahh, a lesson in goals vs. tactics. Over the years I have learned that strategy, planning, and process development are always the key to a successful job. No tactic, no one path will get you where you want to go if you don’t know your end game. This is why we are always adamant about a holistic approach to every project, down to a poster design or business card.

Learn more about our process and why these concepts influence the way we work. Contact us here.