CONNECTING THE DOTS-ARTS & BUSINESS
Recently I was asked to answer a few questions for a feature on ‘The Artian’, a platform all about connecting the worlds of art and business.
It's hard to phrase out what art means to an artist and hence a rather arduous task if asked to connect what art means to the other sides of your life. At its core, its a form of being, a medium of expression, meditation and vivid dreaming. But how do you translate this magnificent, ephemeral state into your professional world on an everyday basis?
The more I pondered on this bit of idiosyncrasy between the left and right brains, the more evasive the answer became! While everyone’s take on this would be different, my struggle with answering this apparently simple question stems from the fact that compartmentalization of both sides to your mind, to me, has always been a myth.
Art, or for that matter, writing, photography, music — whatever your poison is, becomes a way of thinking, perceiving and being — and as a result, very seamlessly integrates into everything you do. So my sincerest apologies— I don’t have an answer there! But as I wondered more, I realized how this has profoundly changed my thinking, reasoning, way of being — and that art and business when it comes to thinking, are actually not that different.
The ‘Just Do It’ State Of Mind!
Have you ever tried painting and experienced that one single, solitary, almost everlasting moment between setting up your easel and actually starting painting? It's the same sentiment that tortures your being when you stare at a blank page before wording down your thoughts.
And this, my friends, is one of the most daunting and exciting experiences ever! While one can create a world of possibilities, you are also equally likely to blow this up! As Matisse very beautifully puts it across, ‘ Creativity takes courage’ and the key to creating something great is often to just take that leap of faith and start.
Isn’t this the exact same feeling when you are starting a project or a business? As an artist or a writer, you learn to overcome this with every piece of art or poetry you create and as an entrepreneur, you realize you are not as daunted by that idea of risk anymore. You know the answer often lies in just getting started.
Learning Perspectives
If you have taken that first step and started painting, the next step is to understand that any picture always has different perspectives it can be seen and understood with. The more you understand this, the better your painting becomes.
This is an invaluable lesson in the world of business and marketing. While your idea or vision may not be as appealing to a certain consumer group, it most likely has another consumer segment who would find it invaluable. You just need a shift of perspective and as an artist, you always know that.
Understanding Human Psyche
It's beautiful when a painting can articulate the mind of the painter but its much more meaningful when art can create a bond with the psyche of the spectator. On many levels, artists have to be their own business managers and understand their audience to be able to create this connection.
Whether you are creating an ad or designing a product, finding the right market insight to work on the most important step of all. As a creator, you soon find out the fact that you have an evolved sense of understanding and empathy, is actually a great asset here.
Instant Improvisation
If you have ever done an oil painting, you know how different the first version of your work can look from the exquisitely detailed art that is the finished painting. You work with layering and each layer can often change the entire storyline of the picture. I notice the same with character building in short stories.
Improvisation is your greatest ally when it comes to marketing and startups. Every entrepreneur knows that even the most detailed plan doesn’t work out 100% as expected and instant improvisation can be a handy tool at these times.
Agile Thinking
One of the most complicated bits of live sketching figures is that your subjects move every 1–2 minutes (sometimes even a few seconds), leaving you very little time as an artist to capture their essence. Many find this to be quite the ordeal and refrain from attempting this. But the best sketch artists know that their 5-minute sketches are some of the most challenging and satisfying pieces ever! Sketching teaches you agility — you have to be fearless, fast and accurate at the same time — three things that great apply to the world of business as well.
Staying Inspired
I cannot say for certain if artists are just insane, passionate or insanely passionate about what they do — I guess you have to be all of it.
As a creator, you don’t just seek inspiration, inspiration becomes a necessity. But the beauty of inspiration is that it isn’t territorial and often comes from extremely disconnected places and transfuses into other vastly disconnected ones. In other words, to be a creative individual, you shall be on a constant pursuit of inspiration and that is one of the best things to emanate, no matter what part of your life you are living.
Being an artist, writer or any kind of creative is not easy. But the silver lining is that it makes you a much more grateful, holistic individual and teaches you to appreciate the beauty in the mundane. This shift in your attitude greatly impacts all areas of your life — and the best kind of work or art happens when both sides of your brain come together as one.
