Daniel Pink, in A Whole New Mind, makes the argument that the MFA is the new MBA and that corporations are recruiting those who think from the right side of the brain. A Whole New Mind essentially argues that we’re moving towards R-directed thinking as opposed to the L-directed thinking that has guided most of us in school (think standardized tests, the LSAT and SAT).
He also points out that design has become one of the main differentiating factors among all of the products we see in Target, Walmart, Circuit City, etc. Any toaster you purchase is probably going to work extremely well. What will set it apart is the design, and good design is becoming vital.
Pink writes:
“For every percent of sales invested in product design, a company’s sales and profits rise by an average of 3 to 4 percent, according to research at the London Business School….other research has shown that the stocks of companies that place a heavy emphasis on design outperform the stocks of their less design-centric counterparts by a wide margin.”
Now that is certainly an interesting tidbit for anyone who invests in the stock market. I’ll be taking note of that when I next research stocks to buy.
However, it’s also interesting from an artistic viewpoint. What does this mean for artists?
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You see, I am just gearing up to apply to MFA programs, and I don’t think I need this kind of competition.
Aw, I bet you’ll do fine. I applied two years in a row. I didn’t like the deal I had the first year at a certain school. I attended for two days, saw the classes were way larger than I wanted and then left. I applied again the following year and got in to a school that was perfect for me and provided funding.
As a person with an MFA, I find that a little hilarious. I ordered that Daniel Pink book earlier this week. Synchronicity!
That’s funny Molly. I wonder if they would write their poems using excel spreadsheets.