Who is Gareth Winter?
I am a fraud.
I am the least ‘creative’ Creative at Sky Creative Agency. But I am good at problem-solving. Then I collaborate with the ‘creative’ Creatives to bring my solutions to life. It’s the younger members of our agency that have the most creativity. I am the ‘Creative Architect’ that enables, harnesses, shapes and facilitates their talent - uniting everyone under the same goal.
What are your creative rituals or routines when working on a project?
• Read and understand the brief.
• Isolate the creative challenge.
• Sleep on it.
Then I go for a bike ride before work, to clear my head and lend the problem-solving to my subconscious. When I’m cycling, all I can think about is the sensation of riding, the road ahead and the effort of pedalling. It’s during this trance-like state that my subconscious starts to operate; it’s a powerful tool that connects seemingly-unrelated dots and pieces them together.
I believe that the best art and music is created by the subconscious. Drugs and amphetamines are usually responsible for this… especially back in the ’60s and ’70s. Don’t go reaching for ‘a box of blues’ or ‘mothers’ little helper’ (Yes, that was a nod to the Who and the Rolling Stones.) - exercise, painting, listening to music, etc. are just as effective.
When I arrive at my desk I am charged with energy. My head is swimming with endorphins and full of ideas/solutions. It’s a highly productive way to start the day. Prioritising my wellbeing enables me to create better work. Staring at a computer is a death sentence for creativity, go out and live.
What is a project you’ve worked on that you’re particularly proud of and why?
Inclusion at Sky.
It’s far more rewarding when your work has real meaning and improves the lives of others. For this project, we had a goal, a purpose: ‘For Sky to become the most inclusive employer in the UK’.
Inclusion is about bringing your true self to work every day, not leaving anything or anyone at home because of other people’s biases or opinions. Sky is the most inclusive work environment I have ever experienced. We are hugely diverse, open-minded and progressive in all aspects of our business. I’ve been at Sky for 9 years, It hasn’t always been a ‘Shangri-La’, but we recognised that we needed to improve and did something about it. The best thing about internal work is that you can see the effects first hand. More people at Sky are proudly displaying their personalities, cultures, backgrounds, gender identities, beliefs, etc. I worked with Creatives - Matt Nicholas and Nick Archer from SCA. Coaching and helping them structure and refine their ideas, and creating an environment for them to be creative was incredibly rewarding, far more rewarding than filling my own agendas.
We achieved our goal. Sky was voted the most inclusive employer in 2019. You can check out the Inclusion campaign below.
What is your favourite part of the creative process?
Pitching.
We aren’t just ‘Creatives’, we are ‘Sales People’. What’s the point in having a great idea if you can make it happen? Too often we ask our clients and stakeholders - “What do you think of this idea…” offering yourself up to the ‘firing squad’.
Try this approach instead - “This idea answers your brief in the following way.” This small shift in language and display of confidence in your idea - totally changes the client’s response.
Make an impact, leave your client feeling excited by your idea. (Oh, and ask them to switch their phones off while you’re pitching, so you have their FULL attention…)
Who or what is inspiring you at the moment?
Sir Paul Smith. He is a proper creative, a true polymath. I aspire to be like him. I have a lot in common with Sir Paul, we both have a ‘milkman’s body clock’ and like to start the day with exercise. We are both creatives, cyclists, love tailoring, rabbits, photography and approach things open-mindedly, with optimism. Sir Paul, however, has a way with people that I could never hope to achieve. He lights up a room, while I seem to empty them…
Enjoy a wonderful podcast with him here.
What goals do you hope to achieve/do in the future?
I would like to lead a larger team of people and work on projects that really make an impact on people’s lives and our planet.
What would be the soundtrack to your life?
“Ramble On” – Led Zeppelin.
No matter what life throws at me, no matter what knocks me down physically or metaphorically – I just ‘Ramble On’. When It comes to music I am like a football fan. I only support one ‘team’ – Led Zeppelin. I may ‘cheer’ other teams while mine isn’t playing, such as T-Rex or Black Sabbath, but I only ‘support’ Led Zep.
This might sound quite polarising as a ‘Creative’, but it’s incredibly liberating to select music for a film or promo with no subjectivity. I can pick the right track for the audience and the creative, not ‘what I like the sound of’.
