Creativity rarely ends with the first idea. It takes courage to speak up, curiosity to look beyond the familiar, and “culit” to keep refining an idea until it becomes something worth sharing with the world.
Abi Aquino, Chief Creative Officer of TREYNA Group, cited these three values during the adobo Masterclass on Creativity at Portfolio Night Manila 2026.
Speaking to student creatives, Abi unpacked the principles that have guided her creative journey and helped shape her agency’s culture — a reminder that meaningful work demands more than inspiration. It requires the willingness to ask questions, challenge conventions, and stay with an idea through the difficult process of making it better.
Courage means speaking up
According to Abi, courage begins with the seemingly ordinary act of speaking up. Whether it means admitting something is unclear or presenting an imperfect idea, young creatives should take initiative instead of allowing uncertainty to keep them quiet.
“It means you speak up first. You ask for help,” she said.
Reflecting on her early career, she recalled being afraid to ask questions at her first job, which led her to make mistakes that could have been avoided by seeking clarification. The experience shaped her belief that pretending to know can be more costly than acknowledging what one has yet to learn.
“Libre magtanong pero mahal maging tanga (There’s no harm in asking, but there’s a price to pay for not knowing better),” she said, underscoring the importance of asking questions instead of allowing confusion to compromise the work. “Don’t pretend to be someone else. Don’t pretend to know things you don’t.”
Courage, however, extends beyond acknowledging what one does not know. It also means challenging the status quo, sharing ideas before they are fully formed, and offering honest feedback when something could be better. For her, creatives must learn to push back when necessary, while remaining respectful of the people they work with.
“Prioritize being honest over being nice, so be honest and be nice about it,” Abi added.
Essentially, her point is not to be confrontational for its own sake, but to create an environment where ideas can be questioned, improved, and ultimately strengthened.
Curiosity opens new paths
If courage gives creatives the confidence to speak, curiosity gives them something new to say.
Abi encouraged participants to move beyond familiar creative references and explore interests outside their immediate disciplines. Art, graphic design, books, music, and film can all be sources of inspiration, particularly when creatives allow themselves to follow unexpected paths.
“Better ideas lead to better questions,” she said, adding that curiosity is “the part of creativity that trounces algorithms.”
Abi urged creatives to stay open to unfamiliar perspectives, rather than settling for the first answer or following patterns reinforced by algorithms. She also encouraged exploring a subject without knowing exactly where it might lead, as doing so can reveal connections that would otherwise remain undiscovered.
This approach positions curiosity as more than a personality trait. It becomes an active creative practice, one that requires asking better questions, questioning assumptions, and seeking inspiration beyond the boundaries of one’s usual interests.
‘Culit’ keeps good ideas alive
The third value, “culit,” (a word play from the Filipino term kulit or playful) brings persistence and playfulness into the creative process.
“Culit is humor meets grit for me, honestly,” Abi said. She then describes it as “a never-ending insistence on something,” suggesting that creatives should keep working on an idea instead of abandoning it at the first sign of difficulty.
“It’s never letting good ideas die.”
To illustrate the principle, Abi shared the process of developing a Cornetto campaign as an example. The team generated numerous jokes, tested possibilities, and refined the material through several rounds before presenting a shortlist to the client. The process demonstrated that strong creative work rarely emerges fully formed. Behind an effective execution, often, are discarded options, repeated revisions, and the willingness to keep searching for the version that works best.
Ultimately, culit, for Abi, is not simply about being playful or persistent. It is about recognizing the potential of an idea and giving it enough attention to reach its strongest form. Creativity, in this sense, is as much about the work that happens after the initial spark as it is about the spark itself.
“Sometimes when the courage is low, sometimes when the curiosity is out, and you just want to sit with your dogs, culit will keep you going.”
Turning creative values into meaningful work
Aquino also discussed how courage, curiosity, and culit can converge in campaigns designed to address real-world concerns.
The “Right to Care Card,” developed by TREYNA with the Quezon City Gender and Development Office, stands as a strong example. The initiative addresses the right to care, demonstrating how a creative idea can move beyond communication and contribute to a more meaningful public conversation.
She also cited “Stripes Fit Check” for Scoliosis Philippines among the agency’s notable work, reflecting the potential of creativity to bring attention to issues that matter.
These examples grounded her message in practical reality, emphasizing that creative values become most meaningful when they help turn an idea into something that resonates with people and serves a purpose beyond the brief.
For young creatives building their portfolios and finding their footing in the industry, this means looking beyond the immediate appeal of an execution. It means asking what an idea can contribute, whose experiences it can represent, and how it might make a difference.
Finding people who share the same values
As the masterclass drew to a close, Abi returned to the three principles that have shaped her approach to creative work.
“As you start your journey… those three [are] what will sustain you,” she said.
She also encouraged participants to seek out collaborators with the same principles. Creative growth, after all, does not have to happen in isolation.
“Find like-minded people who will share these same values… and all of you will go far together.”
At Portfolio Night Manila 2026, where student creatives gathered to present their work and receive feedback from industry professionals, Abi offered food for thought that the masterclass participants may find useful in navigating the challenges ahead.
Courage makes room for imperfect ideas. Curiosity opens them to new possibilities, and culit keeps them alive long enough to become something better. Together, these values serve as a reminder that a creative career is not built on talent alone. It is sustained by the questions one dares to ask, the possibilities one continues to explore, and the persistence to keep making the work better.
Portfolio Night Manila 2025 wouldn’t be possible without the support of our sponsors:
Community Partners: DITO Telecommunity, Loudbox Studios, Dentsu Creative Philippines, and Coca-Cola
Stationery Partners: Mongol and Sharpie
Coffee Partner: Oatside
Food Partners: Jollibee, and Yellow Cab
Swagkit Partner: Birch Tree
Partner: Ayala Foundation
Venue: Ayala Museum
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