Creative leadership and authentic storytelling - Kerry Laster

Mindful Creative with Radim Malinic

Kerry Laster, a creative director from Georgia, shares his journey from discovering creativity through Gordon Parks' documentary to leading creative teams. He discusses the importance of authenticity in creative work, finding inspiration through personal curation, and applying sports team mentality to creative leadership. Kerry emphasizes the value of quiet spaces for ideation and the need for vulnerability in the creative industry. His approach combines Southern storytelling traditions with modern creative direction, bringing authenticity to every project. Drawing from his background in journalism and early exposure to creative disciplines, Kerry advocates for a holistic approach to creativity that values truth over trends.
Key Takeaways:
• True creativity starts with finding the core truth of what you're trying to communicate
• Creating quiet spaces for ideation is essential before seeking external inspiration
• Personal curation of inspiration helps maintain creative focus and authentic vision
• Leadership in creative fields requires ego-free collaboration and individual motivation
• Embracing failure and vulnerability is crucial for creative growth
• Sports team mentality can effectively translate to creative leadership
• Movie theaters provide valuable mental space for creative recharge
• Success comes from showing up daily and improving incrementally
• Authenticity matters more than technical perfection in creative work
• The creative journey requires both solitude for ideation and collaboration for execution

Mindful Creative: How to understand and deal with the highs and lows of creative life, career and business

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