Creativity: It’s not (always) that deep
Being a freelance copywriter is a bit like dating: things pick up when you least expect it, you’ll have some great experiences as well as a few horror stories, and you’re constantly told to put yourself out there. And for someone firmly in the “why is posting on social media so embarrassing?” camp, this is a hard pill to swallow. Can’t my portfolio and a cute little bio do all the work?
According to the ‘How I made $50,000 a month as a freelance copywriter’ LinkedIn Bros, that just won’t cut it. Apparently, to really make it, you’ve got to post pretty regularly on the platform. And since you’re always expected to have something to say, that means turning almost anything into a valuable lesson. Talk about a reach—and I don’t mean the engagement kind.
So, one afternoon, in a panicked attempt to kick off my Active Era, I scanned my kitchen for something—anything—that I could spin into a metaphor for my job. I swung open the cupboard door and spotted an abandoned packet of crisps. Naturally, I polished it off, then began typing…
“Eating crisps is a lot like the creative process—what starts off satisfying and full of potential often ends with you picking up the crumbs, trying to piece together something worthwhile."
Yeah… no. I stopped typing and gave myself permission to set my MacBook on fire if I ever wrote anything like that again.
While I enjoy spotting clever copy out in the wild and love learning about the creative thinking behind a killer campaign, I know when to draw the line. There’s a difference between genuine inspiration and a tenuous link.
As Andie Wexler, Associate Director of Strategy & Writing at Studio Freight, wrote in a LinkedIn post, “I feel like we have enough think pieces on the lack of strategy/concept behind the Jeremy Allen White Calvin Klein ad; he's just hot! And that's okay!”
She’s right. Clearly, people were missing the point. The strategy was to simply amplify our collective crush on JAW while giving Calvin Klein’s sales a nice little boost. And as far as I’m concerned, it worked.
Sure, there’s a time and place to search for meaning in serious topics—like social issues, the environment or an ambiguous Taylor Swift lyric. These deserve thoughtful reflection and analysis. But a Calvin Klein ad? C’mon!
My unpopular opinion is that not everything needs to be dissected or tied back to your day job. Sometimes, it’s perfectly acceptable to consume pop culture (or an innocent snack, for that matter) for the sake of enjoyment—no profound insight necessary.
Charlotte Golzari is a freelance copywriter from and based in London. She’s collaborated with brand and design studios like Koto, DesignStudio, Here Design and most recently, Without. You can see her work here.
Creativity: It’s not (always) that deep
Being a freelance copywriter is a bit like dating: things pick up when you least expect it, you’ll have some great experiences as well as a few horror stories, and you’re constantly told to put yourself out there. And for someone firmly in the “why is posting on social media so embarrassing?” camp, this is a hard pill to swallow. Can’t my portfolio and a cute little bio do all the work?
According to the ‘How I made $50,000 a month as a freelance copywriter’ LinkedIn Bros, that just won’t cut it. Apparently, to really make it, you’ve got to post pretty regularly on the platform. And since you’re always expected to have something to say, that means turning almost anything into a valuable lesson. Talk about a reach—and I don’t mean the engagement kind.
So, one afternoon, in a panicked attempt to kick off my Active Era, I scanned my kitchen for something—anything—that I could spin into a metaphor for my job. I swung open the cupboard door and spotted an abandoned packet of crisps. Naturally, I polished it off, then began typing…
“Eating crisps is a lot like the creative process—what starts off satisfying and full of potential often ends with you picking up the crumbs, trying to piece together something worthwhile."
Yeah… no. I stopped typing and gave myself permission to set my MacBook on fire if I ever wrote anything like that again.
While I enjoy spotting clever copy out in the wild and love learning about the creative thinking behind a killer campaign, I know when to draw the line. There’s a difference between genuine inspiration and a tenuous link.
As Andie Wexler, Associate Director of Strategy & Writing at Studio Freight, wrote in a LinkedIn post, “I feel like we have enough think pieces on the lack of strategy/concept behind the Jeremy Allen White Calvin Klein ad; he's just hot! And that's okay!”
She’s right. Clearly, people were missing the point. The strategy was to simply amplify our collective crush on JAW while giving Calvin Klein’s sales a nice little boost. And as far as I’m concerned, it worked.
Sure, there’s a time and place to search for meaning in serious topics—like social issues, the environment or an ambiguous Taylor Swift lyric. These deserve thoughtful reflection and analysis. But a Calvin Klein ad? C’mon!
My unpopular opinion is that not everything needs to be dissected or tied back to your day job. Sometimes, it’s perfectly acceptable to consume pop culture (or an innocent snack, for that matter) for the sake of enjoyment—no profound insight necessary.
Charlotte Golzari is a freelance copywriter from and based in London. She’s collaborated with brand and design studios like Koto, DesignStudio, Here Design and most recently, Without. You can see her work here.