Unlocking creative solutions through the power of metaphor
When Logic Fails: How Metaphor Unlocks Creative Solutions
Recently, a new client, Alice (not her real name), came to me in a state of financial desperation. The book editing work she had relied on for years had dried up, and she needed to pivot quickly. Her plan? Apply for a project manager position at a nonprofit in the same field as the books she had edited. It made perfect sense: her skills and content expertise were a logical fit.
The rational mind operates like a highly efficient computer—it gathers available facts, processes them, and delivers a solution that appears straightforward and sensible. Ninety-five percent of career counselors would agree Alice’s plan was sound. But logic, while useful, often operates on the surface. It doesn’t always account for the deeper, richer layers of our lives.
Beneath the rational mind lies another level of intelligence—a place where insights arise from gut feelings, “heart wisdom,” or an ineffable sense of knowing. Over 25 years of studying adult learning has shown me that the most direct way to access this deeper intelligence is through metaphor. Unlike binary logic, metaphoric images work on multiple levels simultaneously. They don’t just make sense—they feel true. When we tap into this metaphoric realm, we step into a space where profound shifts and creative solutions emerge.
Seeing Beyond the Surface: Alice’s Metaphor
In Alice’s case, the metaphor that emerged was vivid: she was sitting inside a drawstring bag, desperately trying to pull the string open above her head. This image perfectly captured her situation—she felt trapped, with no way out. Rationally, it made sense for her to try to “open the bag,” to escape. But the image revealed a deeper truth: the bag wasn’t going to open.
Instead, the creative movement wasn’t upward but downward. Beneath her feet was a rich, messy, fertile ground—a place of potential and growth. The image showed her that the solution wasn’t about forcing her way out; it was about grounding herself in this unknown, fertile space. It was a shift from striving to surrendering to what was ready to emerge.
Beyond Logic: Other Stories of Metaphor in Action
Another client, Mary, came to me grappling with tension in a personal relationship. The image that arose was a rope, with Mary holding one end and the other person gripping the opposite end. Mary believed the solution was to let go of the rope, to stop the struggle. This is a common refrain in therapy and self-help: “Just let go.” But the metaphor revealed a different truth. The rope represented Mary’s own power. Letting go would mean relinquishing her strength. What she needed to do was snap the rope and shake off those who shouldn’t be holding onto it. The metaphor empowered her to reclaim her vitality.
Another client had been told for years that she was “ungrounded” and had diligently practiced grounding techniques to no avail. But the metaphor that emerged showed her as a weaver, connecting disparate elements—people, ideas, and information—into something cohesive. The act of weaving doesn’t happen on the ground; it happens in the air. Her nature wasn’t to be grounded but to float and create connections. The image freed her from trying to fit into a mold that wasn’t hers.
The Richness of the Metaphoric Realm
Our rational minds want to solve problems in predictable, linear ways. We try to “open the bag,” “let go of the rope,” or “be more grounded” because that’s what makes sense. But the metaphoric realm invites us into a deeper, messier wisdom. It’s not woo-woo or mystical—it’s fundamental to how humans think and process the world. Cognitive scientists like George Lakoff have shown that metaphors are foundational to how we understand events and shape our behavior. They are “unavoidable, ubiquitous, and mostly unconscious.”
When we step into the metaphoric realm, we gain access to a new kind of intelligence—one that doesn’t just solve problems but reveals paths of creative expansion. The images that arise might feel simple or even childlike, but they carry profound truths. They shift us from being stuck to moving forward in ways our rational minds could never conceive.
Finding Your Door
Are you feeling stuck? Do you keep hitting a wall, trying the same solutions without success? Metaphors can guide you to the door you haven’t seen yet—the one that leads to movement, possibility, and transformation.
Your life is a creative work of art, and you are one of a kind. Let the metaphoric realm show you the way.
