Creativity Squared: Galen Bernard Sees the World with Eyes Wide Open

I’m an outgoing, extroverted, jovial, and ultimately curious person. I see the world with eyes wide open, but that was not always the case. It took me many years to recognise that engaging with the world with enthusiasm and desire was a better way to live. It’s the only way to find what’s most interesting in this life. 

My creativity is intertwined in everything that I do. The things I enjoy infuse what I make, and the core of what I make is made up of “stuff” I love. I think genuinely creative people are born that way – you can see it in the smallest of children: if they are creative, even if they’re raised by wolves, they will find a way to make that den the most unique den in the forest.

Of course, a person can learn and grow, eventually becoming a more honed creative mind, but I believe that creativity, as a whole, is innate. As creatives, it’s important to incorporate routines into our lives and our work with moderation. A routine can be beneficial, but if misused, some routines can become a cudgel for others that end up pounding the creative process down until it’s flat.

A piece of work’s creativity is not determined by a checklist or rubric but by a feeling. Great creative work feels like hearing a transcendent song for the first time or finishing a remarkable film. That excitement should be present because what you’ve experienced just entered your consciousness for good. Or at least, that’s how I judge the work I’m doing or the work being shown to me: does it give me that feeling?

That criteria hasn’t changed or evolved over the years.

The medium or tone might change, but not the core principles of what makes good creative work.

The resting position for many creative folks right now about the industry is “everything sucks.” But I find that answer to be pretty lazy. My main frustration with that perspective is that the people complaining that the work isn’t better are also the same people who don’t utilise the gifts they’ve been given.

Of course, there’s the beige sea of sameness in advertising, but that’s not new. That’s what makes the technicolour kernels of brilliance stand out amid the patina of listless work. Today, we’ve been afforded limitless tools to aid the creative process. That’s so exciting! I just wish people didn’t take that for granted.

Personally, I strive to best myself with every campaign. My most recent project is the work 77 Ventures Creative did for NASCAR’s 75th Anniversary. I’m unquestionably the most proud of that one. I’d show it to anyone with a smile on my face.

I once had a boss who told me that when an assignment came down, he immediately started a deck. When I asked why, he said, “Because when I press save, it’s real now, even if it’s a blank page. It inspires me to fill that page with interesting things.” From that day forward, I did the same. I used to do the same thing with a Moleskine notebook, but today – as dull as it sounds – I make a deck. I like to create a nucleus for the idea. Sometimes, it’s a shape, a line, or a logo-like motif I start with in Adobe Illustrator. 

Each project should be approached as a blank slate of paper. As a creative, you are nothing but your collection of various inspirations, and you will bring that with you to the blank page. If that particular project requires fresh inspiration, so be it. That will come. I generally prefer to work alone on briefs assigned to me. When I get blocked, I try to change the narrative by going for a bike ride, playing the guitar, or listening to something old or new, but changing the mood even for a little while tends to loosen whatever is blocking me.

It’s important not to sit there and bang your head on the desk all night, thinking that’ll get you where you need to go; you won’t. You’ll just grow weary. I love working with teams and helping make the work all it can be. I used to tell creatives who worked for me that I’d rather them leave work and go see live music than stay in their office all night concepting. See what’s out there! It will feed your creativity in a way staring at a partner at 12:30 on a Tuesday night never will.

My love for film, literature, and music all begins with my parents. They were wildly creative and exposed me to art at an early age. I dialled in and honed my creative skills by applying them in other situations, and I’d advise others to do the same. Do you want to get better at copywriting? Write a screenplay. Do you want to get better at art direction? Design a web page or an album cover for your friend’s band. I’d constantly try new things and sometimes fail, which ultimately helped improve my job. 

If I’m writing, especially dialogue, I like to be around people. I want to be a fly on the wall to listen to how people talk. If I’m working on something more focused on design, I prefer to be alone with a great mix of music in the background. Different methods and environments work for different creatives.

If you’re on the creative side of a collaboration, I’d advise you to find good, kind people who care about what you’re trying to do and trust them to do what they do best, letting go of your preconceived ideas of what the outcome is or should be. I’d encourage agencies to motivate unorthodoxy. I think a lot of agencies seek sameness. Those making the calls on what will and will not move forward often have parameters born from believing that what worked before is the only answer.

For me, the goal is to do what has not been done before.

True creativity cannot rise without a culture that facilitates the freedom to be daring enough to fail.