May 4^th has come around once again, so it’s time for brands to bend over backward to find some kind of tie between their products and the Star Wars universe. Some do it better than others.

It seems someone noticed I have a small Princess Leia figurine near my desk* so, naturally, I’ve been asked to draw some kind of a line between Star Wars and advertising creative.

And I had to wade into full-on geek territory to find it.

See, in the Star Wars movies, the Force is a nebulous energy surrounding all living things. Some people are more sensitive to it than others, but the general idea seemed to be that it was there for anyone to master… if they had the will to do it.

Well, until the prequels.

The prequels introduced “midichlorians.” Midichlorians are microscopic lifeforms that determine whether or not someone can wield the Force. If you have a lot of them in your blood, you’re all set. If you don’t… maybe go into carpentry or something?

Some Star Wars fans think this is a cool way to keep the Force contained to an exclusive few, while others preferred it when anyone with determination could master the Force.

How does this connect to creativity? Well, it reminds me of something I hear a lot: “I’m just not creative.”

People say this about themselves all the time and it drives me NUTS. Because creativity is not some microscopic lifeform that some people have in their blood, and that others do not.

Creativity requires practice and commitment. That’s it.

Some people might have a natural talent for writing or design. Lucky them. The rest of us are just working at it constantly, trying to move one step beyond where we were.

So, whether you’re an account person or a client (or perhaps someone who ended up on here accidentally but was immediately taken in by my charming way with words), my advice for you is to not question whether or not you’re creative but, instead, look for opportunities to practice being creative.

And if you couldn’t tell, I think midichlorians are stupid.

*That figurine is really more symbolic of my love for Carrie Fisher than George Lucas. But that’s neither here nor there.

Contact:
Adam Sterling
Associate Creative Director
m5 Halifax