The 5 Faces Of Genius: Are you the seer, observer, alchemist, fool or sage?
November 20, 2002 | 12:00am
Anybody who figures a way to bottle creativity may easily end up with a bank account that could rival Bill Gates; or be rich and famous as Ray Kroc, the man who at 50 created the McDonald’s franchise enterprise; or be revered and idolized as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Leonardo da Vinci and Georgia O’Keefe, all renowned artists. While no one has found the recipe yet, Anette Moser-Wellman, a former advertising executive in the USA has come close to a concoction, nicely packaged in her book, The Five Faces of Genius: The Skills to Master Ideas At Work. The witty, easy-to-read collection of thoughts, ideas and exercises provides a roadmap to creative thinking styles that can help people to succeed at what they do.
Most of you wish you were more creative. You may dream of someday inventing an amazing new product or technology, directing an award-winning movie, painting a masterpiece that can be auctioned for millions, or choreograph a dance routine that can disrupt an otherwise boring dance presentation. You may envision yourself as a charismatic political leader whose management and leadership skills help the country in solving social and economic problems, or a respected humanitarian bringing new ideas and peace to the world beleaguered by the threat of terror. Or you may hope to be exciting mothers and fathers who can who can radiate joy, care, love and excitement to your troubled children day after day through your creative efforts.
Increasing your creative power is truly possible. Whatever your economic status, age, religion, educational and current creative experiences are, you can achieve far beyond what you had previously imagined or dreamed –winning a Palanca, Agora, or TOYM award; stumbling on an AHA! business concept that allows you to buy your first car, first house, or first plane ticket to an international destination; discovering a traffic system that can make Metro Manila life more convenient and less threatening; developing an artistic hobby that opens the door to entrepreneurship or becoming a maverick in the industry you are in. Stifled or lost creativity can be revitalized, and even taken to new heights. You just have to rekindle the spirit, nurture it, and generate the desired results.
Moser-Wellman who is currently president of a consulting firm that offers workshops in creative thinking believes that that the most valuable resource you can bring to your work is creativity. She says, "Ideas are what matter. Creativity is the true engine behind such business successes as McDonald’s, Amazon.com, Starbucks, Body Shop." The creative way of thinking increases understanding and appreciation of new ideas, of other people, of varying cultures, and of the world in general made smaller by technology. Creativity unlocks the mind and makes the spirit soar. It is what makes you feel alive.
Moser-Wellman’s concept of creativity and its potential for business start with a definition of the common traits of creative people. "The creative mind is the same no matter where it is found. Robert Frost used the same skills to write a poem as Howard Schultz used to create Starbucks," she avers. She likewise discovered through extensive research that there are five types of creative people: Seers, Observers, Alchemists, Fools, and Sages.
The Seer. You are the seer if you have the power to image and if your key creative skill is visualization. You see pictures in your mind, and these pictures become the impetus for ingenious ideas. Mozart is an example of a Seer, as he describes, "When I am, as it were, completely myself, entirely alone, and of good cheer...provided I am not disturbed, my subject enlarges itself, becomes methodized and defined, and the whole, though it be long, stands almost complete and finished in my mind so that I can survey it, like a fine picture or a beautiful statue, at a glance." The image, as you all know, leads to a breakthrough in the world of music.
The Observer. You are the Observer if you have the power to notice the details of the world around you and put them together to build a new combination of ideas. Curiosity is your motivation, as you cherish the details you encounter. When Walt Disney took his young daughter to play in the park, he noticed the details around him – the adults looked bored, the rides were run down, and the ride operators were unfriendly. He thought, "Wouldn’t it be fun if there was a place where kids and adults could play together?" And from those initial observations he hatched the idea for his theme parks.
The Alchemist. You are the Alchemist, if you have the power to connect domains – different ideas, disciplines, or systems of thoughts – and put them together in a unique way to arrive at cutting-edge projects. Legend has it that Leo Burnett created the infamous Marlboro Man while using the principles of the Alchemist. Flipping through a magazine, he got fixated with the image of an American cowboy. Burnett made the creative connection between the masculinity of the cowboy image and the cigarette assignment that came to his agency. He believed that the cowboy could become the defining character for the product. And it did, because with this connection one of the most successful, and controversial brands in history was born.
The Fool. You are the Fool if you have the power to celebrate weakness. Fools practice three related skills: excelling at inversion, seeing the sense in absurdity, and having unending perseverance. Scientist Roy Plunkett, during one of his experimentation for a new configuration of a chlorofluorocarbon made a discovery. He accidentally set a can of the chemical on the laboratory radiator. When he found it in the morning, the chlorofluorocarbon had polymerized and created a hard resistant surface on the bottom of the can. Instead of throwing it away and calling it a failure, he analyzed the accident. This mishap was the birth of a new product called Teflon. For the Fool, invention happens through redeeming weakness.
The Sage. You are the Sage, if you have the power to simplify. When Martha Graham, began dancing in the early 1900s, the high art of dance was the Russian ballet, with its refined movement, exquisite costuming, and adorned set and stage. Graham thought differently. She believed dance was a visceral thing, that it should be about the body, not the ornamentation of the body. "Movement never lies," she said. Graham stripped the complexity of ballet to its essence – human movement. Instead of predictable dance steps, she used the motion of the entire body. Instead of ornate sets, her stage was clear. Instead of elaborate costuming, she wore simple clothes. Graham’s groundbreaking contributions changed the discipline of dance forever. Using the principles of the Sage, she became an originator of modern dance and created a signature style that continues to this day.
The book has a 40-question survey to help you find your particular "face of genius." Moser-Wellman says you can be often dominant in one of the faces, but the book’s real goal is to help you master all the of the faces and use them regularly, interchangeably, and to your advantage.
The world is becoming more complex each day, and societal problems are becoming increasingly difficult to solve. The world faces a multitude of issues begging for creative solutions. Governments need redirections. Schools need a major overhaul. There is crime everywhere. Family relationships are breaking down. Traditional business approaches are failing. Global competition is getting fierce. Consumers are becoming more sophisticated, demanding and discriminating. Companies are scrambling for new systems and methods to manufacture, manage and market products and services. There is a dearth in originality, and it is time to come face to face with the five faces of genius, and dig deep in the well of creativity.
Learn from the stories of Albert Einstein, Andy Grove of Intel, Bob Dylan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and other past and present geniuses, because as William Blake says, "It is my business to create."
E-mail bongo@vasia.com or bongo@campaignsandgrey.net for comments and/or questions.
Most of you wish you were more creative. You may dream of someday inventing an amazing new product or technology, directing an award-winning movie, painting a masterpiece that can be auctioned for millions, or choreograph a dance routine that can disrupt an otherwise boring dance presentation. You may envision yourself as a charismatic political leader whose management and leadership skills help the country in solving social and economic problems, or a respected humanitarian bringing new ideas and peace to the world beleaguered by the threat of terror. Or you may hope to be exciting mothers and fathers who can who can radiate joy, care, love and excitement to your troubled children day after day through your creative efforts.
Increasing your creative power is truly possible. Whatever your economic status, age, religion, educational and current creative experiences are, you can achieve far beyond what you had previously imagined or dreamed –winning a Palanca, Agora, or TOYM award; stumbling on an AHA! business concept that allows you to buy your first car, first house, or first plane ticket to an international destination; discovering a traffic system that can make Metro Manila life more convenient and less threatening; developing an artistic hobby that opens the door to entrepreneurship or becoming a maverick in the industry you are in. Stifled or lost creativity can be revitalized, and even taken to new heights. You just have to rekindle the spirit, nurture it, and generate the desired results.
Moser-Wellman who is currently president of a consulting firm that offers workshops in creative thinking believes that that the most valuable resource you can bring to your work is creativity. She says, "Ideas are what matter. Creativity is the true engine behind such business successes as McDonald’s, Amazon.com, Starbucks, Body Shop." The creative way of thinking increases understanding and appreciation of new ideas, of other people, of varying cultures, and of the world in general made smaller by technology. Creativity unlocks the mind and makes the spirit soar. It is what makes you feel alive.
Moser-Wellman’s concept of creativity and its potential for business start with a definition of the common traits of creative people. "The creative mind is the same no matter where it is found. Robert Frost used the same skills to write a poem as Howard Schultz used to create Starbucks," she avers. She likewise discovered through extensive research that there are five types of creative people: Seers, Observers, Alchemists, Fools, and Sages.
The Seer. You are the seer if you have the power to image and if your key creative skill is visualization. You see pictures in your mind, and these pictures become the impetus for ingenious ideas. Mozart is an example of a Seer, as he describes, "When I am, as it were, completely myself, entirely alone, and of good cheer...provided I am not disturbed, my subject enlarges itself, becomes methodized and defined, and the whole, though it be long, stands almost complete and finished in my mind so that I can survey it, like a fine picture or a beautiful statue, at a glance." The image, as you all know, leads to a breakthrough in the world of music.
The Observer. You are the Observer if you have the power to notice the details of the world around you and put them together to build a new combination of ideas. Curiosity is your motivation, as you cherish the details you encounter. When Walt Disney took his young daughter to play in the park, he noticed the details around him – the adults looked bored, the rides were run down, and the ride operators were unfriendly. He thought, "Wouldn’t it be fun if there was a place where kids and adults could play together?" And from those initial observations he hatched the idea for his theme parks.
The Alchemist. You are the Alchemist, if you have the power to connect domains – different ideas, disciplines, or systems of thoughts – and put them together in a unique way to arrive at cutting-edge projects. Legend has it that Leo Burnett created the infamous Marlboro Man while using the principles of the Alchemist. Flipping through a magazine, he got fixated with the image of an American cowboy. Burnett made the creative connection between the masculinity of the cowboy image and the cigarette assignment that came to his agency. He believed that the cowboy could become the defining character for the product. And it did, because with this connection one of the most successful, and controversial brands in history was born.
The Fool. You are the Fool if you have the power to celebrate weakness. Fools practice three related skills: excelling at inversion, seeing the sense in absurdity, and having unending perseverance. Scientist Roy Plunkett, during one of his experimentation for a new configuration of a chlorofluorocarbon made a discovery. He accidentally set a can of the chemical on the laboratory radiator. When he found it in the morning, the chlorofluorocarbon had polymerized and created a hard resistant surface on the bottom of the can. Instead of throwing it away and calling it a failure, he analyzed the accident. This mishap was the birth of a new product called Teflon. For the Fool, invention happens through redeeming weakness.
The Sage. You are the Sage, if you have the power to simplify. When Martha Graham, began dancing in the early 1900s, the high art of dance was the Russian ballet, with its refined movement, exquisite costuming, and adorned set and stage. Graham thought differently. She believed dance was a visceral thing, that it should be about the body, not the ornamentation of the body. "Movement never lies," she said. Graham stripped the complexity of ballet to its essence – human movement. Instead of predictable dance steps, she used the motion of the entire body. Instead of ornate sets, her stage was clear. Instead of elaborate costuming, she wore simple clothes. Graham’s groundbreaking contributions changed the discipline of dance forever. Using the principles of the Sage, she became an originator of modern dance and created a signature style that continues to this day.
The book has a 40-question survey to help you find your particular "face of genius." Moser-Wellman says you can be often dominant in one of the faces, but the book’s real goal is to help you master all the of the faces and use them regularly, interchangeably, and to your advantage.
The world is becoming more complex each day, and societal problems are becoming increasingly difficult to solve. The world faces a multitude of issues begging for creative solutions. Governments need redirections. Schools need a major overhaul. There is crime everywhere. Family relationships are breaking down. Traditional business approaches are failing. Global competition is getting fierce. Consumers are becoming more sophisticated, demanding and discriminating. Companies are scrambling for new systems and methods to manufacture, manage and market products and services. There is a dearth in originality, and it is time to come face to face with the five faces of genius, and dig deep in the well of creativity.
Learn from the stories of Albert Einstein, Andy Grove of Intel, Bob Dylan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and other past and present geniuses, because as William Blake says, "It is my business to create."
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