Creatives VS everyone else

One question I often get asked by people who want to work at a creative agency is how I handle "creatives". There is a perception in the world that creatives at agencies are prima-donna, hissy-fit throwing, drama queens. Of course, they are not. Their bad reputation really comes from, I believe, the different way creatives work to nearly everyone else in the marketplace.

In my line of work, most of what I do is correct. By the time I get to present work to a client, I have a brief, a direction, input, analysis and and a whole load of other inputs. The result is I can be pretty confident I am going down the correct path, I am doing the right thing. I would estimate that 90%+ of my work is accepted. Clients usually ask me to tweak around the edges, but the basics are good.

For creatives it is very different. Their tweak ratio is reversed. For creative teams, even if they are phenomenal, perhaps 10% of their output  get past a creative director. And in truth, it is closer to 1%. Think about that for a second. Would you have the mental toughness to head into work everyday, knowing that 99% of your work, that you have poured your heart and late nights into, will be summarily rejected? 

Why do creatives care so much, get so caught up in the font size and seemingly small details? They care because they have to get it right. If it is not perfect it does not see the light of day. And you know what? It is great working with people who are that committed. Life is to short to take the easy, safe and expected route. Good creatives never do, and nor should everyone else.