Javier Errea

INTUITION/IMAGINATION

How does intuition present itself to you – in form of a suspicious impression, a spontaneous visualisation or whatever - maybe in dreams?

What a question! Intuition is key factor in my life, not just professionally speaking but also in my personal matters. I would say intuition is like digestion: once I have an assignment around, it starts sort of a cooking process inside my brain, my body. I include ingredients in the pot. Not all of them at the same time, but gradually. So that different ingredients are added during a certain time, not knowing what the final result will be. At some point, it becomes clear. I trust this cooking process a lot.

Will any ideas be written down immediately and archived?

In daily life I normally take notes in my colourful notebooks, tear off a newspaper sheet that makes me think and save in a folder, also take pictures with my mobile phone just in case what they provoke comes back in the future… Since I was a child I loved to collect whatever it be. You never know how you will use those ideas, but for sure you will.

?: How do you come up with good or extraordinary ideas?

I don’t consider myself such a creative guy inventing extraordinary ideas. Too much for me! But it is true that I have to feel something from my guts. I trust my guts. I fiercely follow the path my guts address. To be honest, most of best ideas come from other people, previous ideas. Who could say he or she is that original that his or her ideas come from scratch? Human kind is always an evolving factor, we all are based on what other people did or thought before. I admire many people, they inspire me.

Are great ideas based on intuition and do they reveal themselves in a kind of clear as well complete version that just has to be realized? Or is it endless trials and errors (after the first spark) that result in constant developments up until the final result?

It depends. In some cases it is like you say first. But in most cases it is a digesting/cooking process. I would say this is a silent process. Human body and soul is a miracle. In many occasions you think you put the assignment or task apart, but in the end you never do that. Your body machine is working silently. Slow process.

What if there is a deadline, but no intuition? Does the first fuel the latter maybe?

I always prefer to work against a deadline. Deadline is part of the creative process. Honestly, I need to feel pressure. My best ideas normally happen or reveal themselves under pressure. This is maybe due to my journalistic background. Journalists are used to work under deadline shadow. I agree that the first idea is always good and fuels latter delivery, if any. I explore and follow the path of first idea frequently.

INSPIRATION

What inspires you and how do you stimulate this special form of imaginativeness?

Literature. Art. Nature. Friends. I try to cultivate them all. I dedicate quality time to them all. Loneliness also inspires me. To be alone! For instance, I love aircrafts, those many hours flying over the ocean, when nobody can disturb me. It is time just for me. Or just going down the streets at night, walking around with no purpose, even circling my house for a while. Night time is a jewel for me. Once everybody goes to bed at home, I spend hours alone, complete silence around.

How do you separate the good from the bad and which ideas are worthwhile to be explored further or whether one idea has the potential of being outstanding really?

It is not that strict methodology in my case. I don’t consider myself a methodical man. I am a hard worker, not that methodical. Again, I trust my guts. In general, I try to find a strong voice. Everything I do has to be strongly opinionated. This is a key way to measure good and bad ideas in my mind. And a factor of strong discussions with my team. Clean but empty beauty is something I avoid. I much more prefer hearted ugliness. The question is always this: what I want to say with this.

Has it to appeal to you primarily or is its commercial potential an essential factor?

We have to earn our living, so that some kind of commercial potential is requested in general. But, honestly, commercial potential is never a key factor in my life. I would say that normally it is just the contrary.

Do you revisit old ideas or check what colleagues/competitors are up to at times?

Of course! Old ideas revisited are always a treasure. As I said before, you never know how and when those ideas can work or suit again. In addition, colleagues and competitors are a permanent source of inspiration. In some cases, I can’t avoid feeling a bit jealous myself when certain good ideas shine and they were not mine, but even in those occasions I have to recognize admiration. I fight against envy. Envy is a dangerous energy, maybe the worst one.

CREATIVITY

Which time/place/environment suits your creative work process the best (tranquillity or pressure) and which path do you take from theory/idea to creation?

It is a mixture of pressure and calm. I need to feel deadline close; that pressure is positive for my creative process. But at the same time I need to breathe silence. In my studio, for instance, when I am concentrated, completely focused on something, nobody may disturb, and they know it. I love working at night and at home. I don’t need any special desk or chair. I can work at really uncomfortable ones. I forget everything when I am that focused. In addition, I need to write and draw. I use pens and notebooks, all the time. Simple sketched and quick notes around. Shining, key words.

What is better in the realization process: speed and force creativity i.e. grasp the magic of the moment, or a slow, ripening process for implementation/elaboration?

As I said before, it is a combination and it depends on the project and moment. It is true that grasping the moment is normally a useful strategy. Like being abducted by something or someone. At those occasions you work fast and focused. I would be silly not to take advantage of those exciting moments. But on the contrary, it works very well when you stick proofs on the wall and leave them for a while, and then come back and have a different look at it. It is not that magic or energetic as a first glimpse, but you have a wider perspective.

If problems occur during creativity or one’s stuck even, how can these be solved?

I normally put the project on standby. Change my mind and put hands on other projects, try to forget that project that makes me stuck even and enjoy different tasks. Ask colleagues’ opinion for a while, just in case. But solution or interesting intuitions always come back from the other world.

