Navigating the Complexities of Giftedness

Gifted professionals are everywhere in the world. They are the ones who can look beyond what is obvious to design a better cart, attach the wheels in new places, and pull hard to get things moving. Many times, they do so against all odds, and often alone. As Mary-Elaine Jacobsen writes in her book, The Gifted Adult, “Some Everyday Geniuses have talents that are highly specialized, or single-tracked. Others possess broad-ranging potentialities, able to draw from a pool of abilities to excel in all sorts of things.”

Meet one such individual – Hanna Hesemans – creative strategist, copywriter, heritage scholar, impact enthusiast, and concept developer.

Hanna thrives in roles that allow her to delve into new subjects and distill complex information for broader audiences. Her diverse professional background includes positions as a heritage researcher for museums, a communication officer for social projects, a press spokesperson for a university, and an assistant in art projects. As the driving force behind hh. communications, Hanna’s company offers a broad range of communication services, helping her clients solve their communication challenges.

She is captivated by projects that intersect the realms of science, art, and communication within her professional pursuits. Personally, her inquisitiveness leads her to explore the wonders of nature, mountains, hiking, and the intricacies of the human experience, encompassing fields such as philosophy, psychology, and health.

Hanna exemplifies several characteristics associated with gifted adults, including an awareness of an inner drive toward meaning, fulfillment, and excellence. She tends to favor original thinking and creative solutions, displaying qualities such as excitability, enthusiasm, expressiveness, and renewable energy fueled by her creativity.

Her interests extend to seeking ultimate truths and expressing deep concerns about universal issues, reflecting a reverence for the interconnectedness of all things.

Gifted awareness

Q: Because you are a deep thinker, highly intuitive, creative, analytical, and curious, do you think you bring a particularly complex dimension to professional relationships?

Hanna: Laughing: I bring a complex dimension to all my relationships. To be frank, if you want to know all about it, you might want to check in with my former colleagues. I’ve observed that those I collaborate with tend to perceive my work as distinctive in some way, although I struggle to pinpoint why. To me, the approach I take doesn’t feel overly complex. It seems logical and authentically transparent – focused on delivering high-quality and honest work while maintaining a keen awareness of the people involved in the process.

Image by Justlight on Adobe Stock Images.

Professionalism focus

Q: Did you become a professional on purpose or did your career path open a door into the profession you identify with today?

Hanna: Growing up in a family that didn’t particularly emphasize professional ambitions, I didn’t intentionally set out to become a professional. While my family values my success and happiness in my pursuits, they never regarded professional ambitions as a crucial factor for thriving in life. They never exerted pressure in that direction. As a child, I harbored unconventional interests that may have steered me toward a more professional environment at an early age – after all, art history isn’t typically the subject that captivates other 11-year-olds.

Life unfolded in its own way, and I found myself studying at university while simultaneously taking on a role as an assistant in press and communications. Upon completing my undergraduate degree, the museum where I volunteered approached me to conduct research on art collections. Balancing the growth of my career as a communication professional and a freelance project assistant in the cultural sector, I pursued a master’s degree, seamlessly juggling freelancing and part-time positions.

While others were surprised by my ability to manage it all, for me, it simply felt like the most natural course of action at the time.

Image by Matrioshka on Adobe Stock Images

Communication focus.

Q: Which of your communication skills do you seem to work on constantly, always learning, always evolving? 

Hanna: I find it challenging to simply listen to someone without automatically filling in the blanks, a habit I actively strive to improve. Although I’ve made progress, there are moments when my enthusiasm for a particular topic or a compelling fact overtakes me, and I can’t resist sharing my thoughts. Another aspect that presents a challenge is communicating through my feelings—expressing myself without relying on rationalization or explanation.

Image by Лилия Захарчук on Adobe Stock Images

Words to Live and Laugh By

The power of quotes and rhetoric is part of the gifted person’s thinking. Hanna prefers poems for her quotes.

Hanna said, “Some poems for me perfectly reflect navigating the complexities of life as a gifted professional and communicator.”

Love Her Wild is a collection of new and beloved poems from Atticus, the young writer who has captured the hearts and minds of hundreds of thousands of avid followers on his Instagram account, and stands out as a favorite for Hanna. Atticus captures what is both raw and relatable about the smallest and the grandest moments in life: the first glimpse of a new love in Paris; skinny dipping on a summer’s night; the irrepressible exuberance of the female spirit; or drinking whiskey in the desert watching the rising sun.

Image by Charles Mackesy in The Boy, The Mole, the Fox and the Horse

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy is a beautifully illustrated story that encourages reflection on life’s challenges and the importance of kindness, empathy, and self-acceptance – all of which are relevant and meaningful to individuals facing various challenges, including the complexities that come with being gifted.

We’re on a mission to feature stories about professionals who are initiating meaningful conversations with other gifted minds and storytellers – and who they serve.

If you’re curious about how sensitive, creative, intense, multi-potential, professional, ethical, expressive, and clear you are about your intentions, wants, and needs, check your GPC score.

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