As one ventures on to the wide world of the internet, they can be swept up into the churning waves of the vast, endless digital abyss. A yearning to create and explore can become quite overwhelming. Honing in on what kind of content one might wish to produce can be a monstrous task. With more online content created daily than one can consume in a human lifetime, the scope of that content is nearly boundless. That’s why it can be useful to take a step back and explore the different types of creative personalities on the web.
Below are 20 separate types of creators that can be found around the world. Some share characteristics with others, while some are truly one of a kind. As you explore the list, keep in mind, hardly anyone falls only into one category. To try to nail a creative into one single archetype is trying to put a leash on creativity. And we all know that’s impossible.
The Artist
The artist operates more on feel than any type of analytics. They don’t plan. At least not like most folks do. Instead, they have a roadmap in their head. Nothing concrete. Only a vision in their mind’s eye. They plan and create things that they know they want to see. This sometimes comes as a detriment to the “how” of things. The things they create may not always fit into the “practical” terms set forth by society, but they do often come across as “beautiful.” The artist collaborates well with the more analytical minds of The Thinker and The Teacher.
The channel Wow Art features a literal artist that shows step by step how they make their visual art. To see something come from nothing truly embodies The Artist.
The Thinker
The Thinker prefers to take their time on their endeavors and approach the problems from every possible angle. Whereas some prefer to dive headfirst into a project, The Thinker prefers to plan each meticulous step before the project even begins. They prepare every detail of Plan A and prepare for every backup from Plan B to Plan Z. The content they produce is thorough but can also be rather dry. They should also be careful that over-planning does not get in the way of execution. The Thinker should collaborate with The Artist and The Maker to spice up what they produce with the flare of “feeling.”
TEDx talks are a great example of the thinker. They give viewers digestible, short insight into a unique chapter of the world most people have never thought about. While TEDx isn’t a single person, the channel does allow people to see in depth analysis of many topics.
The Adventurer
The Adventurer prefers to learn by doing. They were the child that always ran off from the group on a field trip. After all, how else could you really take in all there was to offer at the maple syrup museum? They are also the same child that learned how things worked by taking them apart and trying (and sometimes failing) to put them back together again. This chaotic force of nature is always brimming with energy and a want to explore, which can be both positive and negative. They need a steady voice of reason to channel their excitement and wonder into something productive. They would find the best collaboration with the practicality of The Thinker and The Producer.
Youtuber Steve Wallis is a great example of an adventurer. He posts weekly camping videos in a variety of unique situations.
The Maker
The Maker is a creative that enjoys producing a finished product. In the world of creativity, often the most creative people fail to reach the final stage of their project. Creative people are often plagued with more ideas than they have follow through to deliver them with. The Maker, on the other hand, takes pride in following through and seeing their projects reach their climax. They stay focused and are able to find solutions for any problem, sometimes before they arise. The Maker’s focus and problem-solving abilities make them a good match to work for The Dreamer and The Newbie.
The Primitive Technology youtube channel features a young man who never speaks, but builds various instruments and structures from nothing other than what he finds in the forest.
The Producer
The Producer is not only able to finish a project, they are also able to lead a team. While they know deadlines are important, they also know people are even more important. They not only nurture the product but the people that are creating the project as well. They understand that a great finished product is not worth sacrificing a great team. They understand how to be pragmatic. They break down the numbers and understand the true value of working in a team to make something great. A good team means you can work smarter, not harder. They work best when collaborating with the likes of The Visionary and The Artist.
The world’s most subscribed to youtuber, MrBeast would fall under this category. While he is the star of the channel, a team of folks behind the scenes help him bring his extraordinary videos to life.
The Dreamer
The Dreamer is full of great ideas and visions. They are always lost in thought imagining how the “what ifs” of life could be solved. They are imaginative and creative, sometimes too creative. While they are responsible for many innovative solutions, they tend not to worry themselves with the “how-to” of a plan. They see the big picture. The details are best left to the detail oriented, of course! This can often mean that the “what ifs” The Dreamer has solved in their head never actually make it to fruition. The air headed Dreamer works best with those that are well grounded like The Producer and The Thinker.
Michael from vsauce is a great example of the dreamer. He tends to drift through from one idea to another, dropping fascinating information in between. He constantly asks what ifs and tries to answer them, but more often than not, just enjoys the ride.
The Innovator
The Innovator is a problem solver first and foremost. They know that every inconvenience can be overcome. There is some solution! They don’t like hearing “you can’t.” Of course you can! We just have to try every single idea. Then if those don’t work, we come up with some more! They know that the solution to a problem is not always found in a book. That’s not how the great inventors came up with their greatest creations. They tried the most off the wall solutions possible until one worked. These mad scientists can be found doing great work alongside The Dreamer and The Artist.
