Costa DeVault is proud to announce our latest awards:

• On the graphics side, we recently had an entry advance to the American Advertising Federation’s National ADDY competition. Out of 40,000 entries competing in 200 markets nationwide, only 1,500 make it to the final round.

• Additionally, our PR team brought home an Image Award, Award of Distinction and Judges’ Award from the Florida Public Relations Association Orlando chapter’s local Image Awards competition, which acknowledges outstanding achievement on public relations materials and campaigns.

Earlier this week, Procter & Gamble unveiled its new ad campaign, “Thank You, Mom,” which focuses on the mothers of Olympian athletes. But, you don’t have to be the mom of an athlete – or even a mom, at all – to enjoy the following ads they’ve posted on YouTube:

Maybe it was the lull between new episodes of Mad Men – but lately, the team at Costa DeVault has been on an industry documentary kick. Some of our favorites, in no particular order, include:

1. Art & Copy
2. Helvetica
3. The September Issue
4. Bill Cunningham New York
5. POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

Are we missing your favorite? Let us know in the comments and we’ll add it to Costa DeVault’s NetFlix queue.

Is creativity an innate quality … like a sense of humor or 20/20 vision? Or is it a skill that can be sharpened? For Austin Kleon and Jonah Lehrer, the authors of two recent books on the subject, anyone can enhance their innovative thinking … simply by mixing it up.

Everyone will find inspiration in a different way, such as trying a new hobby or taking a break from the cubicle walls. And then there’s the trick of imitating the work of artists you admire.

In “Steal like an Artist,” Austin Kleon argues that all creative types attempt to copy the work of their heroes. And in doing so, they find their own style. He isn’t advocating plagiarism, rather the “collection” of creative elements that can be combined into something new.

The book is full of funny and inspirational quotes, included to help readers think outside the box about … well, thinking outside the box. I like this one by illustrator Jessica Hische: “The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life.”

(However, I’d like to point out that there isn’t much money in trolling Piperlime for the perfect pair of black flip flops.)

Neuroscience writer Jonah Lehrer also explored the subject in a recent Wall Street Journal column and his new book, “Imagine: How Creativity Works.” To Lehrer, creativity is not the mystical, inherent power we often imagine it to be. It’s often the product of relaxing … whether with a hot shower, daydreaming or even a cold beer.

Lehrer points to studies that link relaxation and the brain’s ability to connect abstractedly related information. Anecdotes include the story of Steve Jobs orchestrating creative interaction among Pixar employees by insisting on a single, central location for the studios’ restrooms, as well as the breakthrough of Nike’s famed “Just Do It” slogan.

But Lehrer also concedes that creative problem solving is sometimes the result of grueling, caffeine-fueled work.

Or as Pablo Picasso put it, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working.”

Costa DeVault staff writer Erin Heston is so devoted to creativity that she’s willing to borrow from the greats, shop online or even drink a cold beer … whatever it takes.

Photo credit: gwilmore

If you’re baffled by the jargon from the 2,300-page Dodd-Frank financial law or the Medicaid and Medicare reforms, don’t worry … so are federal judges. A recent Wall Street Journal article discussed how legal authorities across the country are lashing out against poorly written, “tortuous” legal texts. From sentences that take two paragraphs to reach the first period … to the overuse of footnotes … to content that requires a thesaurus word hunt, the judges criticize the incoherency of these documents.

Some legal experts say that we live in a complex world and this is just par for the course.  I agree, but there’s a difference between tackling difficult subject matter and abusing words to escape being understood.

Author William Zinsser of the book On Writing Well said that “clutter is the disease of American writing” and verbal camouflage is a national epidemic. Lawmakers and lobbyists should really read his stuff.

As public relations professionals, we strive for clarity in language to help clients benefit from clear messaging. But I don’t live in a bubble. I know that language is abused by many people (including some people in the PR industry).

One of my favorite quotes about language is by author and research fellow at MIT Sloan School’s Center for Digital Business Michael Schrage:

“Let’s never ever forget that language has evolved as much as a medium for ambiguity and misdirection as a vehicle for clarity and explicitness.”

I applaud these judges for standing up for our laws and our language. What’s your ruling?

Doreen Overstreet does not like to read the tax code and commends those who try.