Last week, a creative called Paul Arden lost his battle with a long-term illness.
While you might not realise it, you probably know the man’s work even though you may not recognise the name. Remember the hundreds of people walking from the sea to converge as a big smiling face for British Airways? Or the iconic branding device of a slash in purple silk? These are just two examples of Paul’s great work, created while he was creative director at Saatchi and Saatchi.
In later life, he defied his own words, “I am not a writer. I am afraid of words” and penned two great books, Its not how good you are, its how good you want to be and Whatever you think, think the opposite. I call books like these ‘bathroom books’ – they are easy to read from whichever page you hit first, they can be read cover to cover before the water gets cold and the content is more important than their waterproof qualities. Both are thought provoking, providing any creative with that often-needed burst of optimism and inspiration.
Apparently in life, Paul Arden insulted and inspired in equal measure. Read the books for a taste of the latter.
http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-How-Good-Want/dp/0714843377
http://www.amazon.com/Whatever-You-Think-Opposite/dp/B000JMK8R4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208241823&sr=1-2