Youtuber colinfurze has made a name for himself creating the crazy and unique. Colin goes big when nobody said he had to. He is truly an innovator.
The Visionary
The Visionary takes their ability to dream big like the dreamer and combines it with the ability to execute like the producer. They are able to visualize, conceptualize and execute broad ideas like no other. The visionary can see opportunity and need for innovation everywhere. They also embody the charisma and confidence to deliver on everything needed to knock a project out of the park. Their ability to dream as well as execute makes them one of the most complex and respected of creators. The Visionary is a gifted creative that is complimented well by the likes of The Newbie and The Dreamer.
The popular channel vsauce is a great example of The Visionary. The videos produced by Michael of vsauce artistically weave from one concept to the next is a truly unique way.
The Teacher
The Teacher takes great joy in imparting their knowledge to others. They are not only energized by being educated, but by educating as well. They get a sense of accomplishment from helping others to understand the complexities of a given subject. They enjoy the details of things. The Teacher knows that big, broad general ideas are made up of hard to understand small parts. They take joy in making sense of these ideas and explaining them to others. They know the world will be a happier place when it is a smarter place. They pair well with the broad thinkers like The Newbie and The Dreamer.
The popular chef youtuber Binging With Babish has built an entire empire from teaching people how to cook. From television show inspired dishes to the very basic, Binging With Babish never misses a single detail.
The Insider
The Insider, like the teacher, enjoys breaking down the complex inner workings of things. However, unlike the teacher, only they hold the ability to unlock these secrets. The Insider takes pride in letting others in on their world. They possess a type of charisma and confidence that comes from knowing they hold a key to a magical world of understanding. The Insider enjoys the power that comes with their unique knowledge and it gives them joy that they can share it with others. They work well with The Innovator and The Producer, who would be able to bring their subjects to more people.
When people think of “insiders” they usually think of those in a very niche or gate kept community, like Hollywood for example. Former child actor Josh Peck is a great example of an insider that took some of his secrets out into the real world. While most of his channel is like any other given vlogger, he sometimes shows some of his past self. Like in this video with his former cosar miranda cosgrove.
The Outsider
The Outsider takes pride in uncovering mysteries. Unlike The Insider, The Outsider had to work for the knowledge of a subject. The Outsider knows that life is not easy, They know that things worth knowing are not always easy to come by, but with some hard work, it can be understood. They enjoy the research that goes into understanding a subject. And they feel accomplished when they have educated themselves. The work they put into their research allows them to value their work in a way that others do not. The hardworking Outsider pairs well in a creative setting with The Teacher and The Producer, both of whom help The Outsider bring their projects to life.
Youtuber Michael Reeves is known for being off the wall while at the same time very intelligent. He uses his background in programming to create some of the most off the wall, and frankly, quite useless inventions ever created. But breaking from the mold of what most consider to be a “stereotypical programmer” allows him to stand out from other creators.
The Expert
The Expert has been there and done that. They know their subject like the back of their hand. They have a passion for their expertise. Anyone can pick up a book and learn something, but to become an expert one is married to the subject. The expert is confident in their knowledge of their field. And they are secure in imparting their knowledge to others. They are more than happy to teach, but they’re not quite The Teacher. In some ways they’re more. They work best alongside The Artist and The Dreamer, who could use some grounded knowledge.
Former jewel thief Larry Lawton rose to prominence on youtube by reviewing the opening mission in Grand Theft Auto V. Now he has a channel that revolves around the thing that makes Larry unique. His expertise as a jewel thief.
The Newbie
The Newbie possesses some good and bad qualities. They can fall victim to the Dunning-Kruger Effect, or overconfidence of knowledge on a subject the person actually knows nothing about. But, strangely enough, this could actually be a positive. Put simply, they don’t know what they don’t know. Natural athletes can sometimes perform unbelievably well using bad form simply because they do not know it is considered “bad form.” The Newbie holds much potential but also an incredible amount of passion. Passion can be the key to truly pursuing and harnessing creativity. The Newbie works well with the experience of The Expert and The Producer.
Shirley Curry is one of many thousands of game players on youtube, but one thing sets her apart: her age. Shirley is an elderly grandmother and she enjoys playing Skyrim. While she may have had some experience in video games before posting her videos online, her adorable nature as a brand new youtuber allowed her to amass a following online.
The Observer
The Observer is a silent but intelligent creator. They pick up on differences and changes that others might not. They hone in on these differences and make great content from them. While the observer will ask questions from time to time, they prefer to stay silent. Lest the observed party change once it knows it is being observed. They take their time, and in some ways are like The Thinker, planning every detail. The Observer may be hesitant to act, which means they have much to learn from the likes of The Adventurer and The Innovator.
