Only within the creative industries is a conversation about what Hogwarts House one belongs to taken seriously. 

Not too long ago, I found myself in such a discussion. Unlike my two colleagues, however, I hadn’t taken the Sorting Quiz since I was a child (and child Tahlia probably rigged her results back then), so spent a slice of my evening revisiting it. 

Those five minutes reminded me why I have a love/hate relationship with personality tests. On the one hand, I can’t help but indulge my curiosity; on the other, I lament their lack of real-world practicality.

Perhaps that’s to be expected with your Hogwarts Sorting (I’m a Gryffindor with a Hufflepuff rising, FYI), but even more ‘sophisticated’ tools such as the Myers-Briggs and Enneagram have left me with a sense of ‘Now what?’ 

All this to say, my blend of interest/scepticism accompanied me when introduced to the Fascination Advantage system at a recent conference. Yet, to my surprise, I walked away with insights that offered genuinely practical value - insights I believe could be of genuine practical value to my fellow creatives too.  

Fascinating research

The Fascination Advantage system was developed by Sally Hogshead, an ex-member of America’s advertising elite. For context, Hogshead was the most award-winning copywriter in the US at age 24, running her own ad agency in Los Angeles at 27, and featured in the Smithsonian Museum of American History at 30. If anyone knows branding, Hogshead certainly does. 

It’s this context that makes the USP of her system clear - the insights have branding implications rather than psychological ones. Instead of revealing how we perceive ourselves, the Fascination Advantage reveals how others perceive us. 

The difference is subtle but no less powerful. 

Despite lacking the ‘psychological tool’ label, Hogshead’s system is supported by some solid science. Kelton Global led the initial research into over one million professionals and found that we each possess a mix of seven different ‘Advantages’ - traits that capture our unique value. 

These Advantages are Innovation, Passion, Power, Prestige, Trust, Mystique, and Alert. 

In the Fascination Advantage system, you discern your primary and secondary Advantages, and this pairing determines which of the 49 personality archetypes (i.e., brand) the world sees you as. 

Say, for example, your primary Advantage is Passion, and your secondary is Innovation. Your personality archetype would then be ‘The Catalyst’ - meaning, at your best, you’re seen as someone who thinks out of the box, is social, and full of energy. 

Closer to home

Down in this hemisphere, Dr Mark Seton, Research Associate at the University of Sydney and co-founder of the Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare (ASPAH), is putting this system to work. 

Dr Seton first came across the Fascination Advantage system in 2013 before becoming one of only 120 Fascinate® Certified Advisors worldwide in 2021. 

"I joined because I realised that I had been trying to provide training in artistic wellbeing - specifically dealing with trauma - but that actors and other creatives weren’t ready to start dealing with that deep personal stuff until they had more certainty in their lives in terms of personal identity and regular income," Dr Seton describes.

"My research over many years has identified that the three top challenges of artists and creatives are financial uncertainty, career uncertainty, and personal uncertainty," he adds. 

"[It’s] a catch-22 where they identify as artists, but because of lack of funds or work opportunities, they can’t practise their art form, so lose confidence, which then impacts their capacity to attract work opportunities. They may try classes or second-guess what the market wants, but unless they know what authentically makes them different, they end up stuck and disempowered." 

"That’s when I saw I could take the Fascination Advantage and help creatives find confidence in their uniqueness and that they could also use it to proactively set up more regular and rewarding work - and income! Then they’d be in a much better place to explore how they could become resilient in their innate vulnerability," Dr Seton explains.  

Key takeaways

Dr Seton has found there have been two prime takeaways for his students and clients at the Actors Wellbeing Academy.

First, that different is better than better. This means that, rather than trying to compete with other creatives, you can step back and live out of your own creative difference. 

"Second, rather than change who you are, become more of who you are. This means that you can really celebrate and lean into your own creative uniqueness with integrity and authenticity, and - importantly - either find or generate creative outcomes that are both financially and personally rewarding." 

After taking the test, I could appreciate both of these points too. As someone who started working in the creative industries in my teens, I’ve constantly hunted for ways to make the artistic life sustainable and - heaven forbid - enjoyable. While I’m still relatively fresh from my test experience, there does seem to be something there. 

I’m not naive enough to suggest that the Fascination Advantage system is a one-and-done silver bullet. However, I do believe many of us creatives could benefit from science-backed tools and frameworks that empower us and support our wellbeing. 

As with any tool, the Fascination Advantage system can only be effective if used (a surprisingly unobvious caveat). But unlike its personality test peers, at least Hogshead’s system feels usable.