Sometimes you just need to unwind, and give your brain a rest to get the best out of it. Picture if you will…. sitting in a meeting at one of the top advertising agencies, trying to come up with the next best campaign, and everyone at the table sits in silence wracking their noggins trying to come up with some brilliant creative. Sound familiar?
There are many solutions out of this pickle…. taking a walk, browsing the web for inspiration, or….and hear me out here…. maybe throw in an adult beverage to help loosen up the brain chains.
I don’t think anyone would advocate for going too far with this method, which if not used cautiously, could get out of hand. Remember with great power comes great responsibility. BUT at the heart of the advertising game is creativity. When one has an adult beverage or two (in the right setting of course) it can help to open you up to new ideas, and new ways of thinking around a problem you may have been stuck on.
It’s not just my line of thought either. There have been studies conducted that have shown a moderate amount of the good stuff can help spark out of the box thinking and problem solving, which is so critical to setting yourself apart in advertising. It has not only shown to help improve problem solving, but shown to increase the speed by which it’s done as well.
While a drink or two might impair our ability to focus on certain tasks, it also helps unhinge our thinking towards the creative. There have been other studies, using brain scans, that show when we are thinking hard we can essentially block the creative part of our minds from working (i.e. – the dreaded writers block). Taking a bit more relaxed position can often be just what we need to get past that and into our true creative pastures.
In addition, you and your colleagues are less hampered by inhibition, and what someone might have thought was a horrible idea without a drink, may not be as self-conscious about throwing out. Plus, it can be a good team building exercise.
With those advantages spelled out, it’s also important not to go overboard. You won’t be able to get much done if you’re passed out! So, the next time you and your compatriots are stuck on a particularly difficult hurdle, grab a few adult beverages and see how a small change of perspective can inject some new life into your jam.
