Creative route to producing saleable copy

The Not-So-Hidden Secret of Writing Creative Copy

THOSE people who don't know often come to the conclusion that creative copywriters are some kind of special people who have special skills in writing copy that will hold their audience spellbound.
Not really, and I don't mean to throw cold water on them. It is true, the really good copywriters can capture the imagination of consumers. That's why they get big, fat paychecks.
Some of the attributes of good to excellent copywriters are:
1. Thrive under pressure. The greater the stress, the bigger their smiles (strange people, I know).
2. Above-average command of English, or Spanish (if you are working in Barcelona or Madrid).
3. Non-conformist type of person. Usually it's the slightly wacky chaps who can ferret out the wittest copy. This is not to say the black tie-type of guy can't produce good copy too but it's rare.
4. Pays great attention to details. Creative thinking and writing comes from a finely honed skill of observing the ordinary in the most extraordinary way. Ask Leonardo da Vinci, he was an expert at that. That means you need to see a leaf and then discover a world. That kind of thing, if you catch my drift.
5. Great creative copy also comes from a very relaxed state of mind. Don't ask me to explain but it has something to do with getting in touch with the outer limits. Sounds like science fiction until you actually tap onto the true source. Sounds scary, doesn't it?
6. Again, genius-type creative writing is crystal clear. It can trigger a chain of mental images and the language used is simple to sometimes being idiotic. Ah, but you didn't think of that in the first place.
7. Creative maestros do not walk the beaten path, they normally stray. They are like that - huge nuisance (makes everybody go looking for them).
8. Conceptualise. That's a terrible word. Those jokers in the creative dept like to use this term. They actually mean form "the big picture". In other words, develop a theme of some kind and throw it at your targeted audience. Get the picture?
9. Take lots of break. Don't think ideas are only confined to your workplace. Very often the best ideas for copy writing comes when you are in the toilet. Honest. Try that sometime but don't stay there for too long. It may cause suspicions.
10. Listen to your heart. Yes, that's true. Don't ignore your intuition. Sometimes when you are suffering from a mental block. Just forget it. Literally. It may happen or it may not but you may get a hunch. Latch on to it and milk it for your dear life.