How important are self-doubt and criticism (by others) during such a process i.e. is it better to be creative on your own, only trust your own instincts, or in a team? 

Teamwork is necessary. Other people’s views make creative process richer, much more exciting. But, to be honest, I need to feel my guts, even in other people’s views. Anyway, self-doubt and criticism are essential. I always, always, always use them. I get angry when some colleagues make bad criticism on my proposals, but in the end this is really useful and I appreciated honest comments.

Should a creative always remain true to him-/herself including taking risks & going against the flow or must one, for reasons of (commercial) survival, make concessions to the demands of the market, the wishes of clients and the audience’s expectations?

This is interesting. Who could say he/she always remained true to him/herself? It is very human to feel afraid, especially when you manage a team. I can’t avoid feeling failure when I have to make concessions to the wishes of clients. Clients are conservative very often. They prefer not to stay apart from mainstream, not to take risks. Key question is trust. Once you gain the trust of a client, then everything flows. Anyways, I fight. I love fight. I am not an easy supplier to clients. I tend to push their limits. What I really hate, if I can use this expression, is mainstream, flow.

How is innovation still possible if one has established a distinctive style and, just in case, is it good to be ahead of one’s time even one hazards not being understood?

Extremely creative people always push boundaries and are ahead of their time. This is part of their secret. More difficult for them is not to stay on their style by pushing beyond. Many artistic geniuses reached a high personal style but, once they got it, they comfortable installed there and rested. Or they just didn’t know what else to do. This is always a problem: how to keep going? The key quality of creative people is this: being ahead, no matter if they are understood or not. Sometimes it happens. I mean breaking boundaries and being understood or obtaining social success. In the end, it would be interesting to discuss what creativity is in the end.

When does the time come to end the creative process, to be content and set the final result free - or is it work-in-progress with an endless possibility of improvement?

I am a very practical guy. The creative process must have a starting point and an ending time. Perfection is the enemy of good. Of course you could keep endless improvement, but what for? It depends on your profile or activity. As far as I understand creativity, there is a final delivery. Some kind of hands-on delivery. Something concrete to enjoy, admire or use. Otherwise, creativity is useless. I consider creativity something useful.

In case of failure or - worse - a creativity crisis how do you get out of such a hole?

We all suffer from creativity crisis. Repeatedly. We don’t have to fear this crisis, nor avoid them. Crises are an important part of the creative process. I would suggest to stand face-to-face, you and the crisis, look at each other, and speak sincerely. This humble and direct dialogue is essential. The only way to get out of the hole.

SUCCESS

Should/can one resist the temptation to recycle a ‘formula’ one’s successful with?

Success is dangerous. We always learn from failure, not sure about success or pray. As for creative people, success means risk. Think of important painters or architects who find a particular formula and stay there, not evolving any more. I know many examples. But I have to recognize that going beyond one’s formula is something extremely difficult. I remember myself in doing so… In my career I struggled - not to be strictly original but honest. Predicted solutions or kits are something to avoid but frequent unfortunately.

Is it desirable to create the ultimate/timeless work, but doesn’t “top of the ladder” bring up the question of “what’s next?” i.e. isn’t such a personal peak “the end”?

This is something I often ask myself. After painting ‘Las Meninas’, what could Velázquez have thought? Or right after writing ‘Cien años de soledad’ (`One Hundred Years of Solitude’), what could Gabriel García Márquez have thought? It is very human to reach one’s limit or to recognize that you did it once but not anymore. Honesty, effort… are essential. Reducing pressure on yourself is essential as well. In addition, who knows where the limit is? Who know where a new surprise can be born?

MY FAVORITE WORK:

It is extremely difficult for me to pick up one favourite project. I am normally involved in teamwork projects, so that it depends not just on my conception but mostly in the way other people use my projects later. I am proud of how different graphic projects me and my team delivered to media companies around the world. Other colleagues usually have a very clear style, in my case projects were very different to one another. That means we struggled and succeeded in conceiving personalized projects after carefully listening to news people on those companies and attending market, competitors, history and context.

Maybe, as "my favourite work", I would pick the double redesign project of French Libération in 2009 and 2015 - both in opposite directions. First, 2009, the main goal was to provide sophistication to a rebel, leftist, iconic newspaper. Blue touch within a red landscape: quite a revolution. The redesign project was a success. After six years, Libé asked for a new move. Then after interviewing them all, reading audience researches… we decided to be bold and red again. That is why we looked back to the origins, the initial Libé in the 1970s. It guided me, it inspired me. Since 2015 Libé still remains in the market. Another pride is Jornal I in Lisbon, Portugal, 2009. That newborn paper was an editorial revolution both in content and visual. A brand new daily mag for smart urban readers. What Jornal I achieved is extreme quality: new narratives combining comic, illustration, data visualization, photo, type and text. I have to say that I never have met such an experimental, innovative newspaper in my life anymore.

Other impressive projects in my career, not that well known, were Primera Hora, in Puerto Rico, or elEconomista in Madrid - two examples of how journalism can be told thru different narratives, no matter your audience. In Puerto Rico, it was a popular tabloid, in Madrid a new financial daily. Interesting how tools from tabloids can be applied in serious, prestige media.