Be yourself.

I came across a great post on a blog from Mark Fenske, an ad guru/teacher at WK.

Short story longer, I went over to his site for any possible news about the 12 program I applied for.

But looking back in a reverse-karma way, maybe it was my idea for a Super Bowl half-time spot that I put in my application that was my undoing – especially since he's heading up the new Coke biz there.

The idea still rocks though. (Note to CD's and brave clients out there, let’s talk.)

But I digress. Two things I picked up from it though. First, the guy writes good, gooder than most, with no wasted sentences. Something I will use to help improve my writer side.

Second thing is really something we all should do more of: be yourself. Ourselves. Themselves. Whatever. You get the point.

Something we all struggle with when doing work that isn’t the most glamerous. I’ve had plenty of those times. It’s at these times when I’m bitching to my friend ZK about this that he often replies: ‘work is good.’

What he means is that there is value in that act of keeping the lights on for your family even if the work is of no creative value.

I don’t disagree.

But I also know too much of that kind of work leads to a tipping point between the good and the bad inside you. And Mark’s post speaks to that. As he said and as I agree with, you can do well with that kind of work.

But, it doesn't mean the work is always great.

So the challenge is to break the circle, the catch-22, the pattern – and aim higher.

Always higher.

And I’m trying – many people around me know that.

But, it becomes more important to do that no matter what career you’re in – to refocus on your inner goals, the direction you were heading in, the thing you wanted when you left school, (besides a job).

I see this more in retrospect when I look back at a lot of the places I worked at. Sure I made the dead presidents, even though the clients weren’t always the best.

Work is good.

Maybe the owners sold out creatively a long time ago. Maybe it was a place that called account-driven work ‘creative.’ Maybe I talked myself into thinking things would change if I cared more and pushed the creative.

How can you though, when those above you have a different agenda. Then you stay too long because the benefits and 401 are so appealing. Until the boss kills the agency and takes off with your 410.

Right now, I need to get back on the path I wandered off of years ago, through my own meandering ways, and with the aid of those mediocre agencies that provided me the walking stick for the journey.

Hey, it was my choice. I know that, just like Ron Artest going into the stands after a fan. We all have a choice.

Like the one I made to head back to adhousenyc for another session in a few weeks.

But right now, I made a less-important life choice: watching my dawgs from UConn against Louisville and just trying to be myself.