The 10 Artist Types
Detailed Descriptions Below
Each Artist Type has unique strengths and interacts with the other types in dynamic ways.
See below for detailed descriptions of each Artist Type.
1) The Visionary Artist
This type has a unique ability to envision the whole and work backwards to the parts. This gift for gestalt thinking gives them a natural understanding of what we call "The 3 Ps";
• Patterns
• Potential
• Path
They often recognize patterns that help them see the larger potential of small or fragmented ideas by knowing how to stitch them together into a cohesive finished work. Because of this they can often see the end result quite clearly in their mind's eye (or sense it in an abstract way). They're then able see a viable path for how to get there successfully.
This view on artistry makes you a valuable collaborator in that they have a heightened sense for assessing whether a given idea is suitable for the desired end goal.
Though they have an extraordinary gift for seeing "the forest for the trees", when they're in your most zoomed-out visionary mode, they may have some difficulty being fully engaged in the present moment, or maintaining a balanced focus on the little things. For this reason it can be beneficial and enjoyable to collaborate with:
• The Now Artist - because this artist is very much in touch with the present moment. With this comes a focused emotional energy that drives the creation of a wealth of ideas which The Visionary can then filter and organize to fit with the overall vision.
• The Studious Craftsman - because this artist is always ready to help serve a project with their high level of technical proficiency, as the consummate professional. This can have a helpful practical effect on the Visionary Artist's vision-based perspective. This can be a great pairing.
• The Entertainer - because, in a sense, this artist can function like a performative amplifier of the Visionary Artist's vision. When The Entertainer and The Visionary Artist are creatively aligned, this can be a mutually beneficial collaborative relationship; while The Visionary Artist is guiding the vision and tending to think big, the Entertainer is there to express each idea with passion.
• The Tortured Artist - because this artist's strength is to bring artistic integrity, authenticity, depth, and meaning to everything they create, this can be a powerful pairing for the Visionary Artist. Particularly if they are comfortable with the emotional intensity they bring to their work.
2) The Now Artist
The Now Artist is emotionally present and has a gift for living in the moment. More so than most other artists, they are fueled by inspiration and know how to ride it like a wave.
They bring a vibrant energy to creative situations and are often a wellspring of fresh and exciting ideas. In collaborations they're likely to feel most at home when collaborators respect their process and welcome the ideas as they flow from them.
When The Now Artist is on, they are a "lightning in a bottle" factory, so they'll work best with those who are adept at harnessing that lightning and organizing it. A potential downside is that when they're not "feeling it" they have to be careful not to become disengaged, bored, or even come across as lazy (even though they might just be awaiting the next explosion of ideas!).
Though The Now Artist's strength is in their ability to focus on the present moment, sometimes they can get lost in the finer details and lose sight of the overall goal. This can lead to becoming sidetracked if they're switching gears too often. Sometimes too many ideas can muddy the waters! In this way, their ability to be present and emotionally connected is both a strength and a potential liability. It's important that they remember to try to see "the forest for the trees" and maintain optimism, even when the ideas aren't flowing.
The Now Artist is most succinctly defined by what we call "The 3 F's";
• Focus
• Feel
• Follow
They're able to Focus on the here and now, as they Feel in touch with their current emotions while knowing how to Follow their instincts while creating. They're an asset to most any creative situation. If they find themselves collaborating with another Now Artist, they'll both benefit from remembering to leave space for each other's ideas to be given proper consideration. It's a room with two tornado-like energies flying around, they should proceed with care!
To help balance out this natural tendency to fly free, The Now Artist will often be most productive and do their best work when collaborating with artist types that are adept at organizing ideas and guiding the process from a perspective that tends to be more objective and grounded. These artist types include:
• The Objective Creative - because they keep an emotionally sober, birds-eye- view, this help create a nice balance to The Now Artist's tendency to be very much emotionally engaged in their creativity on a moment to moment basis.
