How to Engage in Creative Alchemy as a Creative Entrepreneur
How to Engage in Creative Alchemy as a Creative Entrepreneur
In 2017, I defined Creative Alchemy as follows:
Creative alchemy is the art of combining your skills and talents to create something unique.
I know plenty of creatives that aren’t just good at one thing. Some who play music also paint. Some designers are also sculptors. And, still others engage in just about every artistic discipline imaginable.
How Intelligent Are You Really? And What Can You Do About It?
Sure, the running theme across this blog is that I'm a misfit and an old soul, but I will with impunity put much of the blame on my father for making me so! With a Doctorate in Organizational Behaviour, and close to a lifetime spent studying and disseminating knowledge on Emotional & Behavioral Intelligence, Creativity, et al, he introduced me to books like 'The Seven Habits…', and concepts such as the Time Management Quadrant, MBTI Personality Types, Blue Ocean Strategy, among many others, when I was a mere 12-15 years of age – it is not normal for a seventh grader to know such things! Among those was also Howard Gardner's classification of Intelligence Types, which I wish to talk about today.
We live in a place and at a time where the barometer for measurement of intelligence manifests in the ability to crack a test or a set of tests ("Omg, he's got to be smart – he scored perfectly on his SATs… went to Harvard…"). Sure they could be smart – they might crunch numbers like a machine, or wax eloquent like the President. But what if they are so full of themselves that they cannot take in ideas from others and instead intimidate them into submission? What if they are narcissists to a degree that they just don't realise when their words or actions have crushed someone's feelings? Or they can't for the life of them appreciate the subtleties of music or art? And those who can, are they really dimwitted to not be concentrating their energies on their math, science or MBA instead?
The following are the types of intelligence proposed by Gardner.
The original list:
1. Logical-mathematical Intelligence:
The most obvious of them all, and the one most of the tests center around – what with logical tests, mathematical problems, pattern series, etc. This is mostly ALL that IQ tests check, including Mensa, and that, to my mind, is anything but definitive proof of great intelligence (and I say this as a Mensan myself, so not a case of sour grapes here!).
2. Verbal-linguistic Intelligence:
Needless to say, those who know their way around words... But then again, this is quite a broad category – for there are those who have the gift of the gab and are glib talkers (RJ/VJ-worthy), while some others may have such an expansive lexicon (in one or more languages) that they choose their words and produce better and richly on paper; but for simplicity's sake, let us just consider both under one.
3. Visual-spatial Intelligence:
These would be the ones with the artist's vision, or those with the eye for detail/design – artists, sculptors, designers, photographers, etc. This also kicks in for simple matters such as being able to judge whether or not a car can fit into a tight parking spot (I severely lack this one), or proofreading (this too).
4. Musical Intelligence:
The spectrum from tone deaf to, say, Yanni... It may come naturally to some, but others aren't nearly as blessed. And at the risk of offending a lot of people, those who enjoy and appreciate classical music are obviously more musically intelligent than those who mostly stay in the company of rappers / hip-hoppers!
5. Bodily-kinesthetic Intelligence:
How much of a control do you have over your body and your muscles? Thought athletes were just all brawn, without any form of intelligence to themselves?! A mind-body coordination of the level required of professional athletes and sportspersons comes through extreme intelligence of this type, honed by training. Heard of muscle memory, I presume? Then again, this holds for actors too, who need perfect control over their facial muscles to be able to emote before the camera.
6. Interpersonal Intelligence:
The 'people skills' they ask for while recruiting – this is that intelligence. But then, a question comes to mind – there are some who can skillfully connect with a client or customer through quickly getting a sense of their interests and holding up the right kind of conversation, while others are more of understanding listeners with a much deeper level of empathy and sensitivity than the former. Who in this case is more intelligent??
