on second thought.

is hairnet one word?

when i was getting my out-patient surgery tuesday, the oncology surgeon asked me if advertising, was indeed, stressful.

really?

REALLY?

yes. in a good way. it is stressful, i told him.

for one, if you are on the "creative" side of the business, you have to be "on" all of the time. the challenge is to come up with new, innovative, creative, amazing concepts. with compelling, directive, on-brief copy. that goes with incredible, never-been-done-before, mind-blowing design. every day.

every day is a new project. a new brief. a new problem to solve. a new product to sell. a new way to connect consumers to the brand.

and it's beautiful.
but, indeed, can be stressful.

which my oncology surgeon was shocked at. and suggested that his career was much less stress-inducing. and that after work, he just goes home.

really?
because if i were him, i'd at least contemplate the fragility of life and cells and healthy ones and tumor ones and everything wrapped up in the blood pressure monitor, the consent form, the spouse in the waiting room, the hoping for good news, the anxiety, the fear of death, of the unknown, the reality that google, for once, does not have all of the answers.

if i were him, i think i'd go home with somewhat of a weight.

but he seemed to think that my line of business was much more stressful than his.

we're talking brands versus life or death.

you tell me who was right.