• The Visionary Artist - because this type is always thinking about the big picture and broad strokes, which compliments The Now Artist's hyper-focused creativity. This can be a very mutually beneficial pairing.
• The Studious Craftsman - because they tend to keep a consistent and balanced energy that has a nice balancing effect on The Now Artist. They are focused on helping others with their ideas while bringing a high level of technical proficiency and project organization.
• The Alpha Artist - because they are good at leading the way and focusing on the big picture. This can help keep a project focused and on track from start to finish. This frees The Now Artist up to bring a wealth of ideas to the table while not having to worry so much about logistics (which can sometimes disrupt their creative flow).
When The Now Artist can choose collaborators who balance their more pronounced tendencies, they're more likely to have more consistent success and experience deep and lasting fulfillment in their work.
3) The Mad-Scientist Artist
The tongue-in-cheek archetype of the mad scientist suits this type well. Though they're not "crazy" as the name implies, they are highly unpredictable and sometimes eccentric in creatively productive ways.
They are highly industrious and naturally driven to find both unique creative processes and results. They are as comfortable with the tangible and technical as they are with the abstractly and obliquely creative. They thrive when they can completely immerse themselves in their work and emerge with the magic elements that bring an idea to life in compelling and inventive ways.
They are invigorated by the prospect of solving problems and always seek to do so in unique and artful ways. They're likely to be most comfortable in group settings when they can maintain their unique identity and be appreciated for the often quirky and surprising elements they bring to most any creative situation.
Though it's most often a positive thing, The Mad-Scientist Artist's introspective and internally focused nature can pull their focus away from that which is external. Because they have a mind that's swimming with ideas and a long list of tasks to bring them to life, it can be easy to forget to interact well with their collaborators and fully consider their ideas.
Here are a list of the many artist types that The Mad-Scientist Artist may work well with and some of the reasons why:
• The Now Artist - because they can be good at generating lots of ideas that feed The Mad-Scientist Artist's fire.
• The Objective Creative - because they can help The Mad-Scientist Artist zoom out when they're in a hyper-focused state of mind.
• The Entertainer - because they can bring an extroverted, fun energy to The Mad-Scientist Artist's session and they're often ready to contribute in exciting ways at any given moment.
• The Studious Craftsman - because they're focused on finding the best context for their abilities and on helping others with their goals.
• The Alpha Artist - because they can often bring a broader perspective that can sometimes get lost in the heat of a creative process. They can also help guide a session with a strong sense of creative and business direction.
4) The Tortured Artist
Though it may seem like a bit of a cliché, the archetype of the tortured artist actually fits this type well; they really do tend to suffer for their artistry. Their work is often deeply powerful, meaningful, and unique; the result of deep consideration and personal expression.
They often deal with significant internal tension during their creative process and struggle with feeling pleased with the final result. Still, they're deeply driven to express, create, and improve. Though they may have a melancholic disposition, they often find solace and comfort in it.
When it comes to career considerations, it's not uncommon for them to be at odds with all that is involved in the process of monetizing their work. Though they feel the tension between art and commerce in very personal ways, it's their sensitivity that makes their work both meaningful and potentially highly valuable to audiences and in the context of business.
In many ways the difficulties they deal with during their creative process are just extensions of their ability to tune in with the harsh realities of life that others may shy away from. Instead they naturally dive in and embrace this side of life and emerge with powerfully beautiful art. It's artists like them who tend to make the kind of work that can be deeply meaningful and even therapeutic to both themselves and their audiences.
Due to The Tortured Artist's sensitive nature, it's particularly important for them to focus on self- care and avoid abusing substances that though they can numb their pain temporarily, can eventually become a stifling force in their life and work. The world benefits from having artists like these!
Due to the fact that The Tortured Artist takes their work very seriously and tend toward melancholy, they can benefit from collaborating with other artist types who can uplift and propel them forward in a way that is balancing. These include:
• The Now Artist - because they bring an extroverted, "in the moment", optimistic energy to their work. This can propel and uplift The Tortured Artist when that kind of energy is helpful.
