"If your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt."
For a Living
I sat down in front of Ted after concepting my first Christmas promotion for Ray-Ban Sunglasses, and instead of reading him my headlines, I started talking,
“You know how hard it is to get just the right gift for everyone on your list? And you know how there are some things that everyone loves no matter how young/old, rich/poor, trendy/understated they are?”
“Stop right there, David,” he said. “If your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt. And it damn well better speak for itself. Are you going to stand next to everyone at the Macy’s checkout counter and explain why your point-of-purchase display is so clever? Read me the damn headlines.”
For years I thought his advice was about how to best present my work to creative directors and clients. I tried to not over explain creative and just present it. But I learned to appreciate and internalize the real point of Ted’s advice. I had to make sure my work was good enough to stand on its own in the first place.
For a Life
It’s probably even more important for our “work” to speak for itself outside the conference room. Instead of trying to tell my kids what our family stands for, I should consistently demonstrate it. Instead of telling people what they mean to me, I should be making sure they never question it.”