Tag: Business as an Art Form

The Artistic Business- Part IV

All this month we have been talking about the Artistic Business and Small Business as the highest art form.

In Part I: We talked about how thinking like an artist will to help you to position your business in the marketplace.

In Part II: We discussed how thinking like an artist will provide the best platform from which to compete.

In Part III: We talked about how thinking like an artist will bring more creativity and more originality into your business.

Why is it important to develop an Artistic Business mindset? Because if you think like an Artist and do your work as if creating a work of Art, you will create a successful business.

Today we will talk about what the Artistic Business does, and how it behaves. Let’s take a look:

The Artistic Business believes in their work. A true Art Master is fearless in the face of a blank canvas. They set to work with confidence. They know what they want to make, how they want to make it, and believe in the value of the final product before it has even begun. They see the finished image in their minds eye before they have laid the first brush stroke upon the canvas. The Artistic Business sees, and, therefore, can masterfully produce. Because they see the final product, they communicate masterfully. Because they are confident, they are fearless.

The Artistic Business is honest. They are WYSIWYG. What you see is what you get. No matter how you slice it, the Artistic Business is the same on the inside as it is on the outside. They represent themselves and their product honestly. (The fake-it-till-you-make-it mantra does not apply.) They will not talk about their product as valuable until they are sure it is just that.

The Artistic Business welcomes change. They understand that the pathway to success may follow a different route than originally planned. It may even be marked with detours. Openness to detours is a built-in part of the Artistic Business plan right from the start. These detours will not stop them in their tracks. They know that if they keep moving, they will see new opportunities open up. (You cannot steer a parked car.) They know that navigating the path to success will help them figure out what success means.

The Artistic Businesses puts more back into the world than they take out. The Artistic Business wants to leave the world a better place than the way they found it. The Artistic Business helps support causes and works together with others in their communities to achieve common goals. These efforts are not a roundabout way to self-promote. The Artistic Business is honestly helping. They have figured out how to make a difference and sustain business at the very same time.

The Artistic Business has an overarching Purpose. This Purpose presides over every other business activity and is larger than the business itself. This Purpose makes the world a more beautiful place. The Artistic Business has witnessed the effects of other businesses who value profits over purpose. They know the “profits first” mindset shoots the real meaning of profit in the foot. They know that making profit all about financial gain makes the world an ugly place. The Artistic Business does not do ugly.

The world awaits your Masterpiece. The world needs you to share your gifts and skills in a way that makes it a more beautiful place. Want to gain more confidence as a business owner? Employ the Artistic Business mindset in your business. Create something so good that you can stake your entire reputation upon it. Think this is easy?Not on your life. But only this kind of endeavor creates real Art. And nothing can give you more confidence in business than mastering your craft and creating real Art. You then, too, will become an Artistic Business.

Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art. –Andy Warhol

All this month we have been talking about small business as an art form and that of the highest level. Unless you have been hiding under your desk, you cannot help but notice the large amount of press being devoted to the value of creative intelligence in the workplace. Any person possessing large amounts of this ‘right stuff’ is suddenly the preferred candidate for top positions. Smart companies know that innovation seems to magically appear right behind any pixie who sprinkles this magic creative dust. Shortly after, old problems that everyone has been staring at for years also magically disappear.

We all know certain people who have more than their fair share of creativity. It is almost as if God tripped with the carton open. For true Artists, creativity is akin to breathing. But whether you can draw a straight line or not, there is nothing to stop you from thinking more like an Artist.

Here are five ways to find more of the Artist in you and in your company:

1. Artists are compelled to create.They are like the little chick inside an egg– with a life force inside. If they do not break out and become all they are destined to be? They rot. Entrepreneurs who purposefully create space in their day for creative thinking will also awaken latent skills. Not feeling it? Take a brisk walk. Genius has proven the benefits of fresh air to force out the cobwebs and get the gears turning. (Check these articles out here and here.) Great things happen from the inside out.

2. Artists see differently. They thrive on perceived limitations. They often use the same raw materials that everyone else uses, but use them in a different way than was originally intended, and in doing so add tremendous value to those same materials. Artists make a habit of asking, “What else could we make with this?” Stop looking at limited resources as a problem. Creative Entrepreneurs ask the same question.

3. Artists choose their style. Then they work that style until they are very very good at it. No artist can afford to experiment with every medium. They only have so much room in their art kit anyway. They focus on the things that they do best. Creative Entrepreneurs also choose. They choose their style, their methods, and their offerings. By virtue of what they choose, they are also choosing to exclude something else. If you try to do it all, you will do nothing well. On the entrepreneurial journey, you can only fit so much in your sack anyway. Focus on what you do best, and excel.

4. Artists are rebels. They do not do paint by number. They do their own thing. They do not waste time on things that do not matter in the deepest part of their hearts. They create from that place, and not to please the masses. Therefore, they are not quick to give up on their idea just because someone hates it. It goes without saying that real Entrepreneurs will do their homework to know if there is a market for their product before they begin business. But the presence of haters is not a sign of failure. In fact, haters may mean just the opposite. Every great product has haters.

5. Artists tell a million stories through their work. They know how you say it is as important as what you say. True artists know their message does not have to resonate with everyone–just a specific group. Because the message of their art is strong, that specific group is attracted as if by magic. Artists know the more powerfully they develop their message, the less they have to say.

Imagine attending an art show where the Artist goes around telling people all about the features and benefits of their work. That would be–well–just so weird. Real Artists do not do that. You either do, or you do not like it. Artists do not try to convince anyone why they should love their work. Unfortunately, many small business people are not acting at all like real Artists. They are still trying to sell something to everyone. Focus on making your best art, and source it from your heart. Make it matter to your target audience, and you will attract them by default.

Oh you little rebel you.

Stay tuned for The Artistic Business–Part IV, next week!