In these times, we are ALL artists. Or at least we have the opportunity to be.
The truth is, times have changed.
Our economy has changed, the world has changed. What used to work no longer works. The industrial revolution is coming to an end, and it is being replaced by the connection economy. Something vastly different, in which all jobs that can be automated or outsourced will be. You can see the need for this coming revolution in our schools, colleges, healthcare, and factories. A way of life is coming to an end. What used to mean security and safety is no longer either.
Sound scary? A normal reaction. But within a revolution there is always opportunity.
What is the connection economy? Well, first it helps to understand that “jobs” as we know them have only existed for the past 150 years. Before that, there were no factories and unemployment was not a concept that existed. Then came the industrial revolution, which brought us untold wealth and security. But wealth and security came at a price. The price we paid was connection. Connection to our passion, each other, and our planet. Which means most of us feel lonely and are looking for meaning in our lives. Hungry for connection.
In the connection economy, those who connect will be successful. An example of this is the music industry, where there are a few industrial-age institutions fighting unsuccessfully to maintain the status quo while musicians are discovering unlimited ways to connect with their audience and be successful. If you think of the internet, it exists solely to connect us. And the internet has given all of us the means to connect with our audience and be successful.
If any of this resonates with you, then you are already an artist. If not, you can learn to be one.
Seth Godin introduces these concepts in his book, “The Icarus Deception,” and if you’d like to learn more about the connection economy, you can read an excerpt here.
So this economic shift is going on all around you, whether you are aware of it or not. And what used to bring you the sense of safety and security (steady job, benefits, healthcare) is no longer working. If you want to adapt to the new connection economy, you need to learn to make art.
The good news? Unlimited opportunities for connection and meaning and living your truth. The bad news? Probably going to require a shift in mindset, a step outside your comfort zone to get there.
If you’ve done my Find Your Truth E-Course, you already know about stepping outside your comfort zone. And, just as in finding your truth, stepping outside your comfort zone leads to making art as well.
Let’s begin by redefining what art is.
I would like to propose to you that you ARE already an artist. I would like to propose to you that art is NOT what you think it is. One of the opportunities we have in this new economy is to re-define art as anything that’s “creative, passionate, and personal,” according to Seth.
What makes someone an artist? I don’t think is has anything to do with a paintbrush. There are painters who follow the numbers, or paint billboards, or work in a small village in China, painting reproductions. These folks, while swell people, aren’t artists. On the other hand, Charlie Chaplin was an artist, beyond a doubt. So is Jonathan Ive, who designed the iPod. You can be an artist who works with oil paints or marble, sure. But there are artists who work with numbers, business models, and customer conversations. Art is about intent and communication, not substances.
An artist is someone who uses bravery, insight, creativity, and boldness to challenge the status quo. And an artist takes it personally.
That’s why Bob Dylan is an artist, but an anonymous corporate hack who dreams up Pop 40 hits on the other side of the glass is merely a marketer. That’s why Tony Hsieh, founder of Zappos, is an artist, while a boiler room of telemarketers is simply a scam.
Tom Peters, corporate gadfly and writer, is an artist, even though his readers are businesspeople. He’s an artist because he takes a stand, he takes the work personally, and he doesn’t care if someone disagrees. His art is part of him, and he feels compelled to share it with you because it’s important, not because he expects you to pay him for it.
Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient. The medium doesn’t matter. The intent does.
Art is a personal act of courage, something one human does that creates change in another.
I would like to propose that in everything you do, it’s possible to be an artist, at least a little bit. And what I love about this definition of art is that it makes the playing field WIDE OPEN for me and for you. There are so many ways for us to create art and share it with our audience – all it requires of us is to shift our mindset to intend to do so.
Can you see some ways that you already create art in your life? Can you feel the possibility for so much more? Has my art connected with you in this moment?
If any of your answers are yes, then I invite you to come to the Barefoot Bliss Weekend to learn how to make more art and share it with your audience. It’s our art to connect you to your art. Click below for more details….
Stephanie
