Creatives either like to hash out ideas alone or have a meeting of the minds - brainstorming. Sometimes brainstorm sessions can be so intense, they'll go on for hours, even days. (You'll look at your co-workers differently when they are glassy-eyed and haven't showered.) Here's some tips to weather your next brainstorm and make it more productive.

• Walk in with ideas. Take some time to gather your thoughts. Get the ball rolling quickly with some thought starters. There's nothing more counter productive than staring at each other until an idea pops into your head.
• Go first. Yes, this is an ego thing. Don't wait to see if someone in the group has a similiar great idea. Put yours out there first and get credit for it.
• Never remain silent. You where brought in to speak your mind. No one can read it. Here no one has use for a deep thinker who can't share.
• Share every idea. People say there are no bad ideas. That's not necessarily true. There are ideas you use and ideas you don't use. An unusable idea helps strengthen the current big idea. If you have nothing to compare the big idea to, it's easy to doubt its strength as a concept.
• Don't get defensive. If they don't like your idea, let it go and don't attack others for it.
• Accept ideas from all sources. Don't let egos blind you to a great idea. I was once in a session were an art director came up with a better theme line and tag line than mine. Yea, it hurt, but I had to admit it was good copy - and the clients loved it.
  
  
  Image courtesy of stock.skink
  

Today, Chicago pays its respects to America's favorite film critic, Roger Ebert, the Chicago Sun-Times reporter who passed away last week. Friday, I tweeted an article, " Ebert showed willingness to adapt to new media."

Basically, it stated Ebert never allowed himself to become "that old newspaper guy," someone set in his ways and is slow to change. Decades ago, he made the jump to television when that was rare for newspaper reporters and he was an early adopter of the Internet and social media.

The mentallity "adapt or die" (or adopt, in this case) is why he flourished. You won't find too many people in their 70's working in a newsroom.

At age 45, like it or not, this business considers me to be an old ad guy. I don't allow myself to think like one. If I did, I should quit the business right now. I keep myself relevant by:

• Education. I'm back in school studying for a master's degree in new media.
• Reading. Aside from school books, I read as much relevant material as time will allow - from books to blogs.
• Networking. I talk to vendors. attend ad club events, go to seminars.
  
  I may be a "senior copywriter," but by no means am I a senior. I put in all of this work to keep me open to new ideas and opportunities. There's no room for old thinking for this "old ad guy."

Yes, my posts have been spotty lately. (It's good to be missed.) I was a bit busy with my new career. If you're a regular reader, take comfort in the fact that I practice what I preach. EVERYTHING I've told you about how to land a job in this industry are the same steps, I used to find my new career path.

In the end, I was picking from more than one job offer.

I'm now Sr. Copywriter and Communications Specialist for US Foods, one of the major suppliers to restaurants across the nation.

What? Not an ad agency?

One observation I've made is that it's a confusing time for agencies. Some are unsure about hiring, because of uncertainties concerning their accounts. Some clients are squeezing out agencies, building up their own marketing departments and doing the work themselves to save money. More important, they are staffing up with talent with ad agency backgrounds. So I refocused my efforts. The response couldn't have been better.

I got more calls.

I got more interviews.

And I got multiple job offers.

At my new position, the work is challenging. And the people are great. It's like working at an agency with only one client and fewer layers of approvals. (Gotta love that.) Here's a project I did on my first week:


Check out my old Ad Grad Project 2009 posts. I've always said that you don't have to work at an ad agency to do agency work.

Oh, and please "Like" US Foods on Facebook.

Getty Images. iStockphoto. Corbis Images. There are hundreds of stock photography houses creatives go to for ideas, inspiration and to create. And everyone has their favorite image spot for shots. So when we all go to the same place, things like this can happen:



So I'm flipping through the pages of Chicago Magazine and find this finance ad. Just weeks earlier, my team and I were about to purchase the same shot for a healthcare ad.

Yes, the team behind this ad beat us to the punch, but they didn't purchase exclusive usage of the photo, allowing others to buy the photo, too.

We rely on stock photography because it's time saving and it's far cheaper than a shoot. But it's to your benefit (and definitely the client's) to spend a little more and buy the rights.

Imagine the cost and the embarrassment if our ads appeared in the same publications.

I must admit that I'm not a huge fan of teasers and sneak previews of Super Bowl ads. It's not that some aren't entertaining. When it comes to teasers, there's a risk of creating an expectation the spots won't live up to. (We all know Super Bowl ads go through harsher criticisms than other commercials.) And seeing ads days before the game is like opening presents days before Christmas. I prefer enjoying all the festivities at the appropriate time. That's just me. So don't watch these if you feel the same. (This is an advertising blog - I had to post some.)





So with all the hype built around Beyoncé at halftime and the usual commercial fanfare, do you even know who's playing on Super Bowl Sunday? Be sure to party safely.

So I'm standing in the Chicago cold waiting for my train to go to work. I'm frozen in place staring at some outdoor boards. One catches my eye, but for the wrong reasons. 

I'm going to be shivering in Chicago, while geeks will be warming up to the latest gadgetry at 2013 International CES, January 8-11. 

There's a strong belief that no one hires during the holiday season. If you believe that and slow up your efforts, you may miss some opportunities.