The Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come

Advice, revelations, maximal truths and (cringe) key learnings are almost impossible to communicate without sounding like an asshole. Usually when I read year-end wrap-ups like this I can’t help but imagine a bunch of execs self-flagellating around a swimming pool filled with money and iPads. What’s worse is that most wisdom is trite and obvious until it bites you in the ass like a fucking bear trap.

What follows is the exact script I would recite to myself if I could go back in time to December of last year and wag my finger in my own face.

Illustration by Antonio Orellana

Responsive is over.

So stop saying that word so much. Devices aren’t the determining factor. Content is. Pixel widths are fluid. Think of your design as a series of modules that have a concrete hierarchy. Consider The Infinite Grid, but don’t call it that, because you sound pretentious. First, try it out on a few internal projects. Don’t convince a client to be the guinea pig. That would be unfair. People will resist, because this way is hard. But that should tell you that it’s the right way.

Don’t battle for moral superiority.

No one gives a shit who stands on higher ground. Be culpable. Instead of placing blame, start fixing it. Forgive almost every mistake. If you don’t, then be prepared to live in a climate where you too are expected to be perfect. Always. Allow yourself some room to fuck up. Start by giving the same space to the Producer, Project Manager, Developer, and (especially) the Client. The top of the mountain is empty and cold, and that’s the place where it really hurts to fall from.

Assemble a Personal Board of Directors.

You read an article about this a long time ago. Then your boss hipped you to another one last year. Get over the creeping sensation that you’ve accidentally stumbled into the hokum-glazed world of self-help cults. Somewhere buried in all that syrupy, mindfuck rhetoric is a good idea. Perspective is impossible to simulate. Find people you trust and test everything. Not because you are weak and indecisive, but because you have been known to have brief periods of bravado-fueled delusion that often result in regrettable life-changing decisions. People depend on you. There is no safety net. Don’t fuck this up.

Stop complaining. Go destroy the bad.

Being a pain-in-the-ass perpetual bummer is a great way to make people hate you. Every agency has problems. You are now in a position where commiserating and naysaying is not an option. Don’t be lazy. Don’t be a coward. Do some research, write an argument, and craft a solution that you can act on immediately. Be proactive. Solve the problem. You simply don’t have time to wait for the cracks to fill in by themselves.

You can’t have accountability without responsibility.

Sorry. It is impossible to celebrate the wins without also taking the losses straight to the face. Beware of people who try to circumvent this truth.

Embrace silence.

Shut the fuck up once in a while. Put some whiskey in your mouth if that’s what it takes to stop your gob from flapping. Don’t fill the gaps – especially in presentations. You almost always say something stupid.

Write everything down. Take pictures.

No matter how much you revile Moleskines and people who stop in the middle of a busy sidewalk to take Instagram snaps of the bloody sky – they’re still going to remember stuff that you will forget. I’m pretty sure that if you had been scribbling away in a notebook this whole time you could’ve written several feature films or crafted a few tight 10’s to test out on that open mic night. I see that the overwhelming majority of the photos on your phone are archival shots of whiteboards, so you’re on the right path. But get serious about it. Part of your job is to be accurate and creative and it’s almost impossible to be both in the same moment.

Call your parents, you shithead.

This applies to everyone, always. And don’t reject their calls. It’s not like you have to chat it up for hours. You talk to your landlord more than you talk to your own father. Change. Now.

5am is better than 5pm.

There is scientific evidence that supports the long-suspected claim that your brain turns to a mixture of cold oatmeal andspent charcoal at 5pm CST. Don’t try to tackle that script after sundown. Go home. Eat dinner. Go to bed. Go in early, turn on Coder’s computer (because he has speakers and never uses a password), pull up the Mogwai Pandora® station and GO.

Honesty breeds progress.

Did you just tell someone that their Pinterest campaign idea was revolutionary and progressive. You’re an arrogant sycophant. Life is not an elaborate game of social grace. It’s a gray, barren, lonely cavern and you have just wandered away from the campfire. Honesty builds trust. Telling the truth doesn’t make you vulnerable, it makes you reliable. Try to imagine what your life would be like if people invariably agreed with you and consistently cosigned your line of drivel. If your 16-year-old self would hate your 30-year-old self, you’re probably doing something right. Liars don’t change the world; they only bend it for a moment.

In 2012 I learned that in 2013 I need to say no and mean it.
I need to finish up unfinished projects that have been looming for far too long. When I actually run into a bit of free-time I need to resist the urge to fill it up. I need to spend less time writing to people and spend more time with people. I need to celebrate our successes more and fret about uncertainty less.
While I'll continue to make new connections, I need to spend more time with old ones.
I don't know what they are yet, but I need to continue to learn and do new things.
And most of all I need to spend more time with our kids who are growing up way too fast and find just a little bit of time for myself.

The ability to forget things is a real plus in our business. Forget the hours. Forget when you lose a pitch. Just forget. Which means that inevitably we all have to relearn many of the same lessons every year. Man, we’re dumb.
Here are a few of the lessons I hope I don’t forget in 2013.

