There are two kinds of dogs. The first kind will dig a hole all the way to China searching for a bone. The second will dig a hundred shallow holes in your backyard looking for the same bone. Which is the better dog?
If you’re looking for an accountant, you want someone like the first dog – a linear thinker who will dig deep to solve a problem. If you’re looking for a creative type, however, then you want the second type – a non-linear thinker who will jump from place to place seeking a fresh idea.
Which is why, as a creative director and writer, I bemoan the loss of the printed Encyclopedia Britannica, the original version of Roget’s Thesaurus which cataloged words not only alphabetically but also conceptually, and the old library file card cataloging system. As a kid using these tools, I was able to start out looking for one thing – a subject, word or book – and usually end up somewhere else entirely. A search for the term “Alligator” might lead you to “Alexander the Great,” “alchemy,” “Alabama,” or even “Ali Baba.”
The problem with today’s computerized search tools is that they take you to exactly what you’re looking for. Which is good if you’re an accountant, but not so much if you’re a writer, artist, composer, etc.
So what kind of dog are you?
Roman copy of a statue by Lysippos, Louvre Museum.
