The best creatives

Creative isn't a title exclusive to any one industry.

In fact for your title to be simply 'creative', you can't work in one industry. Personally, I think there are three stages to becoming a great creative. If you want an example visit the websites of Starck, West or Gaga.

1. Innovate in your field.
2. Collaborate with people who clash with you.
3. Influence other fields with lessons you've learned from the first step.

A hypothetical application to advertising-

1. Innovate in your field.
Do something different. The easy bit. OK. Let's say I did the Guinness 'Surfer' ad.

2. Collaborate with people who clash with you.
Do adverts with people who don't match what you'd expect. Let's do another advert similar in style to 'Surfer' (very arty and highbrow) to a contrasting soundtrack of hiphop or thrash metal.

3. Influence other fields with what you've learned from the first step.
Take what you've learnt; apply it to fashion / product design / music / etc.

For example, take something that's highbrow in appearance (like a high end fashion boutique) and subject it to a marketing strategy that would be used for a hiphop album.

Just an idea, but I'd be interested to see if it's applicable to every creative scenario.