7. Intrapersonal Intelligence:
This would be the intelligence that enables you to look at yourself from the outside – evaluate your thoughts & actions, introspect… The answer to the question under Number 6 above lies here – those who understand others and their deepest feelings better are the ones that actually delve inside themselves more; hence, they are the ones with higher Interpersonal and Intrapersonal intelligence, as opposed to others who may have Interpersonal Intelligence combined with better Verbal Intelligence, perhaps?
Two more types have been added in recent years:
8. Naturalistic Intelligence:
The need for inclusion of this in the list was probably felt once concerns over the environment started becoming increasingly commonplace, and sensitivity towards and understanding of various forms of flora, fauna, geographical formations, etc. was acknowledged as intelligence in its own right. Chefs, naturalists, environmentalists, and especially climate change champions, exhibit this form of intelligence.
9. Existential Intelligence:
This has not been fully defined, for even within science, researchers are divided between the staunch atheists, the agnostics, and the spiritually motivated; but if one is often bogged down by questions of what their purpose is, or what happens after death, or about destiny, law of cause & effect, cosmic energies, etc., then they likely possess this kind of intelligence that helps them make better life choices.
Infographic Courtesy: Mark Vital
Before I continue, do me a quick favour, would you?! Please help me by filling in this quick survey - https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/M9BRX5Y (will not take any more than 2 minutes, I promise!) - so there can emerge a sense of what meanings various kinds of intelligence hold for people in general. I hope to carry out some data analysis and share the results with you right here. :)
So now, having had a look at the various kinds of intelligence, one might wonder if there is any such thing as being more intelligent than others; because going by this, obviously no one is 'unintelligent' anymore! Is this a means to salve those who haven't got the qualities that the 'achievers', as we know them, do ("Remember, you are unique… just like everyone else")? As it happens, the debate is on around whether or not to identify Logical-mathematical and Verbal-linguistic as the only real forms of intelligence, and the others as just 'skills'. But what we can all agree on is that we all have varying combinations of each of the above kinds of intelligence, which determines what we are inherently good at, and the jobs it would not take us much effort to master. A diplomat would inherently need strong logical, interpersonal and verbal intelligence; a scuba diver – mostly naturalistic and kinesthetic intelligence, and so on (how about you try this as an exercise – try and identify all the combinations of intelligence required for different professions picked up at random?!).
As for me, I rate myself above average on all kinds of intelligence, except perhaps bodily-kinesthetic. Now while that may sound impressive, what it actually does is complicate matters greatly – allow me to explain how. Because my intelligence is spread more or less evenly across almost all, I do not have as much depth in any single kind as a super specialist in, say, logical intelligence would. I will, therefore, never be able to match up to them at their domain, so I need to choose my study or work differently; and even if I do fit in, my creative self would be left grossly underutilized and would scream for release. What I am essentially is, as a most wonderful woman who goes by the name Emilie Wapnick describes it, a 'multipotentialite’.
So yes, a multipotentialite is basically someone who is adept at more than one kind of intelligence / skill / whatever else you may choose to call it. They have a hard time fitting in to any kind of work that does not challenge them enough or allow them to exercise all of their faculties, which is why they might come across as restless, or utterly disinterested and demotivated if they have been locked in one place against their will far too long. They are, however, also the ones that truly innovate, for they are on a quest to find those areas of intersection; and if they don't already exist, to create them.
If you have been able to identify as a multipotentialite, I would request you to please consider it your responsibility to make the world a better place for those your kind; and the way you can do this is by not conforming to the race for getting those Investment Banking, Finance or Consulting jobs that much of the world runs after – they are jobs suited to very specific intelligence combination types. You need to discover your passions, hone them, and make opportunities out of them as valuable as the ones above. Only when newer avenues open up, will the frenzy shift from the current top jobs, and redistribute itself to newer and more fulfilling opportunities.
Many (many) years ago, I decided to take up wood carving. I went to a local arts store, bought a bunch of tools and materials and things... and then promptly
Career and Life Advice for People with Many Passions and Creative Pursuits
If you have too many passions to just choose one, if you’ve never had one true calling, and if you’ve always dreaded the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” this web-based community is for you.
