Inkblot test via deviant art
Albert Einstein described intuition as “the only real valuable thing.” It’s an internal guidance system which everyone possesses to some degree, but which can become highly developed through practice.
As artists, we create, manage and achieve very complex projects, working with multiple partners and multiple stakeholders. We create something that has never existed before. Artists see opportunities, and without a lot of conscious thought, we can create all the resources required to manifest them. We develop and use our intuition – the greatest gift we have as artists. If we also apply this to the business side of artistic practice, there’s nothing to stop us.
Intuition is our internal decision-maker. Artists intuitively know when a particular art piece is finished. Intuition that tells you when a moment in rehearsal is perfect. Intuition helps you to choose artistic collaborators or artistic partners. Intuition also lets you know when something’s not quite right.
The ability to use only intuition to make decisions is unique to artists. We have nothing else to rely on, and through extensive use, we have become thoroughly familiar with its application that we barely notice it.
When we become conscious of how our intuition works for us on the creative side of our careers, we can transfer that awareness and ability to the business side as well, and make the right decisions as a result.
In my career I had the great good fortune to spend two years working with the Banff Centre for Management in Canada where I was able to work with top CEOs and business executives. While I witnessed them running large corporations, they also watched me in my environment, the rehearsal hall and theatre.
I saw the CEOs struggle and fret and agonise about the decisions they needed to make. They, on the other hand, were fascinated to watch me make decisions during rehearsals, changing direction, correcting the course and making improvements quickly and effortlessly on the fly without second guessing. They would often ask me, “How do you make decisions so quickly, and how do you know they’re right?” My answer was always the same, “I just know – I can feel it. It’s intuition.”
I came to realise that as successful as these CEOs were, they lacked trust in their intuition.
The beauty of the artist’s intuition is that it’s immediate. Our intuition tells us right now that this is the right choice, this is the right thing or this is the golden opportunity. It’s immediate. When we listen to our intuition, we make a choice in the present moment.
I think about your most recent artistic process. When you replay that process in your mind, notice the moments when your intuition guided you towards the right decisions. Artists should not just acknowledge but also trust their intuition.
The challenge that you will face in bringing your intuition into your business life is the second guessing and the doubt that will occur due to fear. In business they counter this fear through ‘scenario running’ – they think about a potential solution and then employ teams of people to model that decision going forward in time to determine the best course of action. Because we have strong intuition, we don’t require – or have the resources – for teams of modellers and scenario runners.
Extending our intuitive skills beyond our immediate creative practice and into our creative business strengthens our sustainability in a competitive world. We need the practical skills of course, but in making the larger decision about goals, directions, business partnerships and pathways, the value of intuition cannot be underestimated. It’s our most highly developed skill, so why not expand the boundaries of its operation? What does your intuition tell you?
