SPARK: Andy J Pizza – Creative Pep Talk – Episode 280 - Which of the 6 Creative Types Are You?
Although this is not a new episode, I re-listened to it this week and thought it deserved a shout out here.
In this episode, Andy talks about 6 types of creatives – and these types are based on what you value as a creative. He mentioned that you usually have one “major” and one “minor”. The six types he outlined are:
· The Showstopping Fighter
· The Sensory Artificer
· The Careful Cleric
· The Outspoken Orator
· The Healing Bard
· The Expanding Alchemist
I don’t go into as much detail as Andy did the episode (after all, I wouldn’t want to just transpose his words here) but I in order for this discussion to make sense, I do this it is important to give a very high-level explanation of each of the types. However, I do want to say that he mentioned that you probably have a dominant type and a secondary type.
Get ready to be amazed by the Showstopping Fighter – the want to push the boundaries and do something that has never been done before. The easy example of this is a magician, however there are creatives of so many different types who may be working this way.
As you may guess, the Sensory Artificer is out to please your senses. Think of amazing chefs to try to put things together in on a plate in an unexpected way – they want to delight your eyes and your taste buds – probably it will have a wonderful aroma too!
A creative who almost goes into a meditative state while working may be a Careful Cleric. To them, the technique is paramount – there is a lot of detail in their pieces and the work that went into it almost becomes more important than the final result. An embroidery artist, for example, makes me think of this – I know for myself when working on embroidery the entire world can almost slip away – you are almost in a trace from the concentration that goes into the work.
To the Outspoken Orator, the message is the most important part of the work. Their work makes you stop and think and often question how you think about the world. The most obvious example of this is Banksy.
The Healing Bard seeks to express or evoke feelings and emotions with their work. Filmmakers are a great example of this – they are able to bring a tear to your eye or make you laugh out loud.
The mad scientist of the bunch is the Expanding Alchemist – they are innovative and like to push the realms of what is possible. They can exist in any medium, but fashion designers are the creatives that come to mind easily.
Did any of them resonate with you?
I believe I am a Healing Bard with a side of Careful Cleric. And these traits permeate a lot throughout my personality. I am a nurturer, first and foremost. A friend recently said that I was the “motheriest non-mom that ever roamed the planet.” For people who are close to me, I would do anything to help them feel better. I also have an extremely focused and methodical approach to life. I like to be able to plan things out and work towards them in a linear fashion. This flying by the seats of your pants thing has never been me. Its part of why I struggle – after all, life rarely follows a linear path. I am getting slightly better at it, but the thought of not knowing where we are going or what time puts me in a tizzy.
I would challenge you to think about which one you are and how that archetype permeates through not only your creative life but life in general.
Here is a link to the episode, so you can check it out for yourself. I would love to hear what you thought of it, let me know in the comments!