Creative Coaching
Talks
Training
Workshops
Mentoring
“Creativity is the single most important business & life skill.”
Spending over 30 years at the top of the advertising industry has taught me a great deal about the power that creativity has to transform brands, and bring about positive change in organisations and individuals.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report puts creativity and innovation as the most valuable skills needed to stay relevant in the workforce and thrive during a time of accelerating change. Unicef consider creativity a core life skill. “Creativity allows for adaptability in various life situations by leading to solutions, methods and processes to tackle old problems and contemporary challenges.”
Creativity has never mattered more as we enter an age of unbridled progress that demands a creative mindset to prosper. I want to help you to embrace your innate creativity, develop it, and to use it with confidence. Below are my talks, training courses, and workshops available to brands, businesses, and individuals. Contact me to discuss further options and bespoke programmes.
The Creativity Masterclass.
3 Hour Workshop. In person or online.
Based on my best selling book, The Creative Nudge. This workshop was developed for The Guardian Newspaper’s Creativity Masterclass.
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Creativity isn’t a job title – nor is it about being an artist. It’s not even about the ability to draw (despite what you may have learned at school). Creativity is a way of looking at the world.
Creativity can be found in every industry, in every walk of life. All progress comes as the result of a creative leap. We’re all born with creativity, but society, the workplace and education strip it out of us bit by bit. In this masterclass you will reconnect with that innate skill and learn how you can utilise in every aspect of your life. It doesn’t matter who you are, how old you are, or what you do for a living, you will discover a capability for creativity that you didn’t know you had.
I will teach you the nine key behaviours that I identify in my best selling book, The Creative Nudge, that will help you to embrace your creativity. As well as the sociological and biological reasons they’ve been inhibited. You will complete this workshop with the tools (nudges) and knowledge to push through those inhibitions with confidence, clarity and creativity.
Creativity Mentoring Programme.
5 Week Programme. 1 hour per week. In person or online.
One on one, or small groups of up to 3.
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Week by week we will go into each of the 9 key creative behaviours in detail and unpick the reasons behind each of them that are currently inhibiting you, before discussing how to overcome them with failsafe creative nudges. Working with me, you will then write your own nudges for each behaviour and look at how you can apply them practically to your day and your work. By the end you will have a series of bespoke nudges to start your creative journey with.
This programme is suitable for anyone who wants to boost their creative thinking capabilities regardless of the industry that they are in.
Become more creative in 90 minutes. Guaranteed.
90 Minute Talk. In person or online.
Simple, fun, practical ways to boost your powers of creative thinking, in a lively talk suitable for any industry.
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‘Without creativity there is no progress.’ - Ed. De. Bono.
Creativity can benefit every industry. All breakthroughs are a result of creative thinking. The future of all progress in science, medicine, engineering, even farming, is in the hands of creative thinkers.
We’re all born with creativity, and yet society, the workplace and education teach us to think and act in ways that can limit our creative thinking. Because they all want us to conform. In this talk, you will reconnect with that innate skill and learn how you can utilise it in every aspect of your life. And come away more creative. A promise I can guarantee through some practical exercises.
It doesn’t matter who you are, how old you are, or what you do for a living, you will discover a capability for creativity that you didn’t know you had.
I will take you through the nine key behaviours that will help you to embrace this creativity, a selection of nudges to help you embed them into your day, as well as the sociological and biological reasons they’ve been inhibited.
90 Minute Masterclass. Online or in-person.
3 hour workshop. Online or in-person.
1 to 1 Mentoring. Online or in-person.
Why are there so few training programmes for creative leaders? And even fewer training programmes given by Award Winning CCO’s with hard won experience? Well, not any longer.
The Complete Creative Director.
Modules:
1. Do I have what it takes?
2. What exactly does a cd do all day?
3. Getting comfy with the chaos of creative directing.
4. What does everyone expect from me?
5. Building and running a creative department.
6. Inspiring a creative culture across the agency.
7. Clients. Love them or lose them.
8. How to pitch.
9. The business of creativity.
10. Awards explained.
11. How to build your profile. (Even if you don’t want to.)
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Being a CD is tough. Being an ECD is even tougher. And being a CCO is the task of Hercules.
So why are there so few training programmes for creative leaders? And even fewer training programmes given by Award Winning CCO’s with hard won experience? Planners, producers, and account people have them in abundance. Yet creatives are left to work it out for themselves. Well, not any longer.
I’ve been a CD, an ECD, and a CCO at some of the very best agencies in London and worked on some of the most famous brands in the world, enjoying a long and highly successful career. Being placed on Campaign magazine’s annual top creative director list at every agency I ran. I’ve learnt a huge amount in the process and want to pass it on to help you be the most confident, informed and successful creative leader you can be.
This talk/workshop/programme is everything I wish someone had told me when first became a creative director over 20 years ago. It would have saved me years of mistakes, wasted effort, and anxiety.
Chose any combination of modules, or work through all 11. I can tailor each talk, workshop, or programme to suit you.
Learn how to speak ‘Creative’.
90 Minute Talk. In person or online.
The insiders guide to giving creative feedback that explains how to build trust, collaborate effectively, and get to great work.
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Communication is only what the listener hears. It doesn’t matter what you said, or what you think you’ve said. Only what the person you were speaking to heard.
So when it comes to giving creative feedback this can easily lead to disastrous misunderstandings. Domino-ing into missed deadlines, demotivated colleagues, fractured relationships, and terrible creative work.
Giving inspiring creative feedback to creative people is a skill in itself. And one worth taking the time to master. Think of it as learning a new language. I have spent over 20 years giving feedback to creatives in my various roles as CD, ECD, and CCO in some of the most successful ad agencies in London. I had to inspire them to do the best work of their careers and at the same time, to stay on brief and on time.
I've turned all of that knowledge and experience into a 60/90 minute talk that will give you a series of simple, actionable points to help you to get the most from your creative partners. Whether you’re agency side or client side, I'll give you the inside track on how to give creative feedback in a way that’s not only understood but will make your creative partner feel trusted, respected and engaged.
Whether you’re agency side or client side, this invaluable talk will give you the inside track on how the creative mind works and how to inspire it.
“Mick is a great creative leader that helps build teams.
He was such an inspiration and great help for me in developing my very young marketing team. He gave training sessions and workshops and always dedicated the time and effort for junior members of the team when they had questions. “
Bilge Ciftci. Ex Head of Brand - Vodafone UK
A Creative Guide to connecting with the 55+ audience.
Brands are finally waking up to the scale and buying power of the 55+ audience. An incredible 63p in every £ spent in Britain. And rising. Unfortunately though, most brands have no idea how to talk to them or portray them, and are getting it very wrong.
This talk isn’t to convince you that you need to start to target this audience, it’s to show you how to get it right creatively. The right approach, the right tone, the right imagery, the right media choices. I’ll even help you to understand just how important colour, casting, and typography are to older eyes. This talk covers the 9 practical lessons for executing successful 55+ communications and is a must for anyone running a brand that wants to engage with this incredibly wealthy, discerning, and unforgiving group.
60/90 Minute Talk. In person or online.
Key topics covered:
Aspirational self: What it means to the 55+.
Heart over head: Hopes, dreams and desires.
Normalising the behaviours of older age.
Representing independence and purpose.
Storytelling: Life is the narrative. Age is the context.
Casting: Thinking age agnostic.
Media: Being where they are but never see themselves.
Older eyes: Type, colour, and imagery considerations.
