By  Marianne Wathne Johansen

 

50 things to do when your partner is art directing

No matter how good a creative team is at time management, art directors are always way busier at the end of the creative process. My partner often goes into ‘art direction mode’ as the deadline gets closer, and often doesn’t have much time to talk. So here’s a list of things copywriters can do to help their creative partners through these stressful, crafty times:

1. Make them coffee

2. Start researching the next brief

3. Write propositions

4. Pick a new brief

5. Write lines

6. Scamp (so they can laugh at your drawing skills)

7. Make them more coffee

8. Refrain from making too many changes to the copy

9. Buy them lunch

10. Write short copy

11. Boost their confidence

12. Brainstorm on your own

13. Give them a hug

14. Research ad agencies

15. Read Campaign

16. Practice copywriting

17. Email creative directors to get book crits

18. Work on award briefs

19. Collect dots

20. Read Adweek

21. Do creative techniques

22. Read about new tech

23. Write a song

24. Write a poem

25. Just… write

26. Make them tea

27. Catch up on news

28. Do a topical ad

29. Write a SCAB

30. Learn Photoshop

31. Help fellow students

32. Write to do lists

33. Find freelance work

34. Find placement schemes

35. Write a random long copy ad

36. Write a SCAB for your partner

37. Tidy your desk

38.  Write a radio script

39. Scamp a bit more

40. Buy/make them dinner

41. Tell them everything will be ok

42. Watch cat videos (they count as culture)

43. Write strategies for boring brands

44. Write strategies for new brands

45. Make sure their caffeine levels are high enough

46. Recommend typefaces and fail

47. Spellcheck EVERYTHING

48. Remind them that they’re great

49. Make sure work is submitted before the deadline

50. Buy them a beer