I followed the links from Ged Carroll's blog to discover the levitations published in the Yowayowa Camera Women's Diary and it reminded me of a rule they never manage to teach at design school.

The unwritten rule is simply this. Creative directors and art directors aren't really in the business of creating or drawing, illustrating or typography, photography or storyboarding. They are primarily in the business of making the connections between pre-existing visual ideas (i.e. the visual zeitgeist and the avante garde) and the repositioning, or more accurately the re-imagining, of their client's product.

Put very simply the best in the business don't create visual culture. They devour it. Consuming it with an unrivalled passion. Only to amplify it if, and when, the opportunity presents itself.

They succeed simply because they can make more connections, in a shorter space of time, than the competition.

If you are in any doubt about this rule go take a look at Will Cotton's collection of paintings over the past 10 years and then ask yourself what came first?

The candy coloured and sugar coated Katy Perry of the Teenage Dream or the candy coloured and sugar coated pin ups of Will Cotton?

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