Creativity Squared: Seeing the World Full of Colour with Lauren Supron

Lauren is a non-traditional yooper, graduate of Grand Valley State University, copywriter, and creative problem solver.

A young entrepreneur, Lauren got her first copywriting job at age 10, writing 'About Me' bios for her friends’ Myspace pages — she’s been busy writing ever since. As an ACD at The Variable, she leads creative campaign development for brands like Electrolux, Advance America and Merz Aesthetics. 

Person 

I would describe my personality as charismatic. Empathetic. Goofy. Honest. Easy-going. Passionate.

I like to see the world as full of colour and wonder, and GOOD! I’d say I’m an 80/20 split between optimist and realist. 

I think creativity is something we UNlearn as we get older. I believe we are all innately creative and that our ability to play helps us to explore our own creative instincts further. Unfortunately, I think we’re trained to ignore our creativity in favour of more “sensible” pursuits at a young age (check out this study if you haven’t yet!) 

I’m sure everyone who has ever met me would say I’m an extravert — and they’re not wrong! But I definitely love and require some serious alone-at-home time to recharge my battery.

How do I feel about routine? Love it; gotta have it! But I’m very intentional about leaving time within my routine for spontaneity and go-with-the-flow adventures. I see routine as a loose guide to my day, definitely written in pencil, not pen, and very much open to serendipity and suggestions.

It ebbs and flows, but recently, I’ve found myself in a “no words outside of work” chapter of my creative life. And this has led me to some more visual and tactile projects that I’ve loved - from embroidery and cooking to watercolour painting and indigo dying.

Product

How do I assess whether an idea or a piece of work is truly creative? Hmm, I suppose I ask myself if the work does one of two things: 

1. Does it inspire “newness?” — provide a new point of view, make me think or act in a new way, inspire me to try something new?

2. Does it make me feel things? — do I feel excited? Did I laugh or cry (probably, knowing me)? Or did I experience the most telling emotion of all, jealousy? If you’re jealous that you didn’t create it, that’s got to tell you something.

For the most part, that criteria has stayed the same over the years.

I am most proud of the Electrolux ‘Make It Last’ campaign work. It just absolutely hits close to home for me. It tells an emotional and generational sustainability story, which is perfect because I absolutely love my parents and the Earth, and crying every now and again.

I’m excited to continue seeing more diverse representations, honest, universal truths, and unique points of view come to the forefront.

Process

I like to start a campaign or creative project by just starting to write, write, write. Ideate, ideate, ideate. Brainstorm, brainstorm, brainstorm. Output, output, output. A steady stream of consciousness until you feel you’ve exhausted every avenue, then REFINE! Group similar (good or bad) thoughts together, and work to find a wrapper to tie them up into a concise idea or POV.

This is not new or revolutionary, but I am in love with and will always be in love with the collaborative nature of Google Docs/Slides.

Working in a vacuum does not gel with me — two, three, four, or ten brains are better than one!

I definitely find myself compiling inspiration for future use, even if it’s just in my head, but I traditionally start from a blank sheet (and retrace my steps to past work/graveyards for inspo too).

It depends on the project; for long-form writing, I’ve got to lock myself up and charge forward alone (at least to start), but for conceptual work and naming, I’ve got to have others along for the ride!

When it comes to the hard bits of a project, if at all possible, take time away! Distance makes the brain grow smarter and the words sound better.

I know when a piece of work is ‘done’ when the timeline is up and the work is shipped (or I’d work on it forever if I could)!

Press

I grew up a block from Lake Superior in Michigan’s super beautiful (and rural) Upper Peninsula with an equally curious and creative big sister. 

Our parents were always encouraging us to try new hobbies (sewing lessons, Soo Bahk Do, hockey, rollerblading, basketball, violin, gymnastics, dance, skateboarding, swimming, theatre, fishing, art, etc.), new foods (we were never allowed to say “no” to trying foods, but we could have a small “no thank you” portion), and to create new things (fairy houses, perfumes using flowers from my mom’s garden, lake games, and last but certainly not least, culinary curiosities to sell around the neighbourhood — photo for reference!). Every day we were reminded that there were opportunities to play and create all around us, and that’s something that’s stuck with me.

I’m very much still honing my craft, but practice makes perfect! I’m committed to continually taking on things that scare me.

I love clear constraints, guardrails, and expectations before I dive into any project. I’ve found that when “the world is your oyster,” it often leads to rotten oysters. 

Also, I firmly believe that a messy space leads to a messy mind and vice versa — gotta keep it cute and clutter-free over here!

When it comes to giving advice to clients looking to get the best out of the teams and agencies they worked with, I would say take the time to ask the right questions, and trust your partners! 

I think agencies can best facilitate creativity in terms of culture and design by actively pursuing diverse, non-traditional and underrepresented talent at every level of the agency. Also, don’t be afraid to take chances and have honest conversations!