You’ve probably guessed from the illustration above — my style leans hard on creative metaphors and analogies. Why? Because that’s how I learn fastest.
I can absorb new disciplines at a rate that amazes loved ones — and, yes, sometimes threatens co-workers and fellow entrepreneurs. Not everyone is comfortable with speed-of-light learning and thinking. What is that? It’s a method of thinking and learning that leans heavily on creative metaphors, creative analogies and the “creative cloud”.
What is the creative cloud? Maybe I’ll write about it another time. Not right now.
For those who aren’t sure what I mean by metaphor and analogy, I’ve laid out my working definitions of metaphors and analogies below. I call them creative metaphors and creative analogies because I use them not just to explain, but to connect ideas in ways that spark insight. You may define them differently — and that’s fine.
Living in a creative space means we each get to interpret the world our own way. Those who insist otherwise are usually not creators at heart — and sometimes they’re the very “vampires”. I wrote about in my “Are You the Chicken Man” post.
Metaphors
- Definition: A metaphor describes one thing as if it is another, to highlight a shared quality.
- Formula: A is B.
- Example: “The stock market is a rollercoaster.”
It’s not literally a rollercoaster, but the image gives you the feeling of volatility and thrill.
Analogies
- Definition: An analogy compares two different things to show how they’re similar in structure, function, or relationship.
- Formula: A is to B as C is to D.
Example: “Managing a portfolio is like tending a garden: you plant seeds (investments), water them (add contributions), and prune weeds (cut losses).”
This is more step-by-step — it builds understanding through structure.
Key Difference
- Metaphor = flash of lightning — instant, emotional, poetic.
- Analogy = lantern lighting the path — logical, structured, explanatory.
Creative Minds
It’s common for certain kinds of creative minds to lean heavily on both:
- Metaphors come in bursts, often when energy is running high — connections spark quickly and vividly.
- Analogies appear when the energy steadies — patterns are sorted out, clarified, and made useful for others.
That swing between lightning and lantern is often where the deepest creativity lives. It’s not something everyone experiences, but those who do tend to produce writing that feels layered, alive, and original.
If you’re someone who thinks this way, you may have noticed that the creative waves you ride are bigger than what others ride. I talk more about this in my post “Riding the Creative Wave“.