What inspired you to pursue a career in the creative industry?
I wouldn’t say that I was inspired to pursue a career in the Creative Industry, It’s just woven into me. I know from a young age that I was creative oriented because I didn’t really ‘fit in’.
What is something you learned from a previous project that you’ve taken with you?
Collaboration.
In the early stages of my career, I was quite protective of my work. I wanted to take full ownership of a project - to gain recognition and progress in my career. I now realise how selfish that was. I was making work for myself - not my audience.
As a creative, it is vital to serve your audience. The best way to do this is to collaborate and invite different perspectives into the conversation. Together you can walk in the shoes of your audience and experience their problems - so you can figure out how best to solve them.
What are your primary duties as a Senior Creative at Sky Creative Agency?
I am a polymath - my subjects are so varied. I have to be reactive and open-minded to any creative challenge that Sky Creative Agency throws at me. The brief becomes my purpose. I ask myself ‘what does success look like?’ and ‘how do I work backward from it?’. For example, when I was the Creative for Sky’s Cycling campaigns (Team Sky, British Cycling, WIGGINS, Sky Ride), our purpose was to - ‘inspire and transform the UK into a cycling nation’. We encouraged over 1million people to get on a bike in the UK. Having a clear purpose helped us achieve this goal.
What are the best and most challenging aspects of the role?
The most challenging aspect of my role is communication. To operate and communicate effectively, you need three ingredients:
The right people
In the right place
At the right time
Otherwise, you are just wasting time.
You run the ‘Roadbook of Cycling’ blog page and looked after cycling campaigns at Sky. How has your passion for cycling evolved during your life?
I’m from a family of die-hard cyclists, I was literally born on a saddle. My mother did a 12hr time trial while she was heavily pregnant with me, and my father put me on a bike before I could even walk. My grandparents started it all - they met at a cycling club.
My love for cycling was elevated to another level in 2010-2012 when Team Sky was formed and Sir Bradley Wiggins won the Tour de France. I was just using my bike as a way to keep fit and get to work, Team Sky inspired me to push myself and see what I could achieve on the bike.
During this time, I was working at Sky News. My coverage of the 2012 Tour de France and the Olympic Games opened the opportunity to work directly with the Team. In 2013 I became a full time Creative for Sky’s Cycling campaigns. Working with my heroes gave me a heightened sense of purpose and responsibility. I never took it for granted, people would kill to be in my position. I focused on being the best I can be, in that moment, at that time, with the resource available. Team Sky, British Cycling and Team Wiggins influenced my life and career far more than they could ever imagine.
I am forever grateful. Here are some portraits of my heroes that I took with my old 1960’s Yashica Mat TLR 120mm camera.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Brush your teeth.
What is your favourite cycle route and do you have any advice for beginners?
Sa Calobra, Mallorca. Yes, it’s a beautiful mountain on a beautiful island, but that’s not why. My father was diagnosed with leukemia. The doctor told him that he would struggle to walk without a zimmer frame for the rest of his life. A few years later we cycled up this iconic mountain, together. He refused his fate. This was such a powerful moment, one that I will never forget and will continue to inspire me.
Here’s the full story from each of our perspectives:
My advice for beginners? Don’t feel like you have to buy all the gear to get started. Just grab a bike and go for a ride in your local park, like the Dutch. Oh, and BE CAREFUL, otherwise, you’ll start shaving your legs, like me…
As a creative/film-maker, what do you hope people take with them when they see your work?
To inspire action or provide education. If the viewer makes a small change, or learns something new – my job is done. If the viewer ‘clicks away’ or doesn’t engage in the first place, I have failed that person. I love ‘failure’, but we should ban that word and replace it with ‘experience gaining’. You learn far more from losing than winning. Gaining experience and learning something new every day is the secret to a long-lasting career, it fuels creativity.
What’s coming next for Gareth Winter?
In 2020 I will be creating stories about some of the amazing people that work at Sky.
Despite cycling campaigns coming to an end at Sky, I will still keep ‘rambling on’, representing and working with incredible athletes, people, and brands.
Stay in touch on Instagram - @garethwinter
Competition!
How many times did I use a semantic of ‘Creative’? The winner gets a prize.
(*There is no prize. This was just a creative way to try and make you read the article again.)
