One of the benefits of working in the industry of public relations, communications and marketing is the ability to be creative. We work in a unique world where our job is to find creative ways to tell a story. 

In this episode, our hosts share their secrets on what they do to cultivate their creativity. What is our creative process?   We start with sharing the coolest projects we worked on and the project that brought out the best in our creativity. 

• Ross used Pinterest to connect with foodie bloggers to promote a new candy in Canada. 
• Julia built a video-greeting card with a short marketing pitch from the company's CEO. 
• Clare, being too humble, decided to share a cool project she was privy to at a previous job - it involves a recipe book. 
• Kristine built a mobile game to teach young drivers about the dangers of distracted driving.

Then we talk about the tools we use in our creative process. Here are some of our favourite tools:  

• Reddit, find out what communities are saying about the topic of your project or story
• Buzzsumo
• Bullet Journaling, the new way to journal. Some professionals claim they are more productive with the Bullet Journal. 
• Conferences, trade shows or professional development events 
• Taking notes, jotting down ideas outside your work day. Ideas and creativity don't always come in a formal brainstorming meeting or between 9 to 5. 
• Tumblr
• Hashtags 
• Evernote
• Bookmarking articles 

Finally, we talk about our favourite campaigns. Campaign we look back on with awe, campaigns that inspire us to be creative.  

• Ross loves the Old Spice guy campaign
• Julia is a sucker for Apple
• Clare thought the podcast The Message was brilliant 
• Kristine goes back to Apple's 1984 commercial - innovation beyond its time

Our final top tips for being creative:

1. Research what your audience is saying about your topic/product.
2. Focus groups are an important tool to help make sure your creative idea resonates with your audience. 
3. There are no stupid ideas. There are bad ideas, but not stupid ideas. When it comes to creativity you can't fail, you just need to think through things a little better. 
4. Ask yourself what hasn't been done. The best ideas are new and revolutionizes an industry. 

This episode was brought to you by The Voice, IABC Ottawa's premium podcast. Join Sherrilynne Starkie and her cohosts, Tina Barton and Angela Prokopiak, as they provide expert insight and practical tips with the help of some of North America's leading marketing and communication professionals. Tune in to their 2017 season where they will cover topics such as content marketing, employee engagement, reputation management and more.   Thanks Sharon Cheung for the shout out. Sharon is a long-time listener who has used Young PR Pros to get industry insights and tips on transitioning from role to role.    Also thanks to Shel Holtz for the shout out. Shel is a young at heart professional who listens to Young PR Pros to find out what the young professionals are saying/thinking today.