Creativity Squared: Lia MacLeod and Sam Rudykoff on Genuine Work That Respects Viewers
According to creativity researchers, there are four sides to creativity. Person (personality, habits, thoughts), product (the thing that results from creative activity), process (how you work), and press (environment factors, education and other external factors) all play a part. So, we figured, let’s follow the science to understand your art. Creativity Squared is a feature that aims to build a more well-rounded profile of creative people.
Up today are Lia MacLeod and Sam Rudykoff, who have spent the past year partnered up in the creative department at FUSE Create.
Lia MacLeod is an award-winning art director, and an increasingly fanatical rescue dog lady. She has eight years of experience in advertising, and has worked on brands like Shoppers Drug Mart, Winners, and the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
Sam Rudykoff is a copywriter with 7 years of experience working on brands in the finance, CPG, and non-profit sectors. He also recently directed a short film that’s played at over 50 festivals around the world. And, he makes a mean chicken parm.
Person
Lia> The kind of creativity I most enjoy is when I’m teaching myself to do something new. That’s usually when I turn off my screens on the weekend (or at least have them running in the background) and learn how to create physical things. I’ll usually rotate through sewing, embroidering, or painting in search of new projects.
Sam> For me, creativity is a mode of communication. It’s a way to relate to others, and help them relate to me and my point of view - or that of a client. I’ve always been a fairly shy person, so I was very excited when, as a child, I realised you could construct these little stories to speak for you, instead of actually talking to people.
Product
Lia> We have access to many amazing pieces of creative content, whether it be shows or movies or TikToks. But so often, I think we don’t give the viewers of the advertising enough credit for their media-savviness. After all, these are the people who are watching world-class creative through their devices every day. If a piece of advertising content feels a part of this new world of media and speaks to viewers with respect for their creative sensibilities, then I’m impressed.
Sam> When I’m judging creative work, the most important thing is that it has some kind of authentic intention behind it. You can always tell the difference between something made with a genuine point of view, and something that’s just trying to check off boxes. Ideally, there should always be a rationale behind every detail, whether it’s a line of copy or the placement of a prop. It doesn’t have to be spelled out, but you can always feel it when it’s there (and when it’s not). Beyond that, I’m a sucker for entertainment value. Whether it’s humour, emotion, or a good twist, you need a spoonful of sugar to keep people engaged.
Process
Lia> I’m a big proponent of the short mid-day walk. If I’m stuck on a brief, I’ll take the dog out around the block or sit on the porch with her and have a coffee - sometimes with a notebook, but sometimes not. Worst case scenario, I’ll get an appropriately small bit of exercise and some fresh air, and best case scenario, when I sit back down to work, I’ll think of a better idea than if I’d been sitting at my desk all afternoon.
Sam> I view every project as a little puzzle to solve, where the objective is to get somebody to see something differently. I usually start by wondering how it would go if I tried just yelling the message at a stranger on the street, before trying and honing in on a more elegant, efficient solution. You have to find the right tool to sort of herd somebody into this box where they’ll be both attentive and receptive to what you’re saying to them. Looking at work that’s accomplished similar goals can give you a good head start, and research is very important. Also, I’ve never had a good idea at two in the morning, in my creative life or my personal life. I can’t speak for anybody else, but I find a good night’s sleep is far more productive than a 16-hour day.
Press
Lia> I became a creative person because I grew up in a household of funny people who liked to write stories and draw weird little things. Even though no one had a creative job, everyone liked to mess around with different kinds of art, mainly just to make each other laugh. It ultimately wasn’t so much a choice to do something creative as a career - I just wasn’t much good at other things. Similarly, I think a creative project has the best chance of being successful when the entire team is having a good time while working on it. You can feel the good vibes from a piece that was enjoyable to create.
Sam> I got into advertising through stand-up comedy, which I was competent but unspectacular at. But it really taught me how carefully you have to handle strangers’ attention. You can’t take it for granted. You need to make your point quickly, and with a bit of flair, or they’ll tune out. With advertising, it’s even more urgent; consumers naturally view us with a degree of cynicism because we’re asking for money. I think that agencies and clients sometimes get so wrapped up talking to themselves and each other, they can lose sight of their audiences a little bit. Stand-up really helped me learn to stay focused on how work ultimately gets perceived by consumers.
