This document provides 5 ideas on how to do good work as a creative professional. The ideas are: 1) Give yourself permission to provide constructive criticism at all levels. 2) Choose what you want to do each day based on your interests. 3) Connect with mentors and individuals of all ages and disciplines to expand your inspiration. 4) Find the questions within information and be curious. 5) Be consistent in your purpose by doing good work and having fun while being clear with others. The overall message is to strive for perfection and do your best work.

1. Do good work
5 ideas on how to make good work
& do what you like to do everyday
Observation & insight from life as a creative professional
Working in great agencies, with inspiring colleagues
Solving brand & marketing problems
Producing good work with others in key global markets

2. Quality Material. Careful
Inspection. Good
Workmanship. All combined in
an effort to give you a perfect
painting.
John Baldessair – American Painter Born 1931.
That’s the painting.

3. A simple message in beautifully rendered black type hand-drawn
on a cream surface.
The original is in the J. Paul Getty Museum L.A.
A postcard reproduction is on my office pin board.

4. Here’s the thought
Each component of this message reminds me of what we do as
creative professionals and why:
all combined
to give you
a perfect painting – or in our case, a perfect brand,
design, structure, idea, image, campaign
We should seek perfection more often.

5. Mies van der Rohe – one of the pioneers of modern architecture

6. Mies van de Rohe the great German-
American pioneer of modern architecture
was asked by Chicago students – what is
your secret?
He simply stated: ‘Do Good Work’

7. So profound.
So clear.
The ultimate is to do good work, and
that’s what we should strive for – always.

8. Average work is just that - average.
The difference between simply adequate
and good work - is more often about the
intent, purpose and determination of the
designer, the commitment to do good
work, and the persistence that brings
inspiration to life.

9. It’s a matter of design, how we
design our life
How do we measure our life?
By what we do every day.
Essentially that’s a design problem, and
one we can have an effect on.

10. 5 ideas on the design problem
#1
Give yourself permission
to make
constructive criticism
at all levels

11. # 2
Choose what you want to do & how
you spend your time.
What do you like to do every day?
You can design a life that works
based on what matters to you!

12. # 3
Connect with individuals
and mentors of all ages & disciplines
Design is a problem-solving process
Collaboration expands the range of
inspiration & opportunity

13. # 4
Find the quest in question &
the inform in information.
Curiosity is your friend.

14. # 5
Be consistent in your purpose
Do some good work
Have some fun
Be clear to others*
* Inspired by the words of Richard Saul Wurman – architect, designer, polymath,
coined the term ‘Information Design’ & founder of TED

15. Adrienne Bateup-Carlson
Ideas & insights that shape brands.
Adriennebateupcarlson@cxaspac.com
Twitter @CarlsonAdrienne