Is it time to be more reckless?

With the AI event horizon closing in, I feel slightly vulnerable! I won’t lie, I feel at a professional crossroad - very aware of the need to keep up with the changing creative world – and more so, aware of the impact if I don’t. So how do I to stay relevant?

When seeking council with Rob (friend, CG creative and, eh-hem, fellow 40-something year old), he said we should take the opportunity to “be more reckless” – taking project briefs and creative challenges without fear of failure or getting left behind. After all, who gained anything interesting from being safe? Right?

Not running a risky business

I’m pretty risk averse and methodical with how I develop and pitch ideas – I guess it’s the producer mindset, to manage and complete tasks as efficiently and effectively as possible; protecting the project and all those who sail in her!

Because of this mindset, the proposals I handle are biased towards the client’s needs rather than mine. Some are looking for the wow factor, and others? Well, they just need the confidence and security that comes from a tried and tested approach. And it’s win:win because they are happy, so I’m happy – but it’s all very safe and considered.

So how to be innovative, original, exciting (and fun!) with my ideas when I’m taking such considered approaches? I revert back to Rob’s words - time to start to BE MORE RECKLESS!

How to be thoughtfully reckless

If you’d asked me before today, I’d say that recklessness is mostly made possible by the confidence and freedom of ‘youth’; taking decisions to actively break and reinvent ideas without real or personal consequence. It’s how we keep moving forward as a society isn’t it? Revolutionising and reinventing. But being more reckless as a business, and a (nearly) 50-year-old can’t be the same, surely? We simply don’t have the same freedom to explore risks. For an established business with responsibilities, either to family, stakeholders or shareholders, it can’t about taking a punk DIY attitude, or throwing everything up in the air and saying ‘I don’t give a f**k!’. Because the big difference as a nearly 50 year old is - I really DO give a f**k! I really DO care about consequence and DO concern myself with doing the RIGHT thing. Can I honestly afford to be reckless, when for me, consequence is EVERYTHING?

3 simple steps to reckless mindfulness

So back to my friend’s words - to BE MORE RECKLESS – how? If I’m so risk averse, how can I embrace these three simple words to re-ignite the process of questioning and delivering any creative response; to keep ahead of the curve…or at least feel confident riding the AI wave?

1. By helping to recognise the value of not settling for a tick box approach just because it’s guaranteed or safe

2. Embrace the unexpected by taking the opportunity, whenever possible, to jump in head first without knowing how deep

3. Lastly, to accept that consequence, in this context, is fleeting. The worst that can happen? The client smiles, politely declines and goes for the safer option two.

So in short, yes BE MORE RECKLESS….but have a backup plan! I mean I can be reckless, but I’m not crazy!

Grown up anarchy

My current contract is working with over 100 stakeholders to deliver content for 25+ virtual event sessions in a little under 4 weeks, with no budget manoeuvrability!

Hmm, so is now a good time to practise what I preach here and BE MORE RECKLESS? Say ‘f**k it…let’s try something new’ to all my stakeholders simply to invigorate and shake it up….

…OR do I stick with tried and tested plan A, drawing on years of experience to deliver a methodical, safe and, dare I say it, grown-up response; a trusted pair of hands to get the job done? So there’s a second learn here, especially when looking for opportunities to BE MORE RECKLESS. And that’s THERE’S A TIME AND PLACE!

Remember, use and update the tools you have – but embrace and trust your experience and maturity to know when and where to use them!

Do you do reckless to create the unpredictable? Or do you confidently champion risk aversity? Can the two can co—exist?

For content development, management, and delivery (wherever the screen), I’m available for Summer/Autumn projects so DM to say hello! THINK – PLAN – DO!