
50 things to do when your partner is art directing – By @maryjohansen_
By Marianne Wathne Johansen
50 things to do when your partner is art directing
No matter how good a creative team is at time management, art directors are always way busier at the end of the creative process. My partner often goes into ‘art direction mode’ as the deadline gets closer, and often doesn’t have much time to talk. So here’s a list of things copywriters can do to help their creative partners through these stressful, crafty times:
1. Make them coffee
2. Start researching the next brief
3. Write propositions
4. Pick a new brief
5. Write lines
6. Scamp (so they can laugh at your drawing skills)
7. Make them more coffee
8. Refrain from making too many changes to the copy
9. Buy them lunch
10. Write short copy
11. Boost their confidence
12. Brainstorm on your own
13. Give them a hug
14. Research ad agencies
15. Read Campaign
16. Practice copywriting
17. Email creative directors to get book crits
18. Work on award briefs
19. Collect dots
20. Read Adweek
21. Do creative techniques
22. Read about new tech
23. Write a song
24. Write a poem
25. Just… write
26. Make them tea
27. Catch up on news
28. Do a topical ad
29. Write a SCAB
30. Learn Photoshop
31. Help fellow students
32. Write to do lists
33. Find freelance work
34. Find placement schemes
35. Write a random long copy ad
36. Write a SCAB for your partner
37. Tidy your desk
38. Write a radio script
39. Scamp a bit more
40. Buy/make them dinner
41. Tell them everything will be ok
42. Watch cat videos (they count as culture)
43. Write strategies for boring brands
44. Write strategies for new brands
45. Make sure their caffeine levels are high enough
46. Recommend typefaces and fail
47. Spellcheck EVERYTHING
48. Remind them that they’re great
49. Make sure work is submitted before the deadline
50. Buy them a beer