Similarly, you may be a whiz with numbers. Or, you could be into recruitment and selection. You might spend your days designing marketing collateral. Perhaps you are leading your company’s business development efforts. You’re in the field of business management; you’re not an artist, you tell yourself.
You may not consider what you do art. If you claimed to be one, your work doesn’t hold a candle to Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, or Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Right?
As Seth Godin points out in his book Linchpin, “Art isn't only a painting. Art is anything that's creative, passionate, and personal. And great art resonates with the viewer, not only with the creator.” He goes on to put things into perspective: Were Steve Jobs, Charlie Chaplin, and Martin Luther King Jr. not artists?
We are obsessed with myths. Whether it’s classical ancient greek mythology, or the epics of modern day characters. Godin cites writer Joseph Campbell and says, “Myths aren’t about gods (real ones or imagined). They are about us. They are about humans acting human but doing it while wearing the cloaks of gods, of legendary figures.”
Artists like Jobs, Chaplin, and King weren’t superhuman. They cared just a bit more than everyone else. They weren’t willing to compromise. They translated their courage into projects that people initially scoffed and shook their heads at. Like many artists, they were often misunderstood and criticized for their life’s work.
Yet it’s their stories that inspire us, move us to tears, and bring change. These artists are the ones who we remember, and tip our hats to, at the end of the day. Your story awaits you, and it’s never too late to embrace it. It won’t be an easy task, but it also means a chance at changing someone’s life.
Your work is your art. It’s that simple. When you treat it as such, the innovation, creativity, and execution will become a byproduct. Organizing another business conference is not art. Creating a medium and an experience where artists can learn from, connect with, and inspire each other, is. We take extreme pride in our art, and we humbly present it as our gift to you.
Helping you succeed,
Scott Kavanagh & Christopher Novais
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