The Art of Learning vs Doing:

Over 20+ years of working at some of the world’s top creative agencies—including Saatchi & Saatchi and DDB—I’ve always carved out time to teach in the Undergraduate and Continuing Education departments at the School of Visual Arts.

In that time, my methods in work and in teaching have continually evolved to keep pace with an industry in flux. Through it all, I’ve realized that future art directors and copywriters still want the same thing: to build a standout portfolio and break into the industry.

What’s changed is how they want to get there.

There’s been a shift. From the desire to 'learn how to' to the desire to 'do it fast'.

'Learning' builds careers. It's an ethic that gets in your blood and continues to help you grow and succeed. 'Doing' is transactional. I don't believe people retain much when seeking shortcuts — especially if your goal is to improve your ideas conceptually.

Tip: future creatives, slow down, digest, and bank any insight and knowledge gained for the next day--or the next ad campaign.

It will more likely than not help you not only stand out and land a great job, but keep you employed for a long, long time.