Get Inspired!

I truly believe you are the average of the top five people you spend time with. I think that this is true in your personal life, as well as your professional life. 


Surrounding yourself with positive, creative people is essential. Of course there are exceptions to the this, I know some people who work solely on their own. I like working on my own, but when I need to get my creative juices flowing there are specific people I like to work with. There are also people I clash with, sometimes when you meet someone you just know you mesh well together. But, sometimes you need to trust your work with people you do not know so well to test a creative working relationship. 

I have watched my bosses work and miss the most obvious creative concepts. Sharing perspectives with others is can present ideas that you (or they) missed. Sometimes you need someone else to draw that lightbulb moment out of you or vice versa. 

When I need that extra push and I do not have a room full of creative people in my backpocket there are a few specific resources I use for inspiration (these are specific to me, try to find things that inspire you as well). 


 Movie 
Pirate Radio (The Boat That Rocked)

I love watching how exciting this period in radio was in the UK. The excitement  and pure love for radio as a medium is contagious. For more on why this period in radio was so exciting read this Wiki article before watching the movie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_radio_in_the_United_Kingdom


Documentary 
6 Days To Air: The Making Of South Park
I think anyone can appreciate the creative talents of the writers of South Park. This documentary made me appreciate South Park's crudeness. Tough deadlines, creativity; this documentary inspires me every-time I watch it. Even though it is about a television program, I think the messages about creating content apply to radio too. 



Radio Show/Podcast 
The Age of Persuasion & Under The Influence 

CBC airs Age of Persuasion every Saturday. But, I listen to it via podcast episodes and TuneIn. These radio shows are presented in the same style and they are phenomenal. Seriously, these shows discuss marketing and advertising in with simple examples from daily life. I subscribe to them and listen to them over and over again. The shows are created by Pirate Radio & Television and they are enlightening, insightful gems. If you are writing spots these shows should be your radio bible, Terry O'Reilly is a wealth of information about the industry and what pays private stations bills. 
http://www.cbc.ca/ageofpersuasion/
http://www.cbc.ca/undertheinfluence/about/

Nothing gets me more pumped up than consuming inspirational content. If I create something that inspires people the way any of these examples inspire me, my career will have been successful. Again, these are just my examples. Some people go shopping on a "rainy day", I flip one of these programs on and my mood flips. 

Find something that inspires you. Something that informs you. It can give you an edge or that something special you need to get through a project or assignment. 

If you are working in something a little more straight-laced, like news. Find your inspiration or heroes there. Examples of my news heros are: Martha Gellhorn, Peter Mansbridge and Anna Maria Tremonti. Or, if I am about to do a big interview I listen to my favourite interviewers. Alec Baldwin's podcast Here's The Thing and Jian Ghomeshi's daily radio show Q on CBC are my go-to sources. 

In the words of Little Wayne, "do you". Find what makes you excited about the industry and go from there!