Is a Business Executive an Artist?

It seems that these two things can’t be more opposite from each other.

Art- beautiful, inspiring, captivating, and emotional.

Business Executive – cold, analytical, strategic, and structured

Can these two opposites co-exist??

I’ve long loved art and creativity. I come from a long line of artists. Those who have persisted and made it an occupation or a very meaningful hobby. My house is enveloped with handmade baskets from my grandma, stained glass from my mom, furniture from my dad, quilts from my aunt, scarves and hats from my sister, paintings from an uncle, and photographs from another uncle. And sprinkled in there are a few of my own things.

Being surrounded by artists that use their heart, hands, and mind to make something beautiful is awe inspiring. All these things are the embodiment of skill, attention to detail, problem solving, and countless hours to hone their craft.

In my 20’s I wrestled with own art. I loved creating – I have always maintained a creative space with all sorts of tools and equipment ready for the next project. My engineering job was just a means to an income. Punching the proverbial time clock, grinding through a spreadsheet, facilitating Lean Kaizen events, and preparing endless PowerPoint slides to showcase the latest continuous improvement project.

I wanted to be home making something, where the possibilities were endless and the twists and turns of what’s in your head manifests before your eyes. ?

One day I find myself staring at the computer screen, shifting little boxes around in my latest PowerPoint slide deck that would convey the story of a new product development decision making engine that I was leading a team through. And it hit me… this is the canvas… this is art! I’m not talking about my mediocre slide deck. I saw art in the creation of what wasn’t, into something that was. The creativity and innovation that the team went through to experiment and to trial and to continue to massage until it was “just right”. I saw the team stand before a crowd of people and express the message and meaning of their creation. Like artists pulling off the cloth to reveal the masterpiece. Through watching and facilitating their transformation, I realized that we are all artists.

What do artists do?

?????????????Artists see a vision for something that is not yet here.

?????????????Artists take simple things that already exist and transform it.

?????????????Artists obsess on perfecting it, knowing that perfection is unachievable.

?????????????Artists pour passion and energy into a single focused piece.

What do Executives do?

?????????????Executives see a vision for something that is not yet here.

?????????????Executives take simple things that already exist and transform it.

?????????????Executives obsess on perfecting it, knowing that perfection is unachievable.

?????????????Executives pour passion and energy into a single focused piece.

Not only do these two seemingly opposites co-exist, but they are linked!!

I was in Sydney wandering through the Queen Victoria Building, which itself is a beautiful showcase of art. I stumbled into a Dr. Seuss exhibit. I see a frame that holds two papers. On the left is Dr. Seuss’ original drawing for Green Eggs and Ham and on the opposite side is the final output, the thing we know and love. The sketch is gross, it’s not pretty or colorful. Just a pencil drawing sketch of what was in his head. And somehow through the undoubtedly hundreds of iterations, the final vibrant, joyful page. Dr Seuss clearly did not get stuck on getting it right the first time, he allowed himself to create what Julie Cameron coins the “shitty first draft”.

Art is the output of a messy process of change. Start with a rough sketch using pencil and paper, then recreate that sketch with paints, continuing to add layer after layer of detail, connecting all the individual parts into one cohesive entity that tells a story or conveys an emotion.

Artists know this process, they know at the beginning it starts off ugly but if they have faith and persistence to keep working it, the result will be amazing.

As a business executive, connecting to the artist within allows me to see that the process of transformation is not easy or pretty but with persistence and consistent attention it will yield a beautiful result.?