Darlene the Artist

By DARLENE ©2008

To what extent are non-creative people rapt by the moving patterns of light and shadow dancing across a textured surface? How many stop to appreciate an unusual juxtaposition of colors in their environment? Creative people respond to different stimuli. The power of subtly and nuance moves us. 

Visual thinkers are simply able to tackle ideas and concepts from a non-linear perspective and respond differently to the same stimuli. People who do not consider them selves to be particularly creative tend to be conventional in the way they organize information and do not recognize the advantages of developing the intuition as a skill. From a linear standpoint, creative people seem to be “wired” differently. 

Conversely, the creative person does not automatically accept the status quo when it comes to problem-solving. Their approach is particularly germane in those areas where ideas have become obsolete with time.  There is also a spiritual dimension to lateral thinking that has more to do with perception than logic. Creative people perceive the world in non-ordinary ways.

Creative people relate to situations, to our environment and to other people in uncustomary ways. We experience time differently. Most of us possess an advanced awareness of spatial relationships. What is so useful about lateral and visual thinking? Due to our unusual style of processing information, we are able to offer insightful solutions to problems.

It’s this very perceptual difference that makes creative people so valuable in the marketplace. We have the means and the potential to generate and communicate ideas so effectively we often catapult our employers (and their clientele) into prominence. 

Ad agencies, publishing companies, marketing firms and companies specializing in design depend greatly upon the genius of creative people. Our biggest advantage lies in our ability to see clearly beyond the surface. Successful companies actively seek out individuals with the power to perceive what’s under the surface. 

Creative people can usually be found in vocations which have the potential to alter the perception of masses of people-visual artists, illustrators, sculptors, musicians, writers, architects, designers, craftsmen, singers, actors, directors, mathematicians, poets, etc…

In fact, finding the right creative talent and keeping that talent can be the single most important factor which can make or break any of those top dollar “image is everything” advertising / design/ marketing firms. A word to the wise: it may take a creative mind to recognize a fellow artist’s creative potential.

For all our marvelous insights, we pay a high price for being in touch with our intuition. Many things that are obvious to most of the population often sail over the heads of artists. Since most of us tend to avoid social interaction, we have under developed people skills. This is why our manner is often off beat and sometimes off putting. We don’t mean to be difficult, we’re often just clueless.

What I’d like to communicate to all the friends, colleagues, partners, or relatives of creative people is simply that a little appreciation goes a very long way. When those who manage creative people recognize and respond positively to our needs, we will always produce outstanding work.