when i interview candidates for creative positions i always ask how they lead a creative life. I want to know what they're excited about. what weird stuff they're into. what do they geek out about. What cool shit they've done in their life. what accomplishments are they proud of. I will know instantly what kind of worker they will be and what they'll bring to the table. In other words, being creative is not a switch that turns on and off, the work is always happening.
A few years back I spoke to the art & design school at Southern Utah University. The over-arching theme was, "You don't know it, but you have a job, and you're already doing it." Essentially, every creative impulse that's executed, no matter how crude or unrefined, lays the foundation for the next "thing" or chapter.
I've had an extremely random creative career. I've done a little bit of everything. But this randomness is directly tied to my experiences, interests, and pursuits as a child, adolescent, young adult, and the person I've become. It's made me an ideal creative leader because my perspective is drawing on a million different references.
