People often ask me, what does a copywriter do? Especially when I say that one of my skills is copywriting, they say…you copyright things? I harshly say No!! – I don’t copyright or deal with intellectual property laws and stuff. Lawyers deal with that. I create. I deal with Intellectual property of the mind. I come up with ideas, content, for various creative platforms i.e. Print, Digital, Outdoor, Television and Radio.
A copywriter colors outside the lines with their gift of creativity to captivate an audience with ideas. Careers in advertising are rarely known because schools or career guidance teachers don’t teach or know of such careers. Hence society doesn’t even know what a copywriter does. Other times when I say that I also do illustration, art direction and photography….I still get the same questions, what is that? With photography being seen as not a career but a hobby of going to parties or weddings to take pictures.
Why don’t people know about creative careers out there but they know about traditional jobs such as being a doctor, lawyer, or even a traffic cop but they don’t know what a creative director or copywriter does? What causes that? Are we as creatives not interacting enough with the general public and teaching them about such career options?
I remember when I had just graduated; I had a conversation with my little brother explaining to him what I do. From that day on; he changed his dreams from wanting to be a doctor to wanting to be a car designer. He started seeing the possibilities of careers out there. Since that day, I started encouraging his drawing habit and teaching him how to do it.
People or society often interact with our creative products on a day to day basis without them realizing that the product was created by a copywriter, illustrator, art director or even a photographer depending on the medium the advert is placed. Being in advertising doesn’t mean that one appears in adverts; an advert is the end product of advertising.
I guess it’s partly our responsibility as creatives to start educating society about our careers, and what we do. But firstly we need to encourage kids to explore their talents from an early age rather than succumb to pressure of what society wants them to be.
By Morrel Shilenge