I am a multipotentialite and you might be too. Read more at http://puttylike.com/ curated by the lovely Emilie Wapnick https://twitter.com/emiliewapnick
I'm Romeo & Juliet. I'm David & Goliath. I'm Harold & Maude. I'm also John Cusack and all 9 other characters from the film Identity.
I've always found it fascinating how almost every character driven story seeks to only develop a single character to the point of relatability. There can be fantastic depth of character given to supporting players, but you don't see yourself in them do you? You see yourself in the hero.
Or at least you're supposed to...
I know I'm not alone in this, but I see myself everywhere, in every character to some degree. I have however, made it a practice to see this way. I have forced my mind open to feel similar to more and more "types" of people. Here is why it can revolutionize your life to nurture all your personalities.
Maximum Relatability Equals Maximum Solutions
We relate to any given hero because we relate to their struggle and we are emotionally invested in their solution. But what about our own problems? Aren't these a tad more important than whether we enjoy a film? If we know relatability to be the foundation of trust, it is no surprise that we seek wisdom from those that are "like us". I trust that your solution will work for my problem if I'm like you. So, why wouldn't I want...nay...seek to expand my ability to relate? More relatability, more solutions.
Keep Work Spicy
I've been reading a lot about "multipotentialites" recently at Puttylike.com. A multipotentialite is essentially someone who has specialist capabilities in multiple areas....and ironically, are also the folks who hate the term specialist. I personally believe that all humans are (or can easily become) multipods, but I'll rant on that later. We who have many active interests are usually described as "easily distracted" or "excitable". I don't necessarily deny the description, but I take some issue with the idea that this is a bad way to be. Not following through is bad, but being constantly excited is way more of a blessing than a curse. Our curiosity effortlessly keeps things "spicy" in the office.
Think With Both Brains
Piggy backing on the previous point, the more diversified your skills the more the more valuable you are to others. This diversification makes it a thousand times easier to be both excitable and to follow through on those crazy ideas. Imagine a world in which every artist is highly organized, where statisticians are empathic, and where all web developers have average social skills! WHAT A WORLD THAT WOULD BE!!! The more skills/tools one has, the more means of application are seen and more opportunities become snatchable.
The Right Tool For The Job
I've described how even thinking in a new way exposes new opportunities, but when you have all the right tools for every job...well then, you are without equal. Now, I don't remotely have all the skills for every job, but it really seems like Leonardo DaVinci did doesn't it? He's famously quoted as saying "I believe knowledge of all things is possible." Michael Gelb wrote a fascinating book entitled "How to Think Like Leonardo DaVinci" that outlines the methods the master himself used to hone his many specialties, and precisely how to duplicate his process. Many of us are far from being masters at everything, but I could be persuaded to believe that given enough time I could master all the skills necessary for everything I'm currently interested in.
It's Healthy to be a Little Crazy
Chase Reeves of The Fizzle Show likes to say "There is a certain amount of self-delusion necessary to being an entrepreneur." I may have butchered the quote a bit, but the idea is pretty straightforward: I wouldn't take risks without a bit o' crazy. I also wouldn't strive to continue learning and getting better at my current "thing" if I wasn't sure I was an impostor. The duality of this thinking is the very essence of my split-personality: My overconfidence is equally match with an impostor syndrome. It may sound strange, but I thank the heavens everyday for this paradox. The juxtaposition keeps me in check, keeps me moving forward, and keeps me risking my hide on a daily basis.
So there. You. Have it (shoutout to CWR). Being split-personalitied, multipotential, DaVincian or whatever else, It's vital to continually develop all that is you...and we'd all do well to learn to love the crazy.
YOUR TURN:
How do you nurture your many crafts? I'd love to hear what you all think about this. I will never presume to "have figured it out" and your commentary, even opposition, is the fire that we all need to continue theorizing, experimenting, and figuring this all out!
