What is your professional background?
I started my career in graphic design before I made the transition into art direction. I’ve done it all from prop styling to content creation on an iPhone to art directing fully-produced photoshoots to supporting ad campaign launches.
What does your job as a senior art director involve doing, generally speaking?
I think overall, having a vision. I visualize a project’s potential and how I can step outside the box and think of the most effective direction(s). It involves some strategic thinking, dreaming a little, and then creating a lot 😊.
What does a typical day in the life of a creative look like?
My morning starts with a simple routine: enjoying a walk with my dog, Willow, coffee, and meditation. Lately, I’ve been trying an alt coffee with superfood mushrooms full of healthy ingredients that can help turn you into a better morning person… Results pending. Meditation helps my mind get into a creative space.
From there, it seems to be a balance of structure and flexibility. I need planning time to think, collaborate, and create, but also flexibility to pivot between multiple projects throughout the day.
Days comprise of work like ad campaigns, client pitches, graphic design, branding and packaging, photo and video shoots, team brainstorms, research, and coming up with fresh ideas. Another part of my day-to-day is making time for creative exploration like experimenting with new techniques and tools or spending time finding inspiration. I think it’s important to close out the workday by reflecting on the small creative wins of the day and remembering that they all add up to big ideas.
What do you enjoy most about being a creative at SRW?
I live for the opportunities to experience a range of different projects and challenges. At SRW, we’re not tied to one specific brand or type of project, and we’re able to be creative in unique ways. We’re given the ability to be very nimble with our creative work, whether it’s doing an impromptu photoshoot in the studio, designing on a tight turnaround, or capturing content on the fly using iPhones.
What is the hardest part of your job?
When good ideas die.
What career advice would you give someone considering becoming the creative field?
Stay curious about everything. Always keep an open mind.
What’s one thing (or more) you wish people understood about being a creative? What do people often get wrong about creatives?
Creative work is a lot of experimentation, trial and error. It’s a rollercoaster ride of constantly trying new things, making mistakes, feeling attached to the work, and problem-solving, all while remaining on-brand and considering subjective feedback from multiple directions.
Some people assume that creatives don’t need structure when really it can be extremely helpful in giving a framework for creative expression.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Peace, love and Photoshop.
– Whitney Oberg, Senior Art Director
