MANILA, PHILIPPINES — If you want to be successful, finish. On the surface, the idea of finishing appears straightforward. Yet, in reality, the journey toward completion is often fraught with obstacles, self-doubt, and distractions. Life’s constant demands, unexpected setbacks, and the allure of instant gratification can derail even the most determined individuals. So while finishing may seem simple, it demands a level of resilience and determination that goes beyond initial enthusiasm.
Chairmom and creative powerhouse Merlee Cruz-Jayme knows this all too well. A former chief creative officer at Dentsu Jayme Syfu and now the founder of The Misfits Camp, Jayme shared her journey towards achieving success in the creative advertising industry while raising four daughters during an intimate book club gathering over wine and food at the Astbury last July 12. The Write Side of Bookshelf, Poblacion’s latest immersive book club, holds monthly Wednesday evening gatherings at the Astbury to talk about creativity, writing, and ideas to pique the mind.
Unpacking the art of goals and ambitions
When thinking about goals and ambitions, one can have many to the point it gets overwhelmingly hard to pursue. After all, each person has pursuits in various aspects of their lives–whether that’s career, personal relationships with others, or wellness.
Achieving all these pursuits while going through the hustle and bustle of daily living is no easy feat. It also doesn’t help that the world today subscribes to the notion of extreme hustle culture. More often than not, seeing others easily achieve all their goals on social media breeds an unhealthy comparison that’s far different from reality.
But if there’s any consolation when it comes to creating a balancing act for these goals, it’s that goals have many phases and seasons. For Jayme, unpacking the science behind goal setting helped her achieve hers one after the other.
“Our goals change depending on where we are in our lives,” Jayme explained. “Your goals when you were a teenager are significantly different from your goals as a young adult. One important ingredient though is finishing. It goes without saying that the most important part of any goal is to actually finish it. Without the finishing part, everything else seems futile and all a waste of time and effort.”
So, what does one need to do to actually finish?
“First, break down your goal into small actionable items you can do every day. Completing these small acts helps you feel a sense of progress and accomplishment, which fuels motivation and determination for you to keep going until you finish your goal,” Jayme said.
It seems easy enough, doesn’t it? But anyone in the creative industry like Jayme knows that the hardest part of achieving a goal is not just finishing, but actually knowing when to stop, step back, and call it a day.
“A lot of creatives struggle with finishing simply because they don’t know when to stop,” Jayme elaborated. “My answer: gut feel. In order to judge an output with a discerning eye, we need to view an advertisement or video from the eyes of the consumer or target audience and think, ‘How do I feel watching this ad? Is it compelling enough to convince me to buy the product?’ But in this industry, trusting our gut feel as much as our creativity will tell us when a goal is truly finished.”
Purpose-being vs. purpose-doing
It is no secret that the marketing and advertising industry is all about convincing people to buy products and services they need or don’t need, as Jayme puts it. Thus, creatives churn out endless ads, campaigns, and other enticing visuals to persuade more people to click that ‘add to cart’ button and check out their latest shopping hauls.
This is purpose-being. Since marketing and advertising hinge on taking an existing product and building awareness around it, the industry leverages a lot on intrinsic value and the inherent worth products or services already have. It also means understanding the values and aspirations of a target audience and seeking to create experiences and messages that resonate on a deeper level.
This is in contrast with purpose-doing, which focuses on the proactive pursuit of meaningful and impactful actions. It involves actively seeking out opportunities to make a difference and contribute positively to society through initiatives like corporate social responsibility and cause-related marketing. It may also involve leveraging marketing and advertising skills to raise awareness about important issues, promote social change, or support non-profit organizations.
“Purpose-being and purpose-doing usually go hand-in-hand,” Jayme said. “But truth be told, the industry leans more on purpose-being. After working over 30 years in marketing and advertising, focusing on purpose-doing seems to be the next goal for a creative. To transform ideas into concrete, lasting impact is truly what marketing and advertising stands for.”
Misfits can have careers too
One of the pressing societal issues that isn’t addressed enough in the Philippines is the future of individuals in the neuro-divergent spectrum. This includes individuals in the autism, ADHD, and other neuro-diverse states on the spectrum.
The Misfits Camp, a post-school that bridges creatives with disabilities to career possibilities, is Jayme’s latest stint in creating purpose-doing opportunities for the marketing and advertising industry.
A progressive school in the making, The Misfits Camp holds admissions for neuro-divergent individuals 21 years old and above with skills in writing, illustration, animation, digital arts, and filmmaking. Students who are admitted to the program are trained to view The Misfits Camp, not as a school, but as an office simulation and creative playground that will prepare them for the real workplace.
These creatives undergo talent assessments for Jayme and her team to better understand the value and skills they can bring to a company. From there, they are placed in individualized creative programs to hone their existing skills and help them build their creative portfolios. Afterward, these neuro-divergent creatives are connected with industry leaders and companies searching for unique talent to join their creative workforce.
Such a purpose-doing definitely comes with huge challenges, but it also creates opportunities for both neuro-divergent and their parents that are otherwise unimaginable for them.
“I think every parent’s concerned with their children’s future. Even more so when their children fall on the spectrum. But it’s time to build a stronger community to support these individuals and encourage more companies to think outside the box and hire unique, diverse talent the neuro-divergent spectrum can offer,” Jayme said.
Currently, The Misfits Camp has a number of neuro-divergent creatives in their six-month program, with one recently hired for a job in a marketing agency. This is just the beginning for the post-school, as it continues to expand its program offerings and build career partnerships with more companies and organizations.
“Going back to goal setting, the biggest challenge for creatives in the neuro-divergent spectrum is finishing,” Jayme explained. “But their biggest strength is also their creativity and unique perspectives in viewing the world around them. The Misfits Camp’s ultimate goal is securing job placements for these neuro-divergents and opening wider doors of opportunity for them to have successful careers in the marketing and advertising industry. We don’t want them to just have jobs; we want them to have real careers with progression and future.”
Join the next creative, immersive experience over wine and food at the Astbury.
About Bookshelf PH
Bookshelf PH is an online bookstore and book publisher in the Philippines. The organization’s goal is to promote a richer Filipino literature that will contribute to individual empowerment, and in the aggregate, nation-building. At the core of these aspirations is the belief that the surest and simplest path to personal and professional growth is through reading, whether through physical books, ebooks, or audiobooks. Bookshelf PH thus welcomes collaboration with all book lovers in the country, including everyone from freelance writers and interns to local booksellers, self-published authors, and brands that aim to publish a book.
About the series
The show is produced at The Astbury, Poblacion Makati together with Bookshelf
Produced by Marinela Drew, Gerry Pareja, Monette Quiogue.
These series are all about book and literature enthusiasts coming together every second Wednesday of the month at the Astbury, Library Lounge for cerebral and engaging conversations with guest authors on niche topics from various books and genres. In this series, Bookshelf presents themes centered around books, authors, and genres. Reach out to The Astbury to know more about the Book Club and Shows.
