Before I begin, I must declare that this post will probably be erratic and probably incoherent, but it reflects my state of mind on the subject matter.

Ok, I’ve been having some trouble grappling with the issue of what makes a creative work good?

To frame things up, to me, creative works here means any form of advertising, pr and art form across all mediums (tvcs, photography, print, campaigns, media stunts etc).

What I am really struggling is, how can we say that a creative work is good? I mean, taste is so damn subjective. Everyone sees the same thing differently. So how can we tell that something is superior over something else?

Some pple I’ve spoken to say that it really depends on your objectives. But what if you achieve your objectives, but the work still doesn’t look good? I’m sure we have all seen tons of bad ads all over. They may look bad, but their reach and outrageousness gives them the attention they need.

In the commercial world, does satisfying your client prove that you have completed an exemplary work? Taste is so subjective and your client may know no better.

And does the situation and circumstances under which the work was produced matter too? Budget and time often affect the outcome. But at the end of the day, who will know? Or is the final outcome the one and only important thing.

Personally, I find it really hard to come out with anything these days cause I simply can’t convince myself what makes a good piece. And I’ve always believed that self expression should be part of the whole process as well., yet sometimes, it’s hard to do so (in the commercial side of the creative industry at least, I think the fine arts are still going strong in self expression).  

How can you convince yourself to do well when the benchmark is so hazy?

iStruggle.

[edit]

Maybe just making the best out of the situation and being able to capture your target audience and objectives are enough. And the cherry on top of the fries (yes, I know the expression is a lil weird) would be to include a part of yourself in it.

Peace.