The channel Green Timelapse features timelapse videos of different aspects of nature in time lapse form. From ants to plants and everything in between, this channel features no speaking, but allows the viewer to take part in the observation.
The Cryptographer
The Cryptographer is very intelligent but is not too eager to reveal this information to others. The Cryptographer is smart, but also mysterious. They don’t need to be the center of attention. They prefer to dispense their knowledge in small doses from the shadows. Their reserved nature means that their work can sometimes be under-appreciated. That doesn’t matter to them. They know their work was good and that is good enough for them. This does sometimes mean that their work may never see the light of day. They work best with the outgoing Teacher and The Innovator.
The channel Wired is full of videos asking experts questions about their given field. The cryptographer niche is satisfied here as the subjects of the videos would never give their own expertise willingly, they must be asked. As was this mortician.
The Convincer
The Convincer knows life is full of hard pills to swallow. They also know how to help people understand these hard truths. They use facts and hard evidence to sway others to their side of understanding. They can be very hard fast in their beliefs, but sometimes that is needed to finish a project. They take great joy in conflict, as they work best in a debate. The hard nosed Convincer works well with those that need some structure, like The Artist and The Observer.
While Dave Ramsey’s content is focused on money and can be a bit dry, he takes solid stances and why explains why he feels the way he does about his opinions on money. Are financial opinions necessarily “right?” No, they’re opinions. That’s why Dave falls under the convincer with videos like this.
The Comedian
The comedian operates and communicates through humor. They can take their work seriously, but know that at the end of the day, life’s a joke. The comedian’s small ego allows them to work with many other types of creators. They can take something and twist it into a laugh riot with great ease. Whether they’re working on a large or small project, they know where the punchline fits. This is important when working with those who are more on the serious side of creativity. The Comedian can make light of otherwise dense content. Their wit and light heartedness makes them a great collaborator with the likes of the serious Convincer and Maker.
Comedian Drew Lynch rose to fame through youtube. He has used the platform to elevate himself and also address real life, hard to process topics like his stuttering. Comedy is a great way to communicate and Drew shows that
The Musician
The Musician communicates through music. Musical ability is a great skill to have in a world dominated by music. Every television show, movie, cartoon, play, etc. involved music. Music is a part of every human being’s DNA. The Musician is able to match other people’s emotions and the tone of an environment to music. Their ability to paint an image with sound means they work great with the hyper analytical likes of The Cryptographer and The Expert.
Bill Wurtz is a talented, yet strange Youtuber. He expressed himself through his strange synth musical talents, and on occasion, as shown here, uses his musical talents to educate folks on things. Like the history of the world for example.
The Hero
The Hero, as the name would suggest, takes great pride in “saving the day.” They sometimes carry the project, they sometimes come in at the last minute to drop their expertise into the mix. The Hero is a talented individual that appears humble on the outside, but deep down knows they’re The Hero. They know they’re the one that delivers. And that is what makes them great. Do they have an ego? Much like a great athlete, it doesn’t matter if they have an ego as long as they deliver. They work best with The Cryptographer and The Outsider who oftentimes need a savior.
The youtube channel The Dodo compiles videos from all over the internet of adorable animals. More often than not, the animals are being saved from downtrodden situations of some sort. Who would save the animals? Only a true hero. While it should be noted that The Dodo is a compilation channel, the general idea of a do-gooder still applies here.
The Villain
The Villain may or may not take pride in their role. Much like how there is a “bad cop” to every “good cop,” The Villain may see their role as a necessary one. Sometimes it may be The Villains duty to shed light on a harsh subject. Something that may make others uncomfortable. Something that other people may not like to face. The Villain knows this does not make them a bad person. They’re simply telling the truth. If this bothers others, then that falls on them. The Villain does, however, need balance. That is why they’re best off working with The Comedian and The Teacher to balance their blunt nature.
The youtube channel CinemaSins produces movie reviews through a comically distorted lens. They only cover the inconsistencies, goofs and gaffes (otherwise known as “sins”) that make their way into the final cut of movies. The person constantly pointing out the faults of others could be none other than the villain.
As you make your way into the world of creative endeavors, it’s important to keep in mind that creativity is what you make of it. No single creative falls directly into one of these categories. Most are a healthy mix of several different archetypes. It’s possible to be The Villain and The Producer. You may tell some harsh truths, but you get the work done.
If it does seem like, as a creator you’re falling into a single creative archetype, get out of your comfort zone. Someone who is simply The Expert is pigeonholing themselves to a single subject. If someone knows they’re falling into this rut, they should make an effort to venture into the other avenues of creativity. The Expert should consciously try to see things through the eyes of The Thinker or The Cryptographer.
It’s also important to keep in mind what type of creator you truly wish to be. To thine own heart be true. As long as you create things your way, you will create things you are proud of.
