On day two of advertising 101, you learn about Hack. Hack is the nasty voice that tells you how much you suck. Hack tells you ‘it’s been done’, ‘Crispin did it better’, ‘the agency is onto you’. Hack’s not very nice.
Hack holds you back from good work, any work. He makes you reconsider your career, your writing, your ideas…Hack turns nice people mean. He prays on the thinned skin, and aren’t we all.
When you decide to be an ad man, you make a deal with your Hack. “So I’m gonna do this, but I need you to back off, ok?” Hack agrees, but only on the terms that he can pay you a couple of visits a year. Seems fair enough.
Even after years of work, hours and hours of heart and soul searching and creating, Hack comes back. Yes he’s like that cat. Without warning he pops in and breaks you. And at that point you have to decide, will you let Hack take over or kick him in the shins and run.