Creativity Squared: Why Everything Creative Is Risky with William Maher

Dublin-born director William (Bill) Maher wears many hats as a writer, director, and creative director for commercials, feature films, experiential activations, and more. 

His notable commercial work includes ads for Dick’s Sporting Goods, Adidas, New Balance, Deloitte, and MINI, in addition to experiential activations for The Grinch, Michelob, and Jurassic World. 

William's creative journey started in architectural model making and then into the world of art department and VFX. Beyond the world of advertising, his diverse creative experience has led him to write a motion graphic novel series, direct a star-studded film feature and win a handful of impressive awards along the way. 

Person

I think everyone is creative in some way. Humans still exist in large part thanks to our creativity. But everyone has different levels of confidence in their creative ability or willingness to share the things they create. I tend to appraise a piece of work based on how difficult I think it might have been to create, and if I think it was easy, I take another look because nothing is easy. Usually, you have to know more about the person who created it to get a more rounded picture of the piece. 

Process

At the beginning of any commercial creative endeavour, there's a lot of listening. Then I usually have to educate myself because I normally don't know what a client knows about their own business or industry. Clients often come up with ideas designed to address the challenges they are dealing with. Often their challenge is accurate, but their solution is not quite right. So, it's necessary to fully understand their challenge, which means getting to know them, and their business. I make it a point not to present any solutions until I have a comprehensive understanding of their environment and what truly matters to them.

I love collaborating with others, especially those who know about things I don't know much about. I enjoy watching them operate, and I get a kick out of trying to understand their process, regardless of whether they are a shoemaker or a rocket scientist. I'm good at neither myself, so equal respect. The most helpful thing I can do in a collaborative process is to know when to speak. So ends this sentence. 

Press

When I take cash out of my own pocket to pay for a project, I am allowed to be very demanding and ultra-brave, agenda-driven, and purist. For everything else, I have to justify why something should be done a certain way. I'm in a happy place when a client trusts me, but I am always prepared to share my reasoning. Everything creative is risky - it is considered so exactly because some element of it feels unknown. I mitigate risk during the process as best I can, responsibly balancing budget, pragmatism, logistics, and originality, but ultimately the most rewarding work is often bold and different and comes with no guarantees. On the client side, reasonable risk assessment is key. Building confidence in the client is the only way forward. As the saying goes, "A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." My goal is to construct a sturdy vessel, assemble a competent crew, and thoroughly chart the course ahead. However, it is worth noting that fortune tends to favour the brave.