To say the last, it’s been a challenging time for us all. And, frustratingly, it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any less challenging any time soon.
Of course, lockdown has come with very specific challenges for those of us who work in the agency world. Among the many services agencies offer, we’re expected to provide our clients with a ceaseless supply of fresh, original thinking. It’s often the main reason clients use external agencies in the first place, rather than relying entirely on their in-house creative and marketing teams. And, in the usual run of things, agency folk are out and about seeking fresh supplies of creative input and audience insights to keep the cerebral cortex nicely topped up. Magpie-ing a bit of inspiration from here, a thought-starter from there, and filing it away among our mental resources to whip out when the occasion demands, entirely re-configured and re-combined with all of the other stimuli that we’ve recently received.
It’s what makes the human brain the ultimate machine for generating original thinking. Precisely because every human brain is wired differently, if you put the same stimuli in, you get completely different ideas coming out. Which is the opposite to how a computer works; the machines are all wired identically and designed to deliver the same result, time after time, machine to machine. (At least, that’s how they work for now – look out for my future blog, ‘The Rise of the Machines’.) It’s why agencies put creative teams together to further mix up the inputs and outputs. And why different teams working on the same client brief come back with completely different creative solutions.
But what do you do when you’re not able to get out and about, absorbing all the stimuli from the world around you? When there are no art galleries to visit, exhibitions to enjoy, juxtapositions to absorb or just the sheer abundance of quirky human behaviours to observe? There are only so many times you can go to the Google-well before your inspiration bucket runs dry. (By the way, I’m blaming lockdown for that particularly toe-curling metaphor.)
There’s also the rather enormous matter of our collective mental state under the relentless stress of lockdown. Well-being for the millions working under these conditions has, thankfully, moved up the agenda, thrust upon us as it was without any opportunity to prepare and for a far longer period than we, or our governments, were able to foresee. It’s certainly an enormous factor when it comes to doing your job effectively, whether you’re in a creative role or not. But creativity in particular is reliant on mental capacity so, when stress consumes the mind, it becomes an inevitable idea-killer.
Think of it as a mathematical equation:
The enormity of lockdown + the fear of losing the job you have in an industry decimated by Coronavirus + the pressure to perform when your usual sources of inspiration have been removed = quite the challenge!
Now, having framed up the problem, (“Yes Neil, we know how awful this is, thanks for reminding us.”) it would be just plain rude not to offer up a positive contribution. To which end, we’ve formulated a unique blend of tea, dubbed Creativi-Tea, designed to help the industry confidently kick the creative gears back into motion.
Our tea is a unique blend designed to provide unlimited creativity, improve concentration and reduce stress. We blended it using a range of herbs and botanicals, which are collectively proven to reduce stress, enhance brain function and provide lasting physical and mental energy:
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- Yerba Maté – this rich and earthy base provides lasting physical and mental energy.
- Orange peel – mild, anti-inflammatory citrus profile that helps lower blood cholesterol and pressure levels.
- Indian ginseng – one of the most celebrated Ayurvedic herbs, which helps reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
- Ginkgo leaf – extracted from one of the oldest living tree species, this herbaceous leaf is praised for enhancing brain function, memory and concentration.
- Cacao nibs – this unsweetened chocolate is not only rich in antioxidants, but adds a tasty mood-boosting kick to the blend.
It’s certainly a weird world we’re living in right now, and it can be scary and stressful to adjust to such radical changes. We realize Creativi-Tea isn’t going to solve these problems, but if we can instil some positivity in the lives of our colleagues and peers, and help inspire them to get up and conquer whatever workload, brain blocks or tough feelings the day brings – no matter how big or small – then we’ve done what we set out to do.
To get your hit of Creativi-Tea, reach out to us at hello@designscene.com. Better get it while it’s hot, though, as supplies are limited – unlike the creativity we’re trying to inspire.
