Knowing the fundamentals of any field of interest or work is a stepping stone. But only a good stepping stone if you use it towards creativity and tap into your intuition.
I’m not sure about you but I have always struggled to see Pablo Picasso’s genius in his work. It always appeared so jumbled and odd to me. It was only when I saw his early work that I realized he actually knew how to draw and paint! It was his early training and work with the fundamentals that allowed his creativity to shine through. To flourish. Picasso was then able to deconstruct form in ways the world had never seen before.
The same goes for sport. I was watching a post-game interview of one the British & Irish Lions Rugby players who had just lost to the Auckland Blues. I was reminded of how nearly every athlete in any professional sport has a canned or cliche response to an interviewer’s question. In this case when asked about how the Lions may be able to beat a much tougher team in the New Zealand All Blacks, this player said “we need to trust our system, just continue to work out system”. Now, I have to agree that a system or a rational approach to a team is integral in order to go in the right direction. But direction is never a straight line. It is never strictly rational, it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Setting out the rational system is a starting point. It is then up to the individuals to use their athleticism and creativity to break the game open and secure the win.
Rational approach to business is similar. Without knowing the rules, the tactics, having the necessary training (preferably elite training, mentorship and coaching) and the stick-to-it approach to your everyday endeavour you will struggle to succeed. Or to put it in other words, your client’s won’t have success which leads to your inability to make a living in the the long run (and potentially in the short term). Having the rational understanding of the problems that may lay ahead is great but not enough. You need to have the agility to adapt in the moment. You must allow your creative intuition to guide you in the right direction. Tapping into this intuition will set you apart.
Imagine if every athlete had the same skill set, followed the same tactics. It would be a boring game. No excitement. Or if each artist did the same type of art. Sameness. Or simply did what the artist thought the public would like.
Sometimes we as the public or the consumer simply do not know what we like. Or we rationalize what may be best for us. We need the creatives to step up and show us new ways of working, creating and acting for us to really understand that there is more than simple fundamentals to go by. And we certainly need our creative, intuitive side to step up to light the way.
People will be inspired. Your tribe will come forward. Your path will become clear.
