Hey! It’s me Ryan. I’m the new guy here at Targa working the role of creative lead. The above hero image shows me alongside my wife and oldest daughter at an art gallery I hosted in my garage recently. The words Curiosity, Courage and Creativity appear on all our shirts. It’s a personal mantra of mine.

I love that my business card has the word ‘creative’ on it. Previous to joining the team at Targa, my cards included words like sales, customer service, marketing and director. Each one of those words was fitting for its time, but none seem as elusive as the term ‘creative’. I come from nearly two decades in the home building industry, and in my experience, few people there consider themselves creative in the least bit.

During my work selling and marketing new homes, the approach to advertising completely changed. The traditional advertising methods in the early 2000s included the print and broadcast mediums your grandparents are familiar with: billboards, newspaper, magazines, television, radio, etc… Yes, we knew of the internet in those days and had websites, but it was a pre-social media, pre-smartphone age. There were methods to ad positioning/placement based on a target market, but the data informing us then was nothing like the analytics we have today. To beat your competition, the aim was to stick in your prospect’s mind, and your stickiness was largely attributed to creative presentation. Unique visuals and ideas are still important in our present world, but the way we arrive at those ideas is different.

To kick off 2024, I thought I’d share a couple of things I’ve learned over the last couple of years that really became prominent for me in 2023. I’ve learned how new and amazing technologies/data is increasingly accessible to the masses, that a trusted human network is crucial, and that staying on top of developments in A.I. is very much worth my attention.

A Whole New World.

A Friend Like Me.

I didn’t set out to make Aladdin references when I started writing, but it just so happens that it works for the next idea I’d like to share. At some point, all professionals are going to find themselves in a hole they can’t get out of all by themselves. We must rely on our network to connect us with solutions to our problems. This isn’t a sign of weakness or lack of intelligence. There is just too much to know in too many areas to be an expert in everything. The better your network, the better wishes you’ll have granted.

A well-rounded network will include people or businesses that do things you simply can’t do for yourself. A creative graphic designer should have analytically-minded friends that can help place his/her work where it will be seen most. You’ll also want to include resources that can lead you to water when your well runs dry, not to mention a place to sharpen your ax when it gets dull. Look for those friends, and in turn, be that friend.

One Jump Ahead.

Okay, one more reference. Aladdin admits to ‘[Stealing] only what he can’t afford’ in the song One Jump Ahead. I believe this mentality applies to anyone turning to machine learning for solutions. We use machines to save time and money that we want or need to dedicate elsewhere. While some might consider A.I. as a thief, it’s a wave you’re better off learning how to ride than not. A.I. text and image generators are now at the fingertips of anyone with a computer or smart device. While the capabilities are astounding,  artificial intelligence has plenty of kinks and limitations to be aware of.

Staying ahead of these advantages AND shortcomings allows you to use the tool to save time and money of your own as well as educate others. Increasing your knowledge about A.I. is a far better strategy than resisting it all together.