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How quitting your job can make you a better creative

“Don’t quit a job unless you have another one lined up.”

11 famous words we had been taught growing up, but most recently ignored when we quit our jobs to travel the world.

And these are the 11 lessons we learned during our adventures that we wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.

Running the dunes — Skeleton Coast, Namibia, Africa

LESSON ONE >

Kampala, Uganda — Africa

UGANDA >

Squeeze the lemon dry

When we stepped off the plane in Uganda, we didn’t know what to expect. We quickly learned that the Ugandan people were some of the most resourceful we’d ever seen. They used what they had ten times over.

Children without toys created their own with fallen tree limbs, mothers morphed retired t-shirts into handy mops and delivery men pushed motorbikes to their limits. In Uganda, something can always be working harder or take on a new life entirely.

Are you thinking there couldn’t possibly be another idea for your project? There is.

No way your budget can work? It can.

No matter how boxed in we may feel as creatives, there’s most likely a little more to be squeezed.

TANZANIA >

Nature is the best inspiration

Off the northern end of Zanzibar, on a tiny sandbar in the Indian Ocean, we found the most beautiful starfish we’d ever seen. Something we didn’t know existed in this world. And there it was, in all its beauty in the crystal clear water for anyone who bothered to look.

As cheesy as it may sound, when you’re feeling stuck, try nature.

Go outside.

Look around.

Take notice of the stars and the patterns of trees.

Before Communication Arts and One Show annuals, there was nature.

LESSON TWO >

Zanzibar, Tanzania — Africa

LESSON THREE >

The mouth of the Angola River — Skeleton Coast, Namibia — Africa

NAMIBIA >

Don’t sweat the small stuff — you’re really small

As we drove the protected Skeleton Coast of Namibia, along the beaches, in and out of deserts, through dried riverbeds and up and down endless sand dunes, one thing became abundantly clear: the world is a ginormous place and we are really, really small. Wonderfully small, even.

Perspectively speaking, most of the world doesn’t care about your brilliant idea that died in round fifteen.

This is not to say you shouldn’t put a ton of care and craft into your work. It’s only to say, don’t hyperventilate and get too precious on a day-to-day basis.

Rather, have fun with your work. As an old creative director used to tell us, “It’s just nerdvertising.”

SOUTH AFRICA >

Get
outside your comfort zone, regularly

If quitting your job isn’t far enough outside your comfort zone, we suggest swimming with great white sharks.

It’s terrifying for many reasons. What if the boat sinks? Can a shark fit through the holes in the cage? Are we going to die?

The surprising thing was that it wasn’t nearly as scary as we first thought. Sure, they were still great whites that could rip our faces off if they chose, but they were actually a lot more calm and graceful underwater than we had imagined.

Do presentations make you fearful?

Timid to try a new type style outside your wheelhouse?

Whatever you are fearful of, whatever is outside your comfort zone, take the risk and jump in headfirst. You just might find it wasn’t as bad as you’d expected, and you might just grow stronger for it.

LESSON FOUR >

Swimming with great whites — Gansbaai, South Africa — Africa

LESSON FIVE >

Kathmandu, Nepal

NEPAL >

In the
midst of struggle, stay positive

We traveled to Nepal just five months after a devastating earthquake. It was the worst natural disaster to hit the country since 1934.

Yet the people couldn’t have been more positive and welcoming. They loved their home and were working hard at rebuilding.

When it seems like something you’ve worked on for months is crumbling around you, just remember to stay positive.

You will rebuild.

VIETNAM >

Be inclusive

In Hanoi we invited two women who worked at our hotel, Linh and Phuong, out for coffee. Not only did they accept our invite, but that coffee turned into some of the best friends and memories we made during our trip.

The next night, Linh invited us to her favorite floating restaurant. And Phuong took us to her husband’s juice shop where we met her son, drank smoothies and chatted for hours.

They taught us so much and provided better experiences than any guidebook could have ever offered.

Headed out of the office for lunch with a group of people? Why not ask the new strategist to join?

You never know who around you, across disciplines, levels or even professions could teach you something new or become an amazing friend.

Finding out is an invite away.

LESSON SIX >

Hanoi, Vietnam

LESSON SEVEN >

Luang Prabang, Laos

LAOS >

Slow
down
when possible

Traveling through Laos for us was a bit like floating down a very lazy river.

The culture was much slower and laid back than anywhere we’d been. Shopkeepers openly napped in their stores, bus drivers pulled over to watch the sunset and night markets were eerily quiet.

At first this was agitating as we just wanted to get somewhere fast, have a quick meal or pass through a market in a hurry.

But as we eased ourselves into this slower pace of life, we came to really appreciate it. And we took more time to just, be.

Though most days can feel like hurricanes, it’s important to step away when possible and let your mind reboot.

It might even wander to places it couldn’t have before, leading you to your next award-winning idea.

CAMBODIA >

Don’t take shortcuts

While in Cambodia, we were fortunate enough to visit Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world.

It was constructed in the 12th century, took around 30 years to complete and contains some of the finest architecture and reliefs you’ll ever see.

One of the first Western visitors to the temple said that it “is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world” so we won’t even try.

Great craft and hard work can be the difference between something being “meh” and amazing.

Be amazing.

LESSON EIGHT >

Angkor Wat — Siem Reap, Cambodia

LESSON NINE >

Ubud, Bali — Indonesia

INDONESIA >

Say no
to TV.
Say yes
to art.

This was easy to do in Indonesia, particularly Bali, an island oozing with art and culture.

We couldn’t make it far without seeing a local artist painting, a woman constructing beautiful offerings made from colorful flower petals, men practicing their music, children learning traditional Balinese dance.

The art of Bali wasn’t something to go and see hanging on a gallery wall, it was a way of life.

So remember to make and take in more. Go to an art show. See the symphony. Make a finger painting.

The more we say yes to art, the more inspired we can become

Disclaimer:

We’re not saying to stop watching TV.

That would be terrible.

SINGAPORE >

Look for the gems

To be completely honest, we were a bit skeptical of Singapore upon arrival.

Compared to the other gritty, culture-packed countries we had been to, Singapore felt a little sterile and robotic. But as we dug in deeper, and explored further, we found hidden gems throughout the city.

Striking street art. Incredible cuisine. Beautiful architecture.

So when you have an assignment you’re skeptical about, or don’t see potential in, try looking a little closer.

There might be an opportunity there you didn’t see before.

There could be a gem in a seemingly unglamorous project.

Look for it.

LESSON TEN >

Singapore, Singapore

LESSON ELEVEN >

Penang, Malaysia

MALAYSIA >

It should
be fun

The small island of Penang, off the northwest coast of peninsular Malaysia, is home to a rich street art scene.

To find the art, you had to get out and look. Some pieces were hidden down long alleys or partially worn away by mother nature, but they’re there if you searched.

You could tell the artists had fun making the pieces. People enjoyed finding them, interacting with them and taking pictures with them.

This is what it should be all about.

Let’s have fun making things that our audience can interact with and enjoy.

“Don’t quit a job unless you have another one lined up.”

Unless what you have lined up is a trip around the world.

A B O U T   >

Burke Lauderdale is a freelance Creative Director, Art Director who believes that without grit there are no pearls.

He hangs his hat in Austin, Texas and works anywhere planes fly.

C O N T A C T   >

Always available via
burkelauderdale@gmail.com

© 2024