• The Objective Creative - because this type is focused not just on the art itself but equally on organizing the process and on the business side of things. This can free The Tortured Artist up to stay more focused on the art, while The Objective Creative can consider ways to guide the process with a "bird's eye view" and offer up a helpful and balanced perspective.
• The Visionary Artist - because they will help keep a consistent forward momentum all the way to the end, regardless of the emotional ups and downs that may be encountered throughout the process. They tend to see the full picture of a project (in their mind's eye) and can help guide The Tortured Artist there.
5) The Objective Creative
This artist has a natural gift for being able to zoom out and see "the forest for the trees" when being creative. This default of a bird's-eye-view allows them to see an idea or a process from a distance, as if uninvolved. This can be a secret weapon for keeping a project on track and understanding which ideas are working and which ones are not.
They often have a more calm and measured demeanor which is helpful in collaborative environments. Though their creative ideas are often broad-strokes in nature, they're also able to focus on the details of a project. They tend to come from a more intellectual than emotional perspective, so they're likely to find it easier to detach from their own subjective perspective in a useful way, creatively.
Another positive of their perspective is that they can, in a sense, see through the eyes of others and offer ideas that can help redirect a lost moment or organize a set of disorganized ideas for the purpose of reaching the desired goals.
Though they're highly objective and thoughtful, at times it can be difficult to turn off the more critical side of their thinking and lose themselves fully in a creative process. In order to help balance out this zoomed-out nature, they may find it mutually beneficial to work with those who have contrasting strengths which are therefore synergistic with theirs. These Artist Types include:
• The Now Artist - because they are very much zoomed in, emotionally engaged, and focused on the here and now. This can free up The Objective Creative to remain in an objective place and helpfully guide their energy, leading to a more balanced end result.
• The Creative Initiator - because this type is highly focused on generating a steady flow of exciting new ideas that The Objective Creative can then assess and organize in mutually beneficial ways.
• The Tortured Artist - because, if The Objective Creative sees "the forest for the trees" this artist type is seeing the individual branches and leaves on every individual tree in that forest. This can be a very beneficial match if The Objective Creative is comfortable with the intense emotionality this type can bring to a project.
• The Mad Scientist Artist - because even though The Objective Creative shares many common traits with this type, they are often coming from a more loose and emotionally engaged place with their artistry which can be inspiring and valuable for The Objective Creative in collaborations.
• The Studious Craftsman - because this jack-of-all-trades type can be like a Swiss Army Knife; they can perform virtually any function necessary and allow The Objective Creative to stay in their naturally objective headspace and guide the ship.
6) The Studious Craftsman
This artist is as technically proficient as they are creative. They have good aesthetic taste and a meticulous approach to their craft. This makes them the consummate professional artist.
Their collaborators and associates are likely to consider them to be an asset to any project they're involved in. They have a gift for solving creative problems and providing the right idea at the right time while also choosing the right tool for the job from a technical or equipment perspective.
They're artistically expressive and value raw authenticity, but never without concern for the overall objective quality of their work. They're highly analytical and at times they may find themselves more focused on finding and fixing flaws than on enjoying what is naturally working. This can be a blessing and a curse, but it drives them forward toward excellence.
The Studious Craftsman often has a firm grasp of the relevant history of their chosen medium while also being focused on learning new things. They have a natural desire to keep their finger on the pulse of the latest trends and are likely keep up with useful technological advancements.
Though they're often highly creative, knowledgeable, and work well with most people, they can benefit greatly from seeking collaborations with those who tend to have a more free-spirited, self-taught, or abstract approach to creativity. These types include:
• The Now Artist - because they are a wellspring of ideas that are emotionally rich yet often can come in random or disorganized ways that The Studious Craftsman can help order and aim.
