It's Monday again. Didn't that weekend go by fast? Let's get to know a friend of Adland.tv, Darryl Ohrt, Executive Creative Director of Carrot, NYC, and Adverveblog.com -er. You can also listen in to his thoughts, wisdom and more at twitter @darrylohrt.
What's your favorite funny story about yourself?
The night that a bunch of coworkers and I nearly got arrested at the FountainBleau hotel in Miami. This is a long story that even includes actors from the Sopranos. Ask me to tell you about it, when I meet you in person.
What piece of art (movie, book, music, painting, etc) has influenced you most? How or why?
Punk rock. Both the original movement and the hardcore movement of the 80's. Punk culture and the ability and willingness to think different, question what's been done before and do it yourself are what inspires me to do what I do each and every day.
Who was your favorite mentor and why?
Early on, it was Johnny Rotten. A friend used to say that he was the only adult you could look up to. As I've aged and become more of a business person, I lean more toward Malcolm Maclaren. The spirit of punk rock runs deep in my blood and defines the way that I think as both a creative and business person.
What's one thing that excites you about the future of advertising?
Technology and change. I guess that's two things, so I'll go with CHANGE.
If you could meet with anyone in history (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
Throughout all history? That's tough to narrow down. I've met some of my contemporary idols like Joey Ramone, Johnny Rotten and Malcolm Maclaren, and they didn't disappoint. I guess Steven Hawking would be pretty high on the list, but I'm not sure what I'd say to him. Also Benjamin Franklin, Mozart and Charles & Ray Eames.
What’s your favorite website/blog, and why?
Just one? This is not possible. And it really changes each and every week. If I could only choose one, I guess it would have to be BoingBoing, as that's been a consistent part of my life since it launched.
What's your trick to break out of a creative block?
Get out of my surrounding. Put myself somewhere different. I do my best work, writing, ideating when I'm in a new place that I haven't been to before.
Who is your advertising hero and why?
Darren from Bewitched. His character was my first exposure to our industry. Even though he worked for a dumbass and his clients were difficult, I still came away with a desire to work in the industry.
Tell us one of the things on your bucket list.
To experience anti-gravity.
What piece of advice do you wish someone had told you when you were starting out?
To prioritize fun. This is something that I've learned on my own, and it drives everything that I do. Too many people don't have real fun. Or think they can buy it. I firmly believe in that saying "if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life." Life's short - separate yourself from negative people, and gravitate toward the genuinely happy.
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