We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stefanie Salguero Say. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stefanie below.
Stefanie, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Maintaining creativity is crucial for a copywriter, and it’s great if you have powerful sources of inspiration, like reading books, painting, mingling with fellow creatives, and more. I love to read and devour books from various genres; this exposure to diverse writing styles and perspectives has always sparked new ideas. This also happens to me with music; I listen to music and focus on the lyrics. What emotion do they give off? What words are associated with this? Also, don’t underestimate the power of breaks; we all get that so-called writer’s block; step away, try not to think about it, and sooner or later, you will find your solution.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a copywriter, and if you had asked me what this was twelve years ago, I would have no idea how to respond.
My mind was always different. I would overanalyze some things and completely disregard others. I was in love with my little bubble and fell completely enamored with nature – Colors. Textures. My passion for photography grew, especially in capturing details with a macro lens. This, to me, was mind-blowing. The infinite information these contained. How colors bounced off these infinitesimal sections like little ingredients. From a young age, I knew a creative profession was the one for me. Like many other young creatives, I needed to figure out where to start or if this could be possible.
What finally gave me that “Aha” moment was when I would go through my photographs, I would always have music on, and the lyrics in some particular songs would resonate perfectly with the emotion of the image. So, I started connecting the dots.
Words. Emotion. Imagery.
That’s how I knew. I knew an image could be beautiful, but words could be extraordinary.
I completed my studies at the Miami University of Art and Design with a BA in advertising. At the same time, I learned something I knew so well – how the psychology of words and imagery can go hand in hand.
I was working as a creative at a company in Miami. As it was my first “real” job in this sector, I had many roles. But I quickly knew I only wanted one role. To be a copywriter.
It’s pretty I’m completed my master’s in copywriting and returned to the country where I was born – Madrid, Spain. While in Madrid, I freelanced for companies that needed a push into digital marketing. I got a job as a clickbait writer – yes, those articles you see online where we spin the tail a thousand different ways, so you keep clicking onto the next slide, and the next, and the next… it was enjoyable to create these spins I do have to admit even though it was so totally wrong. It’s entertaining, but come on, you could write the whole story in one paragraph, but we stretched it to 15…
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
If I had to pick just some qualities and skills, they would have to be: Creativity, adaptability and Empathy.
Creativity is one that helps you think outside the box and generated innovated ideas crucial for creating engaging and memorable content.
Adaptability, personally is the one I believe is crucial. Us copywriters work in diverse industries. you can be an incredible digital copywriter whilst lack script writing and vice versa. Being adaptable allows you to tailor your writing style to different audiences and platforms, and that is so very important!
Empathy. My favorite quality and sometimes the most difficult. Have you ever listened to a song that made you cry? Or a part in a book that made you laugh? That is because you feel something towards it. It is resonating with you and creating desires, emotions and pain points. As copywriters, we have to sculpt ourselves into being the ones who deliver these messages so we need to feel them whilst writing them.
Young creatives who are starting their journey should research, research and research. The best place I can think of is to look at previous work and learn from them. The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has an amazing archive of amazing ads that have won several awards and resonated with many.
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
This depends on your personally and professional goals. Both approaches have their merits, and the best strategy often involves a balance between the two.
Focusing on your strengths allows you to become a specialist in a particular area. This can make you highly sought after for specific projects or roles.
Concentrating on what you do well can lead to increased efficiency. You can complete tasks more quickly and produce higher-quality work.
But as creatives, we always want to keep exploring and learning. The curiosity for learning new things and honing better skills should never be given up. Leverage your strengths to excel in your current role or niche, but also invest effort in developing a well-rounded skill set that you can always add into your professional life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stefaniessay.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefaniesalguero
Image Credits
they are all mine.
