Less Money, Mo’ Problems, By @larrygrange
By Laurens Grainger
Less Money, Mo’ Problems
It may come as a surprise to you, but I actually have very little in common with the Notorious B.I.G.
It’s not just our approach to the art of hip-hop and crime that differs.
It’s also our approach to money.
Remember his song ‘Mo Money Mo Problems’?
Well, since I joined SCA, I can confidently say that I believe the opposite to be true.
I quit my job in August to start the course and I now – unsurprisingly – have very little money. And coincidentally, I have a lot more problems on my plate.
I’m not just talking about the problems in finding the best meal deal on Brixton high street. Or getting in to arguments with old ladies by the ‘reduced’ aisle in Co-Op. Or even fighting kids for pocket change by my bus stop.
I’m talking about creative problems. I’m talking about the problem in finding new problems. And then the problem of finding new problems within the new problems to better define the original problems.
Still there? Let me explain…
Since day 1 at SCA, we’ve been told that if you want to be a great creative, you need to be a great problem solver.
And if you want to become a great problem solver, then half the battle is defining the problem correctly in the first place.
As Mr Marc Lewis himself says “a problem well defined is a problem half solved”.
So, how do you know if the problem you’re trying to solve is the right one?
Here’s a tip:
Always ask ‘Why?’
The problems stated in a brief are rarely the problems that actually need solving. They’re often just manifestations of deeper problems. Those deeper problems are the ones you actually need to solve.
Just think – if a company tells you that they need you to create a social campaign to advertise their new chocolate bar, you need to make sure to ask ‘Why?’
Why do they need a campaign?
Why does it need to be on social?
Why have they got a new chocolate bar?
The answers will take you upstream to the real problem that needs to be solved. That’s when you’re halfway home. That’s when you can let your inner creative beast out. That’s when the real fun begins.