• The Visionary Artist - because this type is thinking big, they can provide a grand vision which The Studious Craftsman can help bring to life in practical ways. A very synergistic match.
• The Tortured Artist - because they're work is emotionally intense and tends to be less overtly and objectively intellectualized, these two can often act as yin and yang. This can be a best of both worlds combination if they get along personality wise.
• The Entertainer - because this type is always ready to bring ideas to life in vivid and uninhibited ways. The Studious Craftsman can help make sure that the presentation is professional and that all the important details are covered; every "i" is dotted and every "t" crossed. Virtually every Entertainer would benefit from collaborating with a Studious Craftsman, and vice versa.
• The Dreamer - because the dreamer brings a highly imaginative "head in the clouds" energy to all they're involved in, they benefit from an organizational and guiding presence The Studious Craftsman provides. Conversely, The Studious Craftsman benefits from working with the ideas of someone who is tuned in with the intangible in ways that can make for highly effective collaborations.
• The Alpha Artist - because they are focused on leading and guiding all elements of a project in confident ways, this can allow The Studious Craftsman to relax a bit and lean into their more freely creative side. Alpha Artists thrive when they can work with highly professional people who are also creative, and The Studious Craftsman is exactly that.
• The Mad-Scientist Artist - because though they are very similar types, their differences are highly synergistic and likely to be inspiring. The Studious Craftsman can bring some sanity to their more wild ideas and they can pull The Studious Craftsman into the beautiful chaos a bit. This can be a highly productive pairing in almost every way.
Of all the artist types The Studious Craftsman is one of the most adaptive and naturally professional. In a world where many artists can be disorganized and unreliable, The Studious Craftsman is the clear exception and that is often greatly appreciated by those they work with.
7) The Entertainer
This artist lives to perform. Whether for a huge audience or just one other person, they thrive on sharing their talents with people and feel right at home being the center of attention. They have a natural charisma and have a gift for bringing people together. They have the ability to light up a room with a unique and obvious energy that defies explanation.
They put the "show" in show business and have a natural ability to remember that sometimes it's all about giving their audience what they want. This is a highly valuable trait and something that other more introverted artist types can forget, or neglect.
Though they're often the star of the show (and rightly so), it can be helpful in creative situations to collaborate with those who have a more thoroughly introspective and measured artistic temperament.
These types include:
• The Studious Craftsman - because their highly technical and professional approach can help free up The Entertainer to entertain, knowing that everything is taken care of with the utmost care. This is usually a very mutually beneficial match.
• The Mad Scientist Artist - because though they intuitively understand the importance of performance, they thrive when they can be both creative and handle technical elements. They're a kindred spirit who can bring both organization and direction to collaborations with The Entertainer, while retaining a fun unpredictability that remains productive.
• The Tortured Artist - because if there's ever a need for added emotional depth and a thorough commitment to authenticity, this artist is always tuned in to those elements. If they get along personally, and navigate any disagreements well, this pair can form a tight bond that can bring exciting results.
• The Objective Creative - because they can help to give The Entertainer a perspective that can sometimes be missed in the heat of the moment. Their "zoomed out" perspective can be highly valuable to The Entertainer just as their ability to be "zoomed in" can help them understand how important it is to be engaged and present.
NOTE: When collaborating with The Now Artist, The Solo Artist, or The Dreamer, it's helpful to consider that The Entertainer has a similar temperament, so it can be helpful to put some effort into "sharing the stage", so to speak. With an open mind, they're likely to feed off of each other's energies and find they have a unique kinship.
8) The Alpha Artist
This artist is a leader in nearly every way, both creatively and in a general sense. They have strong creative instincts, and deep seated passion and confidence in their own ideas. They almost always know what they like, what they don't like, and they don't hold back their opinions about either.
People are likely to consider them to be a force of nature. Though they're naturally competitive and will fight for their ideas, experienced and mature Alpha Artists are self-aware, intelligent, and logical. So at the end of the day, they generally want the best idea to win, even if it's not theirs.
