Manager Steve, Creative Steve, and CONFUSED Steve.
I’ve learned something about myself (again) today that may be relevant to all of you self diagnosed A.D.D / border-line schizophrenic types out there. I am, at least, a three-part person.
This discovery came when I started planning concerts and organizing creative types way back in University (Busking For Smiles) and in the city at large (Better Than TV.) You see, there is Manager Steve and there is Creative Steve. Oh, and Confused Steve.
Creative Steve thinks up ideas.
Manager Steve thinks of strategy and the framework in which the strategy can unfold.
Creative Steve makes strategy palatable to an audience and even, dare I say, interesting…
Manager Steve relies on the software called “Things” and gantt charts.
Creative Steve prefers mind mapping, white boards, and walking around my neighborhood till an idea pops in my head.
In many ways I always thought the two parts of me didn’t like each other. Namely because when I listen to them (at the same time) I end up a whimpering Confused Steve.
Now I realize (again) that Confused Steve is really nothing more than Steve who hasn’t learned to listen and work with one Steve at a time.
For example I spent hours putting together a map for a website today. The more I thought about it the more upset I became. I couldn’t pull my thoughts together and I started doubting the whole project. Thankfully Confused Steve had had enough and I walked (in the rain) to Safeway to get some dish soap. (We were out…) Anyways, along the way I realized that the real issue was not that in the creative aspect of the project OR in the management of it. It was that I was doing both AT THE SAME TIME.
With this revelation in mind I resolved to design a simple wireframe of the site, on paper, when I got home.
In a mere 20 minutes I had the map done. NOW Creative Steve can fill in the gaps while Management Steve takes a break (from THIS project) and Confused Steve will hopefully wonder off because no one is paying him any attention.
SO… my advice for you, should you want it, is that sometimes when you doubt yourself or feel confused it is time to step back and figure out how many parts you are made up of and whether or not you’re listening to one or all of them at the same time.
I hear you on this one my friend! Sometimes I am able to create different environments where different sides can shine. Other times I have to sit back and let the different sides swing to me before I decide what to do with them. Sometimes I am in a creative/strategic/management mode and other times I am not. I have given up trying to fight it.
One side I think we can always have is the “loving” side. No matter what mode we are in, I think if we can train ourselves to be loving at all times, we’re good to go.
Thanks for the post!
Ed
So does Manager Stever celebrate when a project is done, Creative Steve celebrate when an idea comes to him and Confused Steve just never parties? Just wondering as I don’t quite have that same split in personas, though I have had my share of different masks when I used to go through them. I had the son mask for when I dealt with my parents, my brother mask dealing with my sister, my student mask for when I was in school, etc. Lots of masks and when worlds collided it wasn’t pretty if I was there to see it.
That’s a good question. I’ve never thought about what makes them celebrate. I guess manager steve likes good strategy and is happy when it works. Creative Steve likes cool ideas and thoughts that elicit good responses….