recess in a recession

Planning : Advertising :: Building a playground : Recess

It may sound like a bit of a stretch, but this thought came to me the other day.  It seems as if great advertising (or creative thought in any field) can only come about if it's grounded in a solid base or strategy.  The planner's job is to understand the big picture, and to inform/inspire creative minds to run off and play.  

This thought first popped into my head when I looked at the face of a bewildered creative - then looked next to him at a creative who truly understood what the "playground" looked like.  It was identical to the forlorn face of a child who had to stay inside during recess - he didn't quite understand why, and it seemed ever so perplexing to him.

Interestingly, creatives are still allowed to go to recess in a way, despite the decrease in job options for others.  In fact, it's encouraged.  I don't think this should be viewed as a bad thing - if we take the creative innocence away from this unique group of talent, how should we expect a business of creative thought to survive?  I could take this off the deep end by pondering about what role creative thought will have in society, etc . . . but maybe another time.

Essentially, I think we need to think about the creatives.  Because their work is precious.

So, as planners, how can we ensure that every playground we build is the most enjoyable for the creatives?  I might argue that we listen to what the creatives want, similar to the way we so attentively open our ears for consumers.  

Just a quick thought.