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About Creative Intelligence

 

 

Creative Intelligence began in 2015 as a transformational resource to establish bridges and improve collaboration between contrastive art and business communities working together in Commercial Creativity.

 

Through decades spent in creative environments, we recognized a community of practitioners who found the endless spiral of failed interactions and incongruous business practices both predictable and debilitating. This group - innovative and curious - represented the leading edge of today’s creative economy. They constantly searched for ways to improve collaboration in the context of business performance. How were we so sure? Because we counted ourselves among them.

With that in mind, Creative Intelligence began formulating support for the Commercial Creativity community with two complementary approaches:

  • Awareness SeminarsTM - to cultivate creative intelligence by improving individual and collective awareness, perspective, and insight, helping practitioners establish bridges between people, ideas, and industries.

  • Assessment & Analysis of Corporate Creativity - providing organizations actionable intelligence, grounded in strategy, data, branding, and marketing to help practitioners determine strengths, identify opportunities, and accelerate results.

The premise of Creative Intelligence is simple: equip individuals and organizations with the clarity to partner differently. The foundation for this clarity is greater insight into the performance of their creative collaboration. By and large, you will not find these kinds of capabilities anywhere else.

With support from a broad-based group of experts, and in the spirit of providing more than just intelligence, our hope is to build something closer to a professional community to expand the scope of what is possible.

Using experiential learning, we continue exploring unique pathways to pair awareness with applied analysis to improve measurable outcomes. Once you’ve experienced this blend of reflection, intelligence, and application, we think you’ll find it indispensable.

Our aim at Creative Intelligence is to serve as an essential foundation for Commercial Creativity professionals and become a trusted resource that connects awareness, analysis, and creativity in ways that matter most to those working at the intersection of art and business.


John Crane
Director, Creative Intelligence

Meet the Director - John Crane

Raised by an immigrant family at the Jeanne Lanai apartments on Compton Boulevard in Gardena, California, the probability of a creative career for John Crane seemed remote. But in the fifth grade, while directing a pioneer migration mural, something inside sparked. Originally a means of ducking history class, this experience would set into motion a lifelong pursuit of creativity and creative collaboration.

Over the following decades, an award-winning creative career would include creative leadership in agency, industry, and academic settings, working on both coasts and internationally. A six-time Executive Creative Director (Graphic Services, Ingram Micro, Preferred Hotels, Kaiser Permanente, Providence Health, University of Massachusetts), success was measured by how well  the contrastive worlds of art and business connected. This dedicated pursuit would become the inspiration for Creative Intelligence and Awareness Seminars.

Today,  John's goal is as before — to advance collaboration through creative intelligence. He divides time between Seattle, and Orcas Island, Washington where he receives constant inspiration from his dear Lindy Mac, family, friends, and two cats, Angus and Phinneas.

 

"Commercial Creativity isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a path that demands courage, originality, and resilience in order to prosper. This means delivering vision into value in every conceivable business setting. To be at the top of this game requires tireless preparation. But to stand out and excel? To be able to collaborate and impact at the highest levels? This takes something more. Conscious living. It begins with situational awareness. That’s what I hope this work will bring to you." — John Crane, Orcas Island, WA 2025


"I was working with John Crane in 2016 when the idea of an "awareness seminar" was hatched. It was based on work John was doing regarding his own personal and professional growth. I applaud the 10-year dedication that went into this effort. It is an innovative and powerful concept." - Ann Rutledge Britt, M.A., Master Certified Coach