Four lessons for young creatives, from the Digital Young Creators Competition
One essential lesson I’ve learned, as a young person who wants to change the world, is the importance of imagination. In an essay published shortly after Donald Trump’s 2016 election in the US, Christine Sharpe wrote, “Imagine otherwise. Remake the world. Some of us have never had any other choice.”
The key to building a better world is being able to picture it in the first place. Such is the vital role of creativity: reminding us that there will always be another way to live and tell our stories.
Every year, the Digital Marketing Association of the Philippines hosts a competition for industry newbies to grow and showcase young Filipino talent.
The Digital Marketing Association of the Philippines (DMAP)’s annual Digital Young Creators Competition nurtures the next generation of out-of-this-world thinkers, all under 30 years old. This year, they launched the Very Young Creators division for creatives with less than five years of industry experience.
This also marks the second year they have held learning sessions and mentoring breakouts for the participating creatives, as pushed forward by DYC chairperson Raymund Sison. The boot camp, along with the new Very Young Creators division, all help grow and showcase young Filipino talent. “Creativity,” said Sison, “apart from being one of the most powerful forces in the world, will light the way for all of us and make the world better.”
Young STAR had the opportunity to join DYC’s boot camp this year, among eager competitors and industry giants. Here are four lessons we learned, useful for every young and very young creative.
Learn by tracing
In discussing how to best present pitches, BDO Unibank’s head of branding Brandie Tan advised competitors to watch award-winning entries, similar to how artists first learn the fundamentals of drawing through tracing. In the same way, all kinds of creatives benefit from acknowledging that their work does not exist in a vacuum, constantly co-creating with every artist who existed before them. It may seem daunting—why create art when so much has been made already—but is this not why we’re so drawn to create in the first place: to speak a universal language, to blur the lines between us and recognize we’re not so alone after all?
Rebel like a teenager
We master the basics so we can learn how to break them. Maan Bautista, VML Manila’s executive creative director, urged participants to look at a problem in all ways but the right one: zoom in and out, challenge it, hurl it across space and time. Turn the funniest parts into the most serious then laugh at the most boring bits. The goal is to play, to see the world with the same limitlessness that enchanted us when we were younger. When we’ve gathered the craziest, most impossible, most courageous ideas, this is when we decide what to keep pursuing.
Think like an athlete
Jao Bautista, Propel Manila’s executive creative director, opened his talk on competition tips with a question: If you’re ambitious about something, why wouldn’t you be half as committed to your performance as an athlete? It’s a refreshing reminder that creative work is actual work—rather than simply a hobby—and it takes practice and nurturing. Though creativity, like many sports, appears a solitary activity, it will always take a village.
Intention matters the most
As asserted by BBDO Guerrero chief strategy officer Peach Natividad, every good pitch begins with a strong insight. This is the desired impact that guides every idea, essentially the heart of the project. Intention will always make a difference in creative work. The brands you fall in love with, added Chairperson Sison, are those that do things that matter.
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The winners of DMAP’s Digital Young Creators Competition will be announced at the Boomerang Awards this October. Get updates at www.dmap.com.ph.