Artistry

A Shakespearean quote from “As You Like It” written nearly 400 years ago

“All the world’s a stage
And all the men and women merely players
They have their exits and entrances
And one man in his time plays many parts”

An artist needs 4 things in order to