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MFAs are the New MBAs
By Richard Nantel | October 30, 2007
My teenage daughter has changed her mind repeatedly about a future career:
- For many years, her love of animals led her to consider veterinary medicine. A couple of trips to the vet’s with our own cat convinced her that there was just too much potential for gore in this career.
- After our first summer vacation on the coast of the Bay of Fundy, she considered a life as a marine biologist. What could be better than spending a life by the sea? But, although she continues to love the outdoors, she’s increasingly enjoying urban life.
- So, a career as a biologist has now been replaced with plans to attend art school and become an artist.
Daniel H. Pink, author of A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future, would think she’s making a wise choice.
The premise of this book is that, in the western world, jobs occupied by knowledge workers will either shift to developing countries or be eliminated through advances in technology. According to Mr. Pink, the Information Age of the 20th century is being replaced with a new Conceptual Age, one where creators and empathizers will rule.
To prove his point, Dan Pink points out that:
“Corporate recruiters have begun visiting the top arts grad schools—places such as the Rhode Island School of Design, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Michigan’s Cranbrook Academy of Art— in search of talent.”
The book goes on to provide exercises to help logical left-brain types unleash their inner Picassos. According to Pink, creativity isn’t innate. It can be learned.
MFAs are the new MBAs. How cool is that?
Topics: Creativity, Talent Management |
