Sudhir Wants To Know...

Dear Berliners,

Question:If you could win one award to guarantee creative success for the next ten years, from which organization would choose to be honored?

A. Cannes Lions B. CLIO C. D&AD D. One Show

Of course, the very question presumes that there is a link between recognition and creativity. in fact, some might argue that winning an award is a sure-fire way to kill the creative spirit. After all, awards are often assumed to signal past accomplishment, rather than future success.From Steve Jobs to Picasso, artists and designers have placed far greater weight on failures, mistakes, and stumbles. Some have even consciously avoided or turned down awards because of the fear that they staunch one's drive and ambition.

In my opinion, the creative industries is not unique in its devotion to awards. As much as we'd like to discount the award festivals as networking and self-promotion events, we still treat award winners as if they were sprinkled with magic (creative) dust. But, do awards mean future creative promise? Do they increase one's salary and help one advance in the field?

In the next few months, David Slocum and I are going to take a closer look at this question. And, to do so, we will be asking for your help. Along with a research assistant-- my student, Nicholas Occhiuto, we are going to take a "deep dive" into the awards space. Which awards matter? How do they affect creativity? Is it better to win-- or come in second place? We'll need your help. Look out for emails like this one. We may wish to speak with you about your own thoughts on recognition and fame. In fact, if you had a thought about the above question, please send me a note! I promise not to share it with anyone--especially the organizers and the jurists of the Festivals!

You can e-mail Sudhir at: s.venkatesh@berlin-school.com
You can e-mail David at: d.slocum@berlin-school.com