There are all sorts of different types of creativity, but at the end of the day, it all boils down into three basic types.
The Technician
After toiling in the trenches and learning the craft inside and out, the technician has lots of different tools at their disposal. Rather than focus on the art of storytelling, they choose the path less subjective by learning about f-stops, memorizing Pantone colors and being 100% grammatically correct.
The technician:
- Can be found in supporting roles
- Knows how to get things done
- Has ideas that are always doable
- Has ideas that are predictable
- Executes flawlessly.
The technician is often jealous of the next creative type, the storyteller. This is because the storyteller’s work often looks amateur, even though it has what the technician never has - heart.
The Storyteller
This creative usually rises in the ranks quickly on their raw talent alone. They think in big, broad strokes, but their ideas are often hard if not impossible to execute.
The storyteller:
- Can be found in leading roles
- Has no idea how to get things done
- Has ideas that are difficult, if not impossible to execute
- Has innovative ideas
- Executes sloppily
When placed in a room with the next creative type, the complete package, the storyteller is often embarrassed because they look like they have no idea what they’re doing. And most of the time they don’t.
The Complete Package
This is the creative type everyone should aspire to be. They have the innate ability to tell great stories and sell their ideas. They’ve spent the time learning how to be technical and are extremely dangerous to both storytellers and technicians.
The complete package:
- Works for themselves on their own ideas
- Will work all hours of the night to get things done in the most effective way possible
- Has ideas that are groundbreaking, yet accomplishable
- Has ideas that make everyone else sit up and take notice
- Is obsessed with executing everything from the big idea to the details flawlessly
So what type of creative are you? Most people fall into one of the first two categories, and only hard work and time will turn them into the complete package.
