Creative Generalism

To describe what it is that I do isn’t always easy. If you asked members of my family what I do for a living, there’s no telling what they might say. One might say, “computer stuff” while another could say, “he’s a business consultant” or “he makes web sites.” What I do is more than any of those alone.

I’m the type of person who likes to see the “big picture”. In other words, I have a lot of interests and talents that most people see as separate but that I see as working together. Most people might find this strange and at times I’ve often felt that I just have to live with the fact that most people just don’t get it.

Then the other day, I came across this little nugget. What a relief to know there are others out there that have a similar world view!

I’ve used the word ‘gerenalist’ before to describe myself — I’ve even posted a couple of rants previously about it! Yet, according to the article:

Generalism does not register with the Merriam-Webster, the Oxford English or the American Heritage dictionaries. Apparently, there is no field of generality. The wellspring of ideas and the foundation upon which creative specialties are built is yet to be defined.

How is it that I came to use this term and identify myself with it, when it itself has no definition? I applaud Steve’s effort to try and not only define what generalism means but also to outline the importance of this talent and the contribution that generalists can and will make towards society …

Nothing substitutes depth of analysis and there’s proven value in the methodical and incremental process of specialization—it’s what education, career paths, scientific research, and technological innovation are built on—but generalism is the hidden talent, the missing link. With so much complex information, that is fragmented in so many ways and developing faster and faster, it is increasingly important to have generalists around to make sense of it all.

The author Steve Hardy also has a blog, to which I immediately grabbed the feed and added a link in my Blogroll. Generalists unite!

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