Karl Marx money pot.
Receipts.
Trio biscuit bar.
Bust of Marcus Aurelias.
Fluffy mic.
Small painting of Apollinaire.
Dog biscuits.
Ceramic ghost.
Rickenbacker bass guitar.
Glass of peach squash (yes, peach).
Pen.
Hello…
Don’t worry, I’ve not gone mad. No madder than usual, anyway.
It’s just I’m just sat in my office and those are some of the things around me.
Pablo is here too, asleep on my lap.
Things are weird, right?
Kind of like that introduction.
Much weirder is the fact CEOs have suddenly started emailing us to tell us they care…
The fine line between advertising and communicating has become even more strained…
And company logos are being slightly (and pointlessly) moved apart by self-isolated art directors.
At the same time, people who aren’t used to working from home are finding it’s not quite as easy as they thought it would be when they always wished they could work from home.
And people who normally work from home are finding it just as hard as ever because they can’t go out and break up the time. Plus they’re being driven mad during overly attended video calls by people who suggest ‘you must be used this’.
Of course, there’s also a scary as shit invisible virus ripping through the whole world.
Ugh.
It’s we’re all Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now and every one of us is still stuck in Saigon.
It hardly needs saying but I’ll say it anyway: I hope you’re OK?
As much as possible, I’m trying to carry on as normal. Well, as normal as things can be when you’re not allowed to leave the house and you now have This American Life playing constantly somewhere in the building (Ruth is home from work too).
How are you doing – seriously?
This website has always been a two-way thing. So, feel free to drop me a line to tell me how you’re getting on.
I’m writing copy, of course.
But I’m also knuckling down on the next book, which is coming on well now. I’m enjoying writing it and hope you’ll enjoy the result.
I’ve also been posting some brief videos answering reader questions over on the All Good Copy Instagram.
But anyway, this isn’t just a self-isolation diary entry…
Some advice.
You want some copywriting advice.
Your kingdom for some copywriting advice.
Don’t worry…I’ve got three nuggets of knowledge for you right here.
Hopefully, they might help get your brain firing in these [insert clichéd word] times.
Ready?
Let’s dip in…
Scare yourself original
Being original is not only hard…
It’s dangerous.
It means going places people might not have been, following thoughts that aren’t comfortable.
We’re generally conditioned in life to fall in with the masses and accept the status quo.
But to have original ideas you have to actively push back against the commonly accepted version of things.
To do that, you’ll sometimes need to push your thought process to go somewhere you’re not used to.
It doesn’t mean you have to run around the street shouting weird ideas at people, you can do this in the confines of your notebook.
But it does mean challenging yourself and sometimes even scaring yourself.
Just lay down
When you’ve got a number of writing projects on the go, it can be difficult to switch your mind between them.
Usually, I’d advise going for a walk, but with us all needing to stay in at the moment – that’s not so easy.
Another thing I often do between writing sessions is just lie down.
I have a couch in the office (where Pablo usually hangs out) and will take ten minutes between sessions to just rest and think.
It seems stupidly simple. Actually, it doesn’t seem it at all. It IS stupidly simple. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t give you the opportunity to clear your head, reset your thinking and slowly bring the next project into mind.
During these anxious times, giving yourself moments of rest and contemplation is more crucial than ever.
Nobody likes sprouts
Of course, that’s not true.
I love sprouts.
I prefer them to a number of other vegetables.
So whenever I hear people slag off sprouts I feel alienated.
I know. I know. You’re thinking I’ve gone insane.
But my point is:
You should always be careful in copy when you start making clichéd generalizations.
Sure, you might snare a fair few folks, but you’ll likely hit the wrong footing with many more.
And there we have it…
Three nuggets of knowledge to get you thinking.
Be well, and the offer to say hello still stands – so do.
Oh, and stay home.
Really…
STAY HOME.
P.S. Folks have been buying up the book recently and there are only a few copies left available on Amazon at the moment.
If you haven’t got a copy yet, grab one here.