I LEARNED THAT LIKE TEQUILA, CYNICISM IS BEST IN SMALL DOSES.
Ideas are so fragile. Like the old guy with the beard in Gladiator said, “There was once a dream that was Rome. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish.” A lot of times we’re all too quick to dismiss an idea—and to bury it with a cynical, snarky comment. Sometimes, being cynical about a client is good comedy relief. But many times it can poison the ideas, the work and the relationship. In 2012, I learned that “glass half full” is so much more productive.

I LEARNED THAT BICYCLES ARE MORE POPULAR WITH ART DIRECTORS THAN WRITERS.
At least it’s that way at Cannonball. Maybe it’s the cool design aesthetic that comes with cycling. Maybe it’s the clicky shoes and crotch-wielding compression shorts.

IF YOU AREN’T WORRIED, YOU’RE NOT DOING IT RIGHT.
Cannonball is starting its 10th year in 2013. This past year we hired 16 new people. In my heart, I believe we know what we are doing. And I know that we have really smart, creative people here. But I also know that like all agencies, we’re one or two phone calls away from a real bad day. So we worry. And we work every day to do better, and more, work.

I LEARNED THAT EVEN WHEN IT’S OVER, IT’S NOT.
We’re all jaded. It’s a defense mechanism. And it takes a LOT to truly move and inspire a group of ad people. I saw one of those moments this year. In Game 5 vs. the Washington Nationals, the St. Louis Cardinals went down 7-0. Seven to Zero. I gave up. I think everyone in St. Louis did. Except the team.
Daniel Descalso didn’t give up. Pete Kozma didn’t give up. And the Cardinals came back to win. In our business, sometimes you just want to give up on a project or a client. It’s so much easier to give up than to keep pushing and working in the face of the impossible. Pete Frickin’ Kozma didn’t give up. I’m not either.

I LEARNED THAT ST. LOUIS IS ALL ABOUT CONNECTING. FLIGHTS.
I love St. Louis. It’s a cool place. (Although I think almost EVERY city I’ve ever visited is cool.) Neighborhood for neighborhood, St. Louis holds its own against anyone. Except for flying in and out of here. That’s just a 2012 reality. We all talk about staying on the map with national clients. It’s a little bit tougher when it takes two flights to get anywhere. You can do it. It just makes for a long day.

I LEARNED THAT COMFORTABLE IS SUPER-UNCOMFORTABLE.
There were a few weeks this year where things were just humming along at a good pace. We were busy, but not too busy. No fire drills. No crash and burns. That really drove me crazy.

SOME DOGS EAT THEIR OWN POOP. NOT ALL DOGS DO THIS.
I had no idea.

ANY STORY CAN BE GREAT, IF YOU HAVE A GREAT STORYTELLER.
Ira Glass said “Great stories happen to those that can tell them.” That’s so true. And it’s why the best ad people are simply the most interesting people. You just want to hear what they have to say. At our place, Joe Bishop is an awesome art director-- and storyteller. If you get a chance, have him tell you the cat piss story. You think you know where it’s going and then CNN gets involved.

I LEARNED TO NEVER GO TO WEBMD.
Everything comes up cancer. Jammed finger? Cancer. Sore throat? Cancer.
Just make a doctor’s appointment already.

I LEARNED THAT WE WILL ALL ULTIMATELY STOP CARING WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK.
Ten years ago, a negative review would really bug you and have impact. Thanks to reader comments and “anonymous” feedback on every single story, ad or article out there, we’re all becoming pretty desensitized to commentary. A picture of a puppy sleeping? Anonymous says “Stupid.” An ad targeted to someone clearly not you? “Boring. These guys are hacks.” How callous will all of it make us? I hope not very much more.

This has been an interesting year for Almanac.

We began the year working out of different houses, holding conference calls in cars, meeting at dining room tables and coffee shops, and spending a fortune at Kinko's. We'll end the year working out of a suitable office space with our long-time collaborator and friend, photographer Jay Fram, and our first intern / subsequent designer. We'll still spend a fortune on printing but at least not at Kinko's. And things keep going strong. We're busier than we've ever been. We're working closely with our clients to solve deeper, more meaningful problems. And best of all, it's working! I used to wake up every day filled with surprise that we're still doing this. I don't really do that anymore.

Good ideas are everywhere. Ideas are cheap…and easy. Making those ideas come to life however, is hard. After all, the cards are stacked against good work and there are so many variables to navigate that it can be exhausting. The budget can make it seemingly impossible to afford original music for your video; the client's printer is working overtime to talk you into their "house silk" sheet; the IT department can deny the simple access you need to set up a website database; even the client’s boss’ obsession with tradition and formality can keep a great idea from seeing the light of day.

The basic dynamic here often suggests "the work" is like water–it seeks the path of least resistance. And so it takes everything we've got to forge a new path, to stick to what we know is right, to push ourselves and our clients to take risks and consider new, often unexpected solutions to problems.

Over the course of the last year I've learned to have confidence in our ideas and our team's ability to lead our clients every step of the way. And along with each successful collaboration comes a deeper sense of trust between everyone involved. And "the work" gets better. It's been very rewarding.

My take away from 2012: work hard and take more risks. Almost nothing worthwhile is easy.

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To read the entire 2012 "What I Learned This Year" series, click here.