A friend of mine is an artist. She’s creative, smart, and thinks in pictures.
I’m definitely (perhaps) not an artist. My creativity comes from other places, my intelligence is often debatable, and I think very much in words.
She showed me her thesis project in school and explained what it communicated.
When she was done, she said…
“I don’t know. I wanted to say something. I could have written an essay about it, or I could have made art to say it. I chose to make art.”
And I choose to write (or think…in words).
We May Not Be Too Different, Though…
Paul Graham makes art with words. And businesses. And technology. And paintings.
His book, Hackers and Painters, is a series of essays he has written, the most well known being…well….Hackers and Painters.
In the article, he he fundamentally proposes that…
“What hackers and painters have in common is that they’re both makers. Along with composers, architects, and writers, what hackers and painters are trying to do is make good things.”
Going back to my friend and our differences, it seems that the only difference may be our medium. Hers being imagery and the moods it creates, mine being language and the value it creates.
Thus, I would also add to this list: Entrepreneurs.
It’s Easy to Think of an Artist as a Maker of Art…
But it’s not so easy to see an entrepreneur – or better yet, a businessperson – as a maker of art.
The most common conversation that I have with people about the idea of business people as artists, is that what is produced, is received – or interacted with – very differently than art.
To appreciate a work of fine art is to almost give yourself to it and allow its influence. Our demands of art are subtle, but they exist; if it doesn’t capture our attention, we move on, disallowing it to receive our appreciation.
My friend once told me that what defines the quality of art is how well it captures your attention.
I might argue that businesses are interacted with in a similar manner. That a consumer yields oneself to a product or brand and allows it to influence how we choose to live our lives. Likewise, if the product or brand doesn’t capture the attention of consumers, it, too, is passed over.
The Artistry of Business…
…comes from an understanding of consumers and their psychology. What are their needs? What are their wants? What are they willing to exchange for those needs and wants to be met?
For a fine artist, you might say that a similar thought process is generated. They must take into concern those who will be appreciating the art, what they wish to see, and what they’re willing to give in order to appreciate what is offered.
When communication is designed to meet the requirements of its customer in a way that captures the customer’s attention, the business person becomes an artist.
The artistry, here, exists in how well this single thing is accomplished.
There is no other metric.