The Alpha Artist has a powerful presence that can be intimidating to more introverted or sensitive artists. They need to be mindful of this potential dynamic and remember to remain humble and show respect and sensitivity to those they collaborate with.
Though their strong personality and presence is an asset, it's possible they could at times encounter some tension in collaborations with other strong artist types which may include, The Visionary Artist, The Subjective Creator and The Entertainer.
On the other hand, they're likely to work most smoothly with those who may more naturally support their ideas and might benefit from following their lead. These artist types include:
• The Studious Craftsman - because their goal is to be a helpful and supportive force in any collaboration. They are comfortable riding shotgun and have no problem following a strong leader.
• The Now Artist - because they love to be able to focus on constantly generating exciting ideas knowing that someone is leading the way and in charge of the big picture.
• The Dreamer - because they thrive when they can have their head up in the clouds, where they find their best ideas. When those ideas can rain down on someone like The Alpha Artist (a person who can organize and aim those ideas), it can lead to incredible results.
9) The Dreamer
This artist is highly creative and has a vivid imagination. They thrive on delving deep into their internal world of creative invention and emerging with unique ideas. Though some may think they have their "head in the clouds", they know intuitively that it's not only where they're meant to be, but it's where the artistic magic is found.
The Dreamer Artist can often lose track of time while creating and find it natural and often effortless to get into a flow-state. When they can effectively capture the results of these imaginative creative sessions they will greatly increase their odds of success as an artist.
Though their artistic imagination is an incredible asset, The Dreamer Artist can sometimes get frustrated by the more technical aspects of their chosen medium, the limitations of equipment, or even other artists in the context of collaborations. Because of this, it can be helpful for them to collaborate with artist types who have a balancing effect on them.
These types include:
• The Studious Craftsman - because this consummate professional can be there to help make The Dreamer's dreams a reality, with an organized and focused technical proficiency.
• The Objective Creative - because this calm, thoughtful artist type can help bring order to The Dreamer's beautiful chaos whenever that is needed.
• The Alpha Artist - because they can help lead the way and guide a collaboration with a strong sense of direction when needed. The Alpha Artist's feet are always on the ground which can have a nice balancing effect on The Dreamer's creative process.
• The Mad-Scientist Artist - because they are not only predisposed to understanding The Dreamer Artist's imaginative ways, but are also quite capable of supporting their ideas with rock solid practical processes. This can be an incredibly beneficial collaborative matchup.
10) The Solo Artist
This artist type is the epitome of the serious, introspective and thoughtful artist. Their work is highly personal and they likely consider it to be a direct extension of who they are inside. They're not only comfortable working alone, but tend to prefer it over collaborations. Their core goal is to create work that is a direct reflection of their own tastes and perspectives.
This artist tends to be self-contained in most ways and enjoy controlling most or all elements of their creative process because it makes it more personal and unique. As a Solo Artist they're likely known for the authenticity and uniqueness of their work, which is one of their most valuable artistic qualities.
Though they may be more reclusive and introverted than other artists, The Solo Artist is not necessarily anti-social. They're inventive and often highly industrious and enjoy venturing into the artistic unknown to discover where it will lead. They're as interested in the process as the result.
Though The Solo Artist is most comfortable working alone, it can be beneficial for them to explore collaborations (or get constructive feedback) from other artist types including:
• The Objective Creator - because they're adept at giving constructive feedback from a perspective that isn't as closely tied to the intimate details. This can be helpful for The Solo Artist in cases when they're perhaps too close to a project to have a balanced view on the overall picture.
• The Entertainer - because they may be able to provide The Solo Artist with a potentially valuable outside perspective on their work and when appropriate, help bring their work to life as a performer.
• The Mad Scientist Artist - because they're not only technically proficient and artistic, but also predisposed to being collaborative. So they are likely to both understand The Solo Artist and be able to offer a helpful perspective.