Creativity Squared: Mo Saad on Understanding and Reshaping Chaos

I’ve always seen myself as a “fixer” — I enjoy untangling the messy and unpredictable elements of life. Even as a teenager, I recognised this inclination, though I didn’t immediately label it as creativity. I found myself gravitating toward chaos, not to avoid it but to understand and reshape it. Whether it was rearranging my room on weekends or dreaming up ways to get involved in event planning in high school, I was drawn to the act of reimagining and refining.

It wasn’t the traditional kind of creativity you often hear about though. I didn’t carry sketchbooks, I couldn’t play an instrument, and I wouldn’t call myself artistic in the conventional sense. But I had a natural eye for what looked good, what worked well, and what made an impact. I’ve always believed creativity isn’t solely about being artistic; it’s about seeing the potential in things and knowing how to bring it to life.

Over time, this perspective evolved into creative leadership. It’s a quieter, perhaps humbler, form of creativity — one grounded in problem-solving, where the aim isn’t just to make things beautiful but to make them better. I think, at its core, creativity is the ability to see beyond the surface and understand what needs to be done. It’s less about self-expression to me and more about service, about making things work in a way that connects with people.

The first thing I remind myself of as a human is that I’m not meant to “judge.” I don’t believe in standing in front of someone’s work and declaring it right or wrong. Instead, I prefer to approach creativity with curiosity — to question, explore, and engage in dialogue. I’ve found that open conversations lead to richer, more inspired outcomes than any form of judgment ever could.

Over time, I’ve come to appreciate that creativity is deeply subjective. There’s no formula for it, no checklist that guarantees success. What truly matters is the intention — the desire to solve a problem or create something that resonates. And how those problems are solved varies widely, but as long as they are approached with meaning and impact, they are worth celebrating.

When I assess a piece of work, I use a few guiding principles. First, I ask if the work tells a meaningful story. A powerful narrative can elevate any piece of creativity. Second, I look for originality — does the work break free from the ordinary and carve out its own identity? And finally, I consider how it makes me feel. If a piece of work unsettles me or challenges me to think differently, then it’s often on the right track. Creativity that pushes us out of our comfort zones tends to be the most interesting and transformative.

They say, “process makes perfect,” and as someone who prefers structure over chaos, I believe in establishing a process from the outset. That being said, the process isn’t rigid or one-size-fits-all. Each project comes with its own unique challenges and needs, so I tailor the process accordingly. It serves as a framework — a guide for the creative journey rather than a strict, linear path.

The most important principle I hold onto when approaching any creative endeavour is to make it enjoyable. Creativity, at its best, should be a joyful experience, and I encourage my teams to embrace that mindset as well. While some thrive under pressure, I find that creating a space where we can experiment, iterate, and play freely leads to better outcomes. It might sound like a cliché, but for me, it’s all about enjoying the process as much as the final product.

Before diving into any project though, I focus on a few key things.

First, I ask myself why the creative exercise is happening — what are we trying to achieve?

Second, I dig deep into insights that can help differentiate the work, a habit I’ve developed after years of collaborating with talented strategists.

And third, I explore the possibility of failure. I find it strangely motivating to confront potential setbacks head-on. There’s something about acknowledging how things could go wrong that energises me and pushes me to go beyond the ordinary.

As I’ve mentioned before, the more unsettled I feel, the more likely it is that the work will break new ground.

In recent years, I’ve grown more comfortable with co-creation and collaboration. I’ve realised that I don’t need to have all the answers myself. People are full of ideas, and the magic often happens when we come together and blend our perspectives. The most successful projects I’ve been a part of are those where the credit doesn’t belong to one person but to a team of diverse individuals who brought their unique strengths to the table. It’s through that collective effort that truly outstanding creative work emerges.

I’ve often joked that if I ever wrote an autobiography, I’d title it ‘Living in Transit’. I’ve never really had the chance to put roots down. From the moment I was born, I’ve been traveling the world, thanks to my father’s career as an airline pilot.

Even as an adult, I’ve spent more time in airports than most people I know. Living and working in places as diverse as California, New York, Lebanon, Singapore, Riyadh, and Dubai has been my constant. And I believe it’s this perpetual state of motion that has been a major source of my creativity and inspiration.

My career path has been equally diverse. I’ve worked with numerous agencies, both full-time and as a freelancer, and I’ve soaked up these experiences like a sponge. Every city, every agency, every person I’ve met along the way has shaped me, pushing me to grow and adapt. I suppose you could call that ambition.

But ambition comes with its challenges. The nature of our work as creatives can be overwhelming, and finding that balance between personal and professional life can sometimes feel elusive. However, I’ve never believed in drawing a hard line between the two. For me, life and work are intertwined. I’ve never seen what I do as just a job. The success of a project, the impact of a great piece of work, and seeing a client’s satisfaction at the end of it all — that’s what fuels me.

At the heart of any successful creative project, I believe, is trust. Trust in the process, trust in your team, and trust in yourself — even when failure is a possibility. In fact, I encourage failure, because it’s through those missteps that we learn the most. If I had one piece of advice for my team, it would be to embrace failure as part of the creative process. And for my clients, I’d say: trust your team and trust the journey. You might just be pleasantly surprised by what unfolds.