This week, we're adding more pages to our Spellbook. Here's what we'll be talking about:

One big idea we’ve learned each week, shaped into words you can carry forward.

There's something I've noticed with newer creatives.

Give someone an open brief and almost immediately, there's an urge to create something completely original.

Something nobody has seen. Something complex. Something that makes everyone in the room go,

"How did you even think of that?"

I understand it.

We're creatives. That's part of the fun.

But we've also learned the painful side of chasing originality too early.

Sometimes people skip references. They skip inspiration. They don't spend enough time narrowing down what works, what doesn't, and why.

Then they start creating.

An hour passes.

Nothing feels right.

Another direction.

Another direction.

Another direction.

Eventually, something gets sent to the client.

Revision.

Revision.

Revision.

A project that started with excitement slowly becomes frustrating for everyone involved.

We've had delays because of this.

We've even lost trust.

It's called Shu Ha Ri.

It's a way of thinking about how people learn and eventually master something.

There are three stages.

Shu: Follow.

Ha: Break.

Ri: Leave.

And I think creatives sometimes want to start at the second one.

When you're starting out, follow.

Look for inspiration. Study references. Learn the process.

Understand why people do things a certain way before deciding that your way is better.

For us, this could mean spending time narrowing down a creative direction before jumping into the actual work.

It might feel slower.

We've learned that it saves a lot of time later.

Because when you have references, fundamentals and a clear direction in front of you, you're no longer staring at an empty page hoping originality suddenly appears.

You have somewhere to begin.

And then you practise.

You make mistakes.

You do it again.

Eventually, something changes.

We've seen this happen with many of our senior creatives.

They followed the process for years.

Then slowly, they started challenging it.

"What if we tried this?"

"What if we pushed this further?"

"Can we do something the brief didn't ask for?"

This is one of my favourite stages to watch.

Because now they're breaking things with experience behind them.

They know the usual answer.

They're simply curious whether there's a better one.

Little by little, projects start appearing that we remember long after they're finished.

Work that surprised us. Work that left an impact. Work that raised the ceiling for whatever came next.

And sometimes, their way becomes something the rest of us learn from too.

Then eventually, you stop thinking about the process so much.

We're seeing this across the team now.

People who once needed the step-by-step process are leading entire projects themselves.

Give them a problem and they'll find their way through it.

We bounce ideas between each other. Someone improves something. Someone else adds another thought. The person who was once learning the process is now teaching parts of it to someone else.

And the beautiful part?

Their way doesn't always look like the way they were originally taught.

Good.

That's growth.

I think we sometimes misunderstand originality.

We want our own style before we've spent enough time understanding everyone else's.

We want to make complex things before we've made enough simple things.

We want to break rules that we haven't spent enough time following.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to create something nobody has seen before.

That's probably one of the best parts of being creative.

Just give yourself time to learn first.

Spend time with the fundamentals.

Make the boring mistakes.

Follow someone else's process for a while.

Then question it.

Break it.

Improve it.

And eventually, maybe someone else will be learning from yours.

Where are you right now?

Are you still learning the rules?

Are you beginning to question them?

Or have you practised long enough that you've started creating your own?

And perhaps the harder question:

Are you trying to be original before you've given yourself enough time to become good?

There's no shame in being at Shu.

Everyone you admire started there.

Snapshots from our week — the work, the people, and the little victories worth sharing.

For the first time, Haziyah Azalmey stepped out from behind the marketing desk and onto a production set, joining the crew for two days to capture some behind the scenes content for our Frost Haus shoot.

The shoot took us to three locations, starting at Syafi ‘Aizzuddeen’s house for the more family focused and homey scenes, followed by Padang Kebajikan for the running scenes and finally the client’s house where Frost Haus is based. The shoot highlighted Frost Haus’ recovery services including their sauna, leg compression and ice bath. Two days on set later, Haziyah came away with a better appreciation for what happens behind the camera and perhaps a newfound respect for the production crew!

It was one of those days where most of the team were either out on a shoot on the other side of the country or working remotely, leaving Elroy Ramantan, Ampuan Hafiz, DB (Danial Basyri), Haziyah Azalmey and Stephanie Yong all alone in the office. Needless to say, it was one of the quieter days around here.

With only five people around, even our usual Friday Feast had to be called off. But don’t worry, nobody went hungry for too long — the feast has simply been postponed to next Friday. Sometimes, you just have to let the numbers work in your favour.

Funny story: the team initially planned to have lunch at Mamita’s on a Tuesday, only to find out that Tuesday is the one day the restaurant is closed. But with August being such a fruitful month full of birthdays, celebrations and milestones, we figured it was only right to find another day for a proper full team lunch.

As if the celebrations weren’t enough, it also happened to be our Agency Accounts Manager Ampuan Hafiz’s birthday! Haziyah and Raf Zaini left the shoot location a little early to pick up a few treats for him and surprised him by walking in with a birthday song.

Happy birthday to Hafiz and everyone else celebrating this month, and congratulations to all those reaching new milestones! Here’s to more reasons to gather around a table together 🤍

Our team banner has been outdated for a while now, so it was finally time to give it a refresh and introduce some of the newer faces around the office: Danial Basyri “DB”, Syafiq Syafie, Faiqah Razali and Selene Bautista!

Hisham Firdaus was behind the camera for the shoot, helping us capture new profile photos and an updated team banner. Look forward to seeing the refreshed faces across our platforms soon!

A collection of our latest uploads on our website & socials worth checking out.

Things we’re loving lately, because inspiration hides where you least expect them.

If you enjoy hiking or are looking to get into it, Haziyah recommends the Mempagong Beach Trail. Unlike most hikes where reaching the peak is the highlight, here the reward is waiting at the beach! If you’re lucky, you might even get a briefing from the trail organiser, Tuan Junnie, who’ll point out the best photo spots, interesting checkpoints and landmarks, as well as the best route to take.

It’s a fairly new trail that is well maintained and offers a little more than your usual hike. So if you’re looking for a new trail to explore, this one might be worth adding to your list!

IIt’s been very hot lately, especially with the haze making things even more uncomfortable. So, in an effort to keep everyone hydrated and a little more conscious about our water intake, we’re encouraging everyone to bring their emotional support water bottle wherever they go.

And if you feel like giving your water a little upgrade with some electrolytes, go for it! Whatever keeps you hydrated and feeling your best. Stay hydrated, stay healthy and please remember to bring your bottle!

Brunei's first all-in-one app! As the only local search engine for Brunei, you can find movies, restaurants, record community issues, local news and more!

If you want to read the previous pages, head over to this link right here:

That’s all for this week. See you on the next page of the Spellbook.

At AICREATIVV, we aim to make everyone who engages with us 1% better—from clients to community. Public Victory, always.

Each week, we'll share insights, tips, and recommendations to help you learn the magical combination of strategy, creativity, and business know-how that truly enchants your audience.

Let's unlock the magic of strategic design.

We hope this brought you value.

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