Where do the right brain and left brain meet? Acorders believes it is in creation. So, who are our "creator" personas? How do they show up to play?
Our last story explored Engineering as both an archetype and a position. We ask the reader if they can let go of the myth that Engineers are left-brain people. Or even that there is such a thing as purely left-brain or right-brain dominance. Traditionally, the "Creator" archetype played with either technical or artistic talent depending on the technology, space, or phase of production. Returning to Nassim Nicholas Taleb and the Black Swan, the Impact of the Highly Improbable, Acorders suggests the future will increasingly require these talents to enter into mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations. Without this approach, we will not be able to leap forward from where we are right now. This time, requires diverse perspectives to come together for an ecosystem of innovation. We need to be the arrow that shoots through the chaos. Acorders will use storytelling to do that.
The Myth
Design is a right-brain function. Or, industrial engineering does not require creative design. Human-centered design taught at Harvard School of Business and other programs is a scientific process for innovation. The methods for approaching a problem through inquiry incorporate technical and behavioral skills. Asking great questions, designing experiments, and generating creative solutions for further testing require openness from cognitive fixedness. Acorders found in workshopping that shared alignment with purpose helps innovators achieve breaking away from prevailing myths which divide us.
The Story
I earned my undergraduate degree in modern language. My focus was Spanish, which took me to Chile to study abroad. While I was there, I made friends with a tribe of students in architecture. They invited me to come back multiple times after I finished my initial program of study. Living with these guys was like an endless party. They were creative, passionate, and proud of their eccentric way of life. Their zeal for drawing inspiration from everyday existence seemed potent and essential for humanity. But, I also noted the prevailing dissonance they expressed with fixed mindsets perceived in technical talent. Even at 19, I could see this from both sides. I saw bias in both opposing perspectives, suggesting they were more valuable or important in creation than the other. I later found the U.S Army's version of Leadership to be ideal with checks and balances of perspectives.
I kept seeing this bias creep up in different arenas after I left school and entered the professional world. Over time I developed a technique to engage the personas I met. I learned to observe which hemisphere a person primarily engaged with their strengths. My method to increase situation awareness within a team approached breaking through cognitive fixedness. I would ask individuals questions that intentionally stimulated the opposite hemisphere from where I observed them working. It challenged existing myths and increased the clarity of vision within my teams. The scientific mind balances creativity and ingenuity. I discovered a reward in observing someone work through their preconceived ideas and assumptions.
What We Do
Designers, I give you the same advice I passed to Engineers. "Don't let your intellect cannibalize your humanity." Your talent endures subjective judgment and assessment of value. When you compete amongst each other for creative supremacy, your game often ratchets up eccentricity. Unfortunately, this makes you less accessible to the people who need you most. Acorders wants to help you remedy this by creating an ecosystem for human-centered design exercised with the scientific method.
Join our community and participate in the design process with us. Acorders is building a digital experience for storytellers of impact. Make this journey with us and use your story to channel your whole brain activity. Recalibrate your vision with that and relate better to others. Use the scientific method to align with a shared purpose in serving a perceived benefactor.
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