Becoming a Creative Director, in a series of tweets by Geoffrey Nguyen
When I was 23, I didn’t know what I wanted to be. I just knew I wanted to do cool, creative, shit.
The traditional university route wasn’t working out. I wanted to learn, just not what they were teaching.
I was lost. I quit school to dedicate my life to something I didn’t even know how to do.
I had an interest in luxury products and technology. Particularly, I was really into French luxury goods and Japanese street culture.
It was never the products itself that interested me, It was the art and mood behind these brands.
Unfortunately, training in Japan or France wasn’t an option.
All these brands had Creative Directors, and I decided I want to be a Creative Director.
I’m a huge fan of Nigo (formerly of A Bathing Ape) and Hedi Slimane(formerly of Dior Homme, currently head of Saint Laurent Paris).
(What do Creative Directors Do? Read about it here)
I wanted to do what they do, create worlds.
I tried the fashion industry route for a few years, but very quickly, the idea of working on brands that only so few have access to no longer interested me.
I still wanted to be a Creative Director, but now I wanted to apply luxury branding to everyday things.
In 2009, I, along with a few creative friends, started Beans & Croydon, a marketing and design group.
(The name didn’t even mean anything, it was just meant to sound fancy ;))
A lot of my friends were photographers, designers, film makers, etc. It excited me to get them together and work on something bigger than all of us individually.
We decided that I’d be Creative Director. I didn’t have true technical training, but I always see the bigger picture.
We had to frame our services as marketing, because no one was interested in hiring a Creative Director. No one even knew what a Creative Director did or was.
I wasn’t really sure either.
Luckily, I was surrounded by lots of creative and supportive people, and so I took this leap of faith.
Beans started taking on marketing jobs, with no real plans or structure. This forced me to learn how to sell, do my job, and make enough to live.
We were helping small businesses focus their vision and improve their look and feel through media, e.g., photos, videos, and whatever else we could create.
We gave brand facelifts.
We used social media to spread their new voice and image.
The first 5 years of Beans were the hardest, but most fun part of my life so far.
I wanted to be so good at what I do, it would be seen as an art form.
I want to make everyday luxuries. Things that most people can afford.
So, in Summer 2015, I co-founded /Paradox/ with some of our former clients.
Our first product offering is /Paradox/ barbershop in San Jose, CA.
As Creative Director, my goal is to build the barbershop of our generation.
A Shop that is known for cutting all types of hair.
The flower photos you’ve been seeing are from our first ad campaign. Creatively directed by me and photographed by Chris Lovos of Beans.
I chose flowers because I wanted something natural that could be shown in a futuristic way.
I want a campaign that feels modern now, and will continue to in 2035. These were my exact directions to Chris.
Its easy to make high-brow things that only a few can understand. Its harder to make things everyone can appreciate.
The shop was designed to be both functionally sound aesthetically beautiful.
The whole shop is white because white reflects the most light, making it easiest to cut hair.
Because everything is white, you can calways tell if something is out of place.
Each barber station was designed by the barbers for maximum efficiency.
What Aspiring Creatives Should Know
First, figure out what you’re truly trying to say, then, figure out the most creative way to do it.
Personal and professional growth goes hand in hand for creatives.
Expand your worldview. If you can’t afford to travel, read and watch as many documentaries on YouTube.
Study the classics, but don’t be held down by them.
Timing is everything. You’ll understand this when you understand it.
Take care of yourself. Really, before its too late.
Create a world for future generations to live in.
