Paul Arden communicated much better graphically than verbally.
Because he thought visually.
He won just about everything as an art director.
Then he won just about everything as a film director.
One day he was talking to me about motivating the staff at his company.
He said, “Look, I know what I want to say to them, but I’m not sure how to say it. So I’ve done this. What do you think?”
And he showed me an A4 size booklet.
Pages of pictures and headlines, photographs and graphics, stapled together.
And very few words.
I said, “Paul this is brilliant, can I have a copy of it? I want to show it to the staff at the agency. If you made this into a book I’d buy a copy for everyone.”
Well eventually, Paul did make it into a book.
But it took him ages to get it published because it’s not a conventional book.
There’s not much to read in it.
It’s mainly photographs, drawings, and simple graphics.
Paul wasn’t a writer, so he didn’t write a book.
He art directed one instead.
I loved that idea, a book that wasn’t a book.
I liked it so much, I wanted to do one just like it myself.
A book that was mainly pictures.
So I put one together and I took it to show Paul.
He said, “It’s crap, it’s awful, I hate it.”
That wasn’t what I wanted to hear.
So I said, “Okay, you’ve been a creative director, behave like one.
Don’t just tell me what’s wrong with it, point me in the right direction.”
After a few days he asked me to back to see him.
He had some sketches and layouts he’d done for me.
He said, “You’re not an art director, you’re a writer.
You shouldn’t have any pictures, just words.
And you should write like you speak. That’s what makes you different, that’s what makes you interesting.”
This also wasn’t what I wanted to hear.
I couldn’t sit down to write an entire book.
300 pages?
Never happen.
But you’re not always good at what you want to be good at.
And you have to listen to what the world tells you you’re good at.
So, now I had a problem.
How to write a book when I didn’t want to write a book?
Well, they say luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
And about this time, the guys at the office said we needed a blog on the agency website.
And they said I had to do it.
And it dawned on me that this could be a way to make myself do some writing every day.
And people began to read it, and quite a lot of them liked it.
And some even asked me when it was coming out as a book.
So I asked my wife to help put it together.
Cathy is an art director, and Paul Arden used to be her creative director.
Cathy idolised Paul.
She had helped him put his book together.
She kept the layouts he’d done for me beside her, while she was on the Mac.
She said it was almost like having Paul there.
And so we now have something roughly resembling a book.
It’s unconventional, because it wasn’t written the way a book is supposed to be written.
It doesn’t read like a book is supposed to read: front to back.
In fact, it isn’t really a book at all.
Which is why I think Paul would have liked it.
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It’s like a book but not a book…brilliant. Looking forward to it…when it eventually arrives.
Mr. Dave Trott, I’ve been reading your blog for about a year and i can say that it’s been very helpful to me in many aspect of my life as a copywriter, musician and with my fellows.
I’m from a very different part of the world (The Dominican Republic) where most of the thing are completely and definitely the opposite of the way you do things but that’s the interesting part having this i can found some way to do a better job and to communicate with my co-workers here…
Thank for all the great and powerful thinking you write it down on your blog.
i have some blogs but are in spanish this is one of them:
http://dexerebrado.blogspot.com
When’s it out Dave?
And for nostalgia could it have a barely decipherable CAPTCHA on the cover?
Hi Neil,
It’s out now, just click on the link here, on the home page.
Or after Christmas it’ll be on Amazon.
And after that on eBay I guess.
excellent - I’ve ordered a copy for my holiday reading
are there really no pictures?
Hi Gareth,
I’m sorry to say that’s how it turned out.
The world tells me I’m better at words than pictures.
That’s why I’ve always had to make sure I’ve got a decent art director to make me look good.
ok, I’ll give it a go…
I’m in the middle of it.
I’d recommend it enormously
if you weren’t all going to buy it
already.
Hi Dave,
I have just stolen funds from Politbureau Central Office “Department of Banned Literature” to buy your new atomic bomb: “Creative Mischief” before they all press the button in Moscow as part of the Christmas celebrations. The money should reach you before December 25th, so you can have a drink courtesy of Kremlin HQ. Please do not spend all the funds at once. £7.50 or so (375 Roubles), is a lot of Russian Vodka.
I was very interested in your last blog about how to twitter as this is something I am complete rubbish at. I will continue to do my best to be rubbish at this. Ironically,
the world has recently told me what they think I would be good at. It was a hell of a surprise. Someone has suggested psychiatric nursing in prisons. I’m sure your book will help with this even though I have not read it yet, because it will free the mind.
