Hey Whipple, Squeeze This, 6th Edition

8REWIRING YOUR BRAIN: CHASING IDEAS AND MAKING BIG CREATIVE LEAPS.

MUCH OF THE DAY-TO-DAY LIFE of working in an agency is spent putting out fires. These fires are usually lit by the client and can happen for any number of reasons.

The fire drill could be caused by a change in the client's business situation, such as a competitor coming out with a new model. The alarms might go off because of stock market fluctuations, weather, or, as we've seen, a global virus. Whatever starts the fire, you can be sure phones are gonna ring at the agency and sooner or later you'll find yourself in a meeting with a problem to solve.

Problem-solving is de rigueur at an agency. Even when an account is running smoothly, problems crop up like weeds: uh-oh, supply-line issues just changed your client's available inventory. The licensing on some music ran out and you have to recut a video to a new track. And the old reliable: client changed mind, hates campaign.

The thing is, problem-solving isn't where today's most interesting work happens. Problem-solving issues are usually ones of maintenance. But when big breakthrough ideas happen in advertising, when ideas come along that are big enough to enter the national conversation, it's rarely because somebody solved a problem.

The best stuff often comes from problem-finding.

Why solve problems when finding problems is way cooler?

Think of problem-finding as creative research and development. Basically, problem-finding is a playful screwing around and ...