YOU ARE AS GOOD AS YOUR LAST WORK

Deepak Singh, CCO, The Social Street, says that not living in the shadow of his success and not letting his past influence his present is what has helped him reach where he is today

BY DEEPAK SINGH
Chief Creative Officer, The Social Street

You are as good as your last work’. This is one saying I have taken pretty seriously in life! In the last few years, I have won several awards across categories at Indian as well as international advertising festivals. While I celebrate and enjoy these moments, I consciously make it a point to not live in the shadow of my success, and to never let my past influence my present. Be it the bright spots or the not-so-good times, a day gone by doesn’t hold any relevance for me. And that’s exactly what my advice is to people who want to know what keeps me going, even after so many years.

Once at an industry party, a young intern asked me, “Sir, tell me which is your best campaign till date?” At that point the first and most memorable one that came to mind was a campaign that I had done a couple of years ago. But then it also struck me that the campaign wasn’t relevant anymore, primarily because the world is moving so fast and so is technology and trends. Ideas which bagged major awards a couple of years ago suddenly seem so outdated.

So, when it comes to my present, I try to make the most of it. I love what I do and do it with all my heart. Because I know that it is my work which people will remember me for. I break rules, but there is this one rule which I truly swear by. It is, ‘Put your happiness above everything else’.

A refreshing cup of tea and an appetite, to do or learn something new during the day that lies ahead; that is how I start my day. I realize that I can’t be good at everything. So, I focus on what I am good at and learning what I need to know. If not for the hunger to achieve and the curiosity to explore the unknown, chances are, you will end up feeling lost in this ever-evolving, fast-changing world.

The amount of study one puts in, is usually the difference between those who do good and the ones who do great. I owe a lot many of my award-winning ideas to knowing and understanding the world around me.

If you’re in the creative field, you shouldn’t spend too much time in office. Great ideas are all around us. We need to be out and about, to notice them. I always tell my juniors to go out, meet people, observe the world around you, capture stories and then convert their experiences into path-breaking advertising solutions. It has worked for me all these years, and I’m sure it will work well for others too.

Constraints, I believe, aren’t good for creativity. Which is why I believe in giving a whole lot of liberty and freedom to my team, when it comes to concepts and ideas. Even failing and falling is an important part of learning. More often than not, I end up being ruthless with ideas. That’s how we detach from them and churn out outstanding work.

Today, when I sit back and reflect on my past sometimes, I ponder over the mistakes I’ve made when it came to ideas, and I feel bad too. On rare occasions, I wish I could go back in time and correct them. But in a way, that’s what makes you stronger; making you realize that the best is yet to come.

I am still waiting to do my best work!

@ FEEDBACK
deepaks@socialstreet.com