No one is right all the time. We all know that really, but sometimes it’s hard to accept it. And being told that something you’ve done isn’t right can be difficult to deal with, especially when you’ve put a lot of effort into it.
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t always deal with criticism in the most productive way. I don’t mean that I get angry with the person who has been critical, more that I take their comments away and dwell on them.
Over the years I’ve realised that I’m quite easy to please. I like being told I’m doing a good job (who doesn’t?) and I definitely don’t like feeling as though I’ve done a bad job. I thrive on positivity.
But it can be tricky sometimes when you’re freelancing - or, in fact, working in any creative role, in-house or freelance. Not everything you write/design/create is going to be spot on first time. It’s taken me a little while to realise that.
And that’s one of the challenges with the creative industry - it’s so subjective. I’ve recently been working with a company that specialises in user experience. They are constantly testing, evaluating, redeveloping and evolving ideas. I’m trying to learn to do the same.
Evolve
One of the most valuable things I’ve learned from working with them is that it’s ok to not be right all the time.
You can’t possibly get everything spot on, on your first attempt, day in, day out. It just doesn’t happen. And I’ve realised that I need to accept that and not take feedback too personally.
I know I work hard at every stage of a project. Sometimes I’ll do two or three drafts before I even send it to a client for their first read. It’s all about evolving my ideas and adapting my writing to suit them and the project.
And I’m beginning to appreciate the multitude of reasons why there might be changes to my copy. Sometimes they’re down to me, others they’re down to the client. But changes don’t mean I’m doing a bad job.
Not being prepared to talk to people to evolve my copy and change it to suit the client and project means I’m doing a bad job.
Working with my clients to improve their copy - whether it’s something I’ve written or existing content - is what makes me a good copywriter. Of course, it’s amazing when you send in a first draft, receive minimal amends and everyone’s happy. But that doesn’t happen every time. Amends are part of the process.
I’m learning to be a bit more detached in how I approach my work. I want happy clients and I want to do the best I can for them. To do that, I have to remind myself it’s their project, not mine.
I’m also learning to embrace the challenge of getting things right. If something isn’t right, why? What can I do to fix it? How can I improve my copy to make sure I’m hitting all of my client’s goals? Talking to people is the best way to get to the answers I need.
So, I know I’m not always right, but I’m ok with that.
