Two “Magic” Creative Triangles

There are two “magic” triangles that I find very useful when describing creative work. One has been around for a long time, while the other I invented.

NOTE: I may not have invented this second triangle, but I haven’t seen it described this way before.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS

Creativity may be unlimited, but creative choices are not. This classic triangle illustrates that any creative choice has three boundaries:

• It can be done quickly (Fast)
• It can be done well (Good)
• It can be done inexpensively (Cheap)

The problem is that we can only pick two.

• Fast and Cheap, but not Good
• Fast and Good, but not Cheap
• Good and Cheap, but not Fast

I find this relationship to be invaluable in setting expectations in clients – and myself. I also find this reassuring as I plan a new project, because it forces me to rethink my planning by asking this question differently:

• How can I get this project done by the deadline, with the quality the client expects and within the budget I am given?

Notice that I didn’t ask: “With the quality I expect.” But, rather: “With the quality the client expects.” Exceeding the expectations of the client is a great way to get more work. Working to exceed our expectations is a great way to miss the deadline and blow the budget.

For me personally, everything I do is deadline-driven. So I am continually asking myself: “What do I need in order to get this done on time?” If I were to do a project where quality is more important, I’d make sure that I didn’t assign myself a deadline.

CREATIVE SKILLS

Norman Hollyn is responsible for me thinking about this. As we were creating 2ReelGuys.com, we would get into long discussions about whether story-telling or technology was more important to an editor. Norman always came down on the side of story-telling, while I felt technology was more important.

NOTE: In teaching students, I’ve come to realize they are obsessed with technology; and not sensitive enough to the stories they tell. So, in my classes now, I make a much bigger point of teaching the importance of thinking about the story you are telling.

However, as I became more involved in hiring people for creative teams, I realized that the story vs. tech balance was insufficient. Which lead me to create this illustration.

What this image says is that story-telling and technical skills are equally important, but both rest on a foundation of people skills. If no one wants to work with you, all the story and tech skills in the world won’t get you a job.

I believe that any creative task is:

• 50% people skills
• 25% story-telling skills
• 25% technical skills

It is easy to become obsessed by our story or the need for better technology. But no creative task lives in a vacuum. Creativity is collaborative and our ability to work with others is essential to completing any creative task. From funding through production to distribution, we are always working with others.

We need to make sure we are worth working with.

SIDE-LIGHT

I also have very limited patience with editors who say: “I can’t be bothered by all this technology, I tell stories.” This is simply arrogance. A great story-teller with no technical skills has no ability to express their story. Instead, they must rely on assistants to make sure their gear is working, video formats are converted, final output meets all technical specs…. in other words, that editor is crippled in their ability to complete a project because they don’t have sufficient technical skills.

Specialists are always needed in today’s society, but as I build teams, hiring a creative specialist means that I also need to hire someone else to fill in their missing skills. This is fine when budgets are large, but, well, budgets aren’t so large these days and a lack of skills means that others who have a more well-rounded skill set are more likely to get the gig. (In other words, a lack of skills often costs editors money.)

SUMMARY

Creativity is all about trade-offs, but that isn’t always bad. I think we do our best creative work when pushing against barriers. Barriers of time, or resources, or skills. I’ve often felt that the best thing you can say to a creative person is: “You can’t do that…”

Darned if we don’t somehow find a way.