Like Cathy, I idolised Paul too. He was, like yourself, a great original thinker, humble and honest with a great natural ability you can’t buy. Namely, integrity. Nobody can ask for more than that. Wishing you and all your family a Happy and Peaceful Christmas.
PS. Please enclose receipt for Kremlin accounts dept.
She likes to balance the books.
Brilliant! Looking forward to your book. Will grab it definitely.
hi Dave once again sorry this isnt based on your newest post, i’m currently doing an essay (just done a presentation) based on your advertising history for my B/A Hons in visual communication. Although there is a lot of information surrounding your work i was wondering if you knew of any good places I could look to get information specifically on your earlier career? plus thought i should add that with the £10 budget me and my girlfriend (i’m quite poor) have set for christmas i’ve suggested your book to her as a possibility for a present for me so fingers crossed i’ll be reading it sometime soon.
Just paid for my copy. Hope it turns up soon. Cheers!
dave, my copy of your book awaits me back in chicago. dying to read it. still laughing hard at your armstrong and miller RAF video. funniest thing i’ve seen in ages. isn’t it. thanks for that.
Hi Dave
congrats on the book. will buy it definitely.
Dave
Like the naughty corner pic for the front cover.
Dave
Looking forward to an interesting read - wish you the best of luck with it.
Actually, it’s not so much of a risk to write a not-book book. Obviously Paul’s done it, but I’d also lump some of David Ogilvy’s books (made out of his memos) and perhaps even some of Jeremy Bullmore’s into that category too. That’s a great club to be a member of!
Popping over to Amazon now…
congratulations!
you know i’ve been looking forward to it.
will buy several and give them away to my people.
Dave, interesting point about art directors not being writers and vice versa. Just saw the 11 Dev Campaign with the 10 best ads/posters. Looked to me like the writers on most of the ads were on holiday except Finkie’s Dixon. It’s not just the absence of words, but the pick. Interesting to see how many of the ads voted as best by Campaign will make it to the awards shows. I’m beginning to give up on awards because so many of the winning stuff don’t seem to make sense or communicate. Interested to know if you would have picked those ads. Being trained by old school CDs, when I show them work like the kind picked by Campaign, they tend to get thrown out. All quite confusing.
We’ve had the the blog, the twitter page and the book. Now we just need the film. Any plans?
Hi Dave, Thinking back to a post of yours about a month ago, I may just go to Border’s at lunchtime and read it.
http://ex-blank-page.blogspot.com/2009/12/in-reply-to-daves-great-posts-102.html
Hi Cal, brilliant.
Hi Rant, social networking site, ‘The Making Of’ DVD, tattoos, band-aids, bumper-stickers, SMS texting, a ‘School of Saatchi’ type reality TV show, T shirts, mouse-mats, mugs, banners and pop ups, and maybe a little CRM.
Hi Dave,
I love your blogs, having been guided by The ST recommendation. Your work, plus friends’ encouragement, persuaded me to start my own, as a result of a “bit of a change in circumstances”. Keep it going mate.
Best wishes,
Ashley Knight (in China).
Just got your book yesterday Dave. Looking forward to reading it over the Christmas holidays.
Hi Pablo, I’d like to read your blog, it looks good, but it’s in Spanish.
I’m sorry, No habla Espanol.
Hi Seba, if you want to buy a few copies, the publisher will mail bulk-purchases free of p&p, so that will save you a few bob.
His name is david Greene, and his email is: dav…@loafmarketing.co.uk
Otherwise just email me direct.
Hi Ashley, well done. You need to send us a link so we can all take a look at your blog.
hey dave, I hope you are approaching universities like bucks, watford, bournemouth etc. You’d definitely sell a truckload to their libraries and if you did a uni book tour, you’d probably sell a load more to the students themselves.
That’s a good idea Ben.
Thanks a lot.
hi dave, congrats. I just finished the book this evening. And left a review on amazon.co.uk and mention on my blog. I’ll buy a few more copies for my colleagues in the new year.
Hi Paul,
I read your review on Amazon, brilliant.
That was very nice of you.
Thanks very much.
The Russians are coming home today. Had to get this message out before they blow up my cash supply. MESSAGE: Vol 1 detonated brain successfully. Saving tenner for vol 2.