How to become an art director or creative director?

If I want to someday become a head honcho creative director and am strong in both copywriting and art direction (but currently employed as a copywriter) which direction is better to go and why?

• I obtained a full-time job before I was out of school for copywriting, but I'm going to school for art direction (thus my portfolio contains work for both.) I have awards in art direction and though I enjoy the writing, I miss the design side of things. I want to do both! And I want to move as far up in my career as possible.

• Answer:

  Being a copywriter you should be able to demand that you only write the copy based on the pre-final design ( art work). If you have attained that kind of authority in copy writing then you have created your own niche place.  So, you need to create your own unique place and differentiate yourself from other copy writers.  1. You decide the head lines and its font and size of it. 2. You decide the next line below the head lines and its font, placement and size of it. 3. You decide the running text copy whether it is print or web or electronic media - so then your copy determines the design, rather design is based on the copy. That stage has to come one day or other. Critics and art directors say  ( in next answers) that it is impossible.  You should ask about how you can create a copy without seeing the art work?  And you do not know how the art director is going to manipulate the copy you have written and if that copy has not clicked as you have thought then blames comes to YOU not to the art director.  Most important thing is that creativity and originality can be amplified only through two major aspects 1. copy writing and 2. Art direction.  Designer - in present days is a mere Photoshop expert - he need not be a creative person but should be expert in operating PS or CS or Coral etc., An operator is different and creative director is totally different.  So, you direct the operator to create your ideas based on your basic copy you have in  your mind. People get attracted to the good design. Well... but sales actually happens when they read the copy and when they read it "fully".  Design is window dressing and then customer enters inside and then "copy" is what you see in the store and then induced to buy. Final:  Keep copy writing as your main ladder and slowly enter into the art direction - never ever become a CS expert or Operator.... When you demand the art director to show the design, through your copy writing skills then you have achieved your objective. Please visit http://www.changethis.com and read few pdf files on creativity, innovation and copy writing.