Stay creative by combining brutal honesty with the values of love and respect.

Creativity means lots of things. One thing it isn’t, however, is diplomatic, and it’s also not about putting money first. Let’s take a closer look at some of the core values of creativity.

A good place to start is by saying what you really think; being creative is about being brutally honest.

That’s essential in a creative field. Say you’re in marketing. You’re bound to come across clients who’ll ask you to promote really bad products.

If you’re only looking at the bottom line, you might well agree to the commission – plenty of agencies do exactly that all the time. After all, unhealthy, wasteful and uninteresting products can be great moneymakers.

But there’s a catch: that’s a huge waste of creative human resources.

You might not land the job if you’re brutally honest about what you think of your prospective client’s tacky ideas, but you will save yourself a lot of hassle in the long run.

The reward? You can get down to work on something more meaningful!

Here are two other core values creatives should take to heart: love and respect.

Whether you’re producing brands, products, art installations or movies, nothing will help you reach and move your audience like love and respect.

Humans are hardwired to appreciate these values – the survival of our species depends on it! Because we’re not as sturdy as other animals and need others to help us now and then, we’re good at spotting these values when they emerge.

Say you’re making an animated movie purely to cash in. Chances are it’ll be pretty generic. Put some love and respect into your work, on the other hand, and it’s much more likely that you’ll end up with something others will cherish.

Think of pioneering creatives like Steve Jobs, the Rolling Stones or Steven Spielberg. They’re revered because the things they created are the result of deep love and respect.

That’s a great lead to follow. Whatever you’re making, these core values should be at the heart of your work.