Where were you raised and what influenced your career?
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(Deep breath) Adelaide. Writer Stephen King apparently described it as the scariest place he'd ever visited, being so tidy....too tidy.... Thankfully, my parents filled our home with art, books, music and a mammoth pile of New Yorker magazines. The latter are brilliant at connecting the reader to culture in an engaging way without dumbing it down (plus the cartoons are hilarious). I wanted to join in on this, on making culture and the arts accessible and inspiring for anyone.
Why did you do a Masters Degree: Applied Science (Museum Studies)?
In 1991 I studied at New York University towards a Master's Degree in Visual Arts Administration. While working 'under the table' in private art galleries, I applied for a (badly needed) scholarship. But NYU lost my application. Days later, I was offered a scholarship from Melbourne and so I returned to Australia. My thesis focused on how to engage adults with their art museum's collection. Partnering with a professional market research company for qualitative and quantitative data, my understanding of how to bridge art and culture to the community grew. As did my interest in market research and marketing in general.
What prepared you to start your business?
My work as a cartoonist/illustrator enhanced my understanding of what it is to be a professional creative. Working as a marketing consultant/copywriter/graphic designer with clients from health, mining, corporate training and manufacturing gave me valuable insight into business beyond the arts, including common challenges and how they might be solved creatively.
Why did you set up The Creative Ingredient?
In 2017 I noticed many businesses and government departments promoting themselves as 'innovative and creative', which weren't actually being innovative and creative. The Creative Ingredient was set up to help them genuinely walk the innovation/creativity talk by matching them with professional arts-based creative talent.
Who do you assist?
Businesses, NGOs and government departments. Firstly, through our Cultural Project Services Team (strategic development, community consultation, events, public art, audio-visual services, etc.). Three examples are: Scentre Group/Westfield Kotara for public art project management; Lake Macquarie City Council for community consultation services; and NGO Miromaa Aboriginal Language & Technology for strategic planning, event strategy and co-ordination, and education material development. Secondly, through our website's 'Creatives Directory', where businesses can contact creatives directly for services.
What are common mistakes you see by businesses striving "to be creative"?
Firstly, bringing a creative activity that lacks relevance to the business mission as last-minute add-on to a project. This leads to a half-baked experience for all. Secondly, contracting experimental artistic talent where the relevance is unclear - but it's 'artistic'. No one knows what's going on or what it means, generating nervous laughter at best. Finally, using 'safely fashionable' graphic design elements to appear creative, but is unengaging for the target market and does zilch to set your company apart from the herd.
Bringing on a creative activity that lacks relevance to the business mission as a last-minute add-on ... leads to a half-baked experience.
- Megan Hills
And the best examples of firms nailing it, and how?
Nike has a solid history in commissioning street artists for developing creative mural campaigns.
NBC hired 100 actresses as a flash mob to promote Prime Suspect.
California's Edwards Airforce Base hired Gaping Void to develop and design a 'Culture Wall' of inspirational quotes by staff, hung as an exhibition of ideas specific to their workplace.
And my favourite: a couple of years ago, Maitland City Council gave businesses along the mall a Christmas tree to put outside their shop. Each business collaborated with an artist to create Christmas tree decorations specific to their service so when people walked down the mall each Christmas tree had its own creative experience, also relevant to the business. Simple idea. Positive business collaboration. Great impact.
How can a business be creative economically?
A World Economic Forum website article, 'The next big thing for business? Creativity', states: "... great minds don't think alike. To unlock maximum performance, organisations must harness both cognitive diversity and creativity. And that means adding a new voice to the team: the Artist Innovator."*
The most ambitious task your company has done?
Transforming a modest Aboriginal language and technology forum of 250 delegates into a major 600-delegate conference supported by financial sponsors (never achieved before) and the ABC as a media partner for national coverage (no media partner prior). Achieved.
Hardest bit of your job?
Choosing what to focus on when there are so many opportunities out there.
And best part?
Experiencing the 'win-win-win-win'. Business, creatives, community and the environment all winning with a creative approach.