Seth Godin taught us that art is not painting. Art is not writing. Art is not dancing, or sculpting, or playing the piano.
All of these things have the potential to become art, but so can…
Waiting tables
Teaching algebra
Being a doorman, lawyer, or fast-food franchisee.
There are plenty of painters who simply copy Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, and Margaret Keane. They may be very skilled painters, but they are not artists.
There are doormen who learn the name of every person in their building, who go above and beyond, doing human work that doesn’t appear on their job description. This doorman can’t paint a stick figure, but he is still an artist just the same.
No action is inherently creative, just as no action is inherently un-creative. What makes someone an artist is the intention and heart behind the actions they take. Are they challenging convention, taking risks, and inventing something new? Are they connecting with others, doing human work, and sharing their skills generously?
Art is not a skill. Art is an intention, a connection, a mission.
All of these things have the potential to become art, but so can…
Waiting tables
Teaching algebra
Being a doorman, lawyer, or fast-food franchisee.
There are plenty of painters who simply copy Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, and Margaret Keane. They may be very skilled painters, but they are not artists.
There are doormen who learn the name of every person in their building, who go above and beyond, doing human work that doesn’t appear on their job description. This doorman can’t paint a stick figure, but he is still an artist just the same.
No action is inherently creative, just as no action is inherently un-creative. What makes someone an artist is the intention and heart behind the actions they take. Are they challenging convention, taking risks, and inventing something new? Are they connecting with others, doing human work, and sharing their skills generously?
Art is not a skill. Art is an intention, a connection, a mission.
