Malcolm Gladwell claims that, in order to be good at what you do, 10,000 hours must be invested into perfecting a form or craft. In more relatable terms, if you worked nonstop, 10,000 hours of practice would occupy 1.3 years of your life. If you factor in trivial things like eating or sleeping, it’s actually much longer. As someone on the bottom rung, starting this yearlong climb towards proficiency seems pretty daunting; however, it does offer some perspective.
I started my ascension into the advertising world in August. I was taken in under the wing of Dunn &Co.’s Creative Director, Glen Hosking. Since then, I have had the honor to write (and rewrite) for clients, ranging from public service initiatives to beloved sports teams. I even got to write some copy for an island nation! Yes, I have accomplished a lot over my 50 days at D&C, but there were many times where I was taunted by blank documents and harassed by ideas just beyond my reach. Allow me to share some wisdom from my perch:
- Practice is about learning. You learn from mistakes.
- You need to write 100 headlines for every one that you actually need.
- The value of a block of stone can be found with a hammer and chisel.
- Practice even more than you already do.
- Rule: 150 words fill about 60 seconds of talk time.
- Reverse engineering ads is a good way to understand how to make great ones.
- I’m not an advertising prodigy… much to my dismay.
- Yup, you guessed it: practice makes perfect.
I would be remiss if I failed to mention what a privilege it is to have spent my internship amongst Tampa’s giants. The people of D&C are friendly, generous and warm. They do amazing work daily under the passionate leadership of Troy Dunn. They are open and eager to help. But, above of all, it would be criminal to not thank Glen for putting up with me. He fosters an environment that encourages taking risks and learning from your many, many mistakes. With Glen’s guidance, somewhere along the way I became a real-life copywriter (albeit a fledgling one). There should be lines of students eager to take my place in Room 305 of the Corina Cigar Factory. Good luck to them all.
I am now in the final hours of my internship at D&C. I have achieved 300 hours of intensive mental calisthenics. My brain is sore and its knees are swollen. However, I look back on my time at D&C knowing that — although I am merely two weeks into my 1.3 year climb — my feet are firmly planted above the ground. As I look up to the top, my hands grip the rails with confidence.
– Joe Mack