Summary: The world has received some shocking news about the print industry in these past few months. First was the announcement in March 2012 that the Encyclopaedia Britannica will no longer produce printed editions. The company, which started in 1768, will cease being in print. That’s a big deal.
Second was the surprising announcement from Newsweek/Daily Beast.
Summary: First, we talked about the problem: apparently there seems to be a shortage of writers in AdLand. Then we talked about how the problem was created; whether it was the lack of attention on writing in school or the fact that many people entered the advertising world from different occupations. We also mentioned the “rise of content,” where the brands and agency partners are placing more focus on quantity of content rather than quality. Not to mention, agencies and brands are using the slow economy as an excuse…
Summary: Earlier this week a study was released by Swedish researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, stating that creativity is “closely entwined with mental illness.” Although many creatives will probably find a dark humor to this revelation (because what creative hasn’t felt they were losing their mind at one point or another?), the study, led by Dr. Simon Kyaga, reached out to more than a million people and concluded that creative professionals were more likely to suffer from psychiatric disorders than other people. Although many of these disorders can be treated with the help of a professional, what is the cost to the creative whose ideas come from their “illness?”
