Business Artist Digest March 1, 2024

With Hollywood's biggest night approaching (Oscars Sun March 10, 2024), I wanted to reflect on a moment captured in a film that so perfectly describes the meaning of any art.

If you've seen Maestro (nominated for Best Picture and Bradley Cooper as Best Actor), you may not know this scene below. It is played in the background of the movie Tár. At 42:15 Leonard Bernstein goes into what I believe to be the most accurate and complete picture of what the meaning of music and art is....to make us feel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8f-FNIDuiE&t=2580s

Because his words are so magical to me, I'm going to paste in an entire section. I'd like to invite you to read this (or play the video at 42:15) above. As you read, think not just about music, but also about your work and the lives you touch as a Business Artist.

Now we can really understand what the meaning of music is. It's the way it makes you feel when you hear it. Finally, we've taken that last giant step, and we're there. We know what music means now, and we don't have to know a lot of stuff about sharps and flats and chords and all that business in order to understand music. If it tells us something, not a story or a picture, but a feeling. If it makes us change inside and have all those different good feelings that music can make you have, then you're understanding it. And that's all there is to it. Because those feelings aren't like the stories or the pictures we talked about before. They're not extra; they're not outside the music. They belong to the music; they are what music is about.

And the most wonderful thing of all is that there's no limit to the different kinds of feelings music can make you have. And some of those feelings are so special and so deep that they can't even be described in words. You see, we can't always name the things we feel. Sometimes we can; we can say we feel joy, pleasure, peacefulness, whatever, love, hate. But every once in a while, we have feelings that are so deep and so special that we have no words for them. And that's where music is so marvelous because music names them for us, only in notes instead of in words. It's all in the way music moves.

You must never forget that music is movement, always going somewhere, shifting and changing and flowing from one note to another. And that movement can tell us more about the way we feel than a million words can. ~Leonard Bernstein

In business, just as in music, there exists a rhythm, a melody, and often, an unspoken connection that can transform ordinary interactions into memorable experiences.

Much like a musician in a flow state, seamlessly transitioning from note to note, a Business Artist engages in their work with a sense of improvisation and intuition

• Dissonance to Harmony: Just as dissonance in music seeks resolution, the challenges in business—be it automation, competition, or innovation—call for a harmonious blend of art, creativity, and business acumen to create solutions that resonate with humanity.
• The Melody of Collaboration: Collaborating in business, I find to be similar to an ensemble of musicians, and requires each individual's artistry to blend into a cohesive whole, enriching the customer experience and fostering a culture of innovation.
• Rhythms of Customer Engagement: Engaging customers with the artistry of conversation and collaboration mirrors the dynamics of a live performance, where the audience's response shapes the flow. This reciprocal interaction can elevate the mundane into an experience filled with emotional depth and value.

Keep exploring and keep creating,

Adam

Adam Recommends

Humankind

"Humankind: A Hopeful History" by Rutger Bregman presents a more optimistic view of human nature than is traditionally held in both popular culture and academic circles. Bregman argues against the notion that humans are inherently selfish and competitive, instead positing that we are fundamentally kind, cooperative, and trusting.

This is a great read if you are feeling down about the world right now. Rutgter proves that deep down human beings are well....pretty decent. Thanks to Kent Sanders for initially recommending this one to me.

Business Artist Spotlight

This week we shine a spotlight on Douglas Ferguson , founder of Voltage Control, where his innovative work in facilitating collaborative leadership and transformative meetings makes him a beacon for Business Artists. With a rich background as a technologist, musician, and entrepreneur, Ferguson brings creativity into the corporate world, promoting participatory decision-making and design-inspired facilitation techniques. His contributions are a testament to blending artistic sensibility with business acumen

Ferguson's authored works, including "Non-Obvious Guide to Magical Meetings" and "Beyond the Prototype," offer fresh perspectives on making meetings engaging and driving innovation from ideas to outcomes. His strategies for transforming meeting cultures and fostering meaningful collaboration align with the principles central to Business Artists: leveraging individual strengths, inclusivity, and growth.

Douglas Ferguson's vision for changing the way we work and communicate, emphasizing clarity, purpose, and the inclusion of diverse voices, showcases the impactful intersection of artistry and commerce. His leadership at Voltage Control serves as an exemplary model for those navigating the creative and business worlds alike.