THE FOUR METAPHORS
1. Career as Paintbrush: The first metaphor refers to using the elements and resources of your career in a creative way to bring about value for your clients, employers, the target market, and other stakeholders. Here the elements and resources of your career are used as artistic tools and resources, and would correspond metaphorically to the painter's paints and brushes, the singers voice, the musician's instrument, or the writer's pen.

2. Career as Painting: The second metaphor relates to applying your creativity to design, craft, and create your ideal career. Here your career itself becomes the art-form, similar to a painting or sculpture. It is the object or artifact to be created. One benefit of seeing your career as a work of art, is that a creative process can be used in its crafting.

3. Career as Artist's Patron: The third situation is where your career serves as a patron of your artistic or creative endeavor. Here, the person's creative pursuits might not be directly related to her career, as in the case of an accountant who is also a weekend sculptor, or an engineer who writes poetry. So what exactly is the relationship of the patron (career) to the creative endeavor? I believe that in its most healthy and harmonious form it is a reciprocal relationship where the career, as patron, supports the creative endeavor financially and materially, and the creative process and products energize and inspire the career, giving it an added significance and meaning.

4. Career as Artist's Model: The fourth and final metaphor refers to using artistic modes such as storytelling, collage, poetry, and art-journaling to reflect on and enhance your understanding, inspiration and engagement with your career. Here your career serves as the subject of your art, in the same way as a painter's model or landscape might serve as the subject for a painting, and a lyricist's personal experiences might serve as the subject matter for writing a song. This kind of creative engagement with career as artistic subject is a valuable reflective tool for enriching your inner map of your career and the broader career landscape. This, in turn, can help you stay on-track for all the other career-creative goals embodied in the three previous metaphors.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
In summary, the four metaphors are: career as paintbrush, career as painting, career as artist's patron, and career as artist's model. By internalizing these four metaphors for career-creative harmony, you can visualize and craft your career and creative endeavors in a powerful and complementary way to ensure yourself a life of career-creative harmony and zest.

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