By Ivan Stanojevic

It Takes Two To Tango

Well here we are. Fifteen weeks and one term later. I came into the term feeling super confident and energetic. That energy slowly dispersed as the term progressed. The biggest challenges have definitely been the Portfolio briefs and the limits we set ourselves. Or better said, not pushing our ideas enough? All term I’ve been delivering work that is good but forgettable. Good is the enemy of great. Everyone keeps repeating this and that is my opinion too. We are often our worst judges, and that definitely applies here. But how else will you push yourself to reach what you want? 

It’s been very insightful working with different partners throughout the weeks. We really got to see what we’d like and wouldn’t like in a partner. You learn so much, even in the most exhausting partnerships. One thing I’ve realized, it’s never just one person’s responsibility for the brief to work. The partnership goes both ways and both need to express their opinions and worries. If you don’t like what your partner is doing and you stay quiet, then you’re enabling that to continue. Everything goes both ways, when two parties are involved. We are in charge of our lives and careers. 

For me, the most important thing was finding someone who can match my enthusiasm for the project and the work. Too often I found myself doing more than the other person. But all that comes with learning to work with different types of people. It’s important to communicate consistently. You have to »sleep around« with partners so you find out what you want (and don’t) in your potential future partner. Another thing I learned this term was that sometimes, you do need to just sit in a car and hit the gas pedal once it’s one day before the deadline. Grab that baby that’s barely clinging to life after being dragged through the mud by mentors and nurse it back to its mutated health. Then present it as if he was Prince George. It’s the only thing you can do. I spent too many Fridays debating which way to go and what to do when really, we should have just been crafting and not doubting ourselves. 

Another thing I’ve realized is how important case study videos are. Your idea can be great but if you don’t sell it, it might as well be shit. We keep forgetting it’s called the School of COMMUNICATION Arts. Not School of Having Great Ideas. We’re in the business of communicating our ideas in a way that is easiest for people to understand and get into. So, if we fail at that, we kind of fail at what we are supposed to do. 

This Christmas break will be a great time to do some more reflecting and planning. Get reenergized and face all the shortcomings of the first term. And lest we forget the age-old Christmas classic – the wonderful juggling act of trying to have time for yourself while also socialising and seeing your friends.