The Artist vs. The Scientist
Join me for a quick mental exercise.
Close your eyes and picture an Artist. Ok, good. Hold on to that image. Now do the same for a Scientist.
How do your mental images differ? If your thoughts are anything like mine, you created two vastly different images.
The Artist: Creative, soulful, thoughtful.
The Scientist: Analytical, objective, efficient.
Two different types of people, with contrasting mindsets and approaches to their work. Most feel that there is a dichotomy between the two. That they can only have one of the two mindsets: “I am the creative type”, or “I am the analytical type”.
But, to be successful at anything meaningful, you have to be both an Artist and a Scientist. They are opposite sides of the same crucial coin.
The Artist creates art. The Scientist analyzes the results.
The Artist goes slow. They soulfully and thoughtfully create meaningful experiences. The Scientist goes fast. They objectively review the results and seek out improvements.
To maximize your potential, you must be both an Artist and a Scientist. You have to be prepared to shift between these two seemingly opposite mindsets.
- Like an Artist with projects, like a Scientist with tasks.
- Like an Artist with people, like a Scientist with processes.
- Like an Artist with creating, like a Scientist with feedback.
- Like an Artist when you speak, like a Scientist when you listen.
Be prepared to drop the smock and don the lab coat. When necessary, put down the paintbrush and pick up the calculator.
Don’t let these two mindsets be at odds with each other. Let your inner Artist and Scientist be partners.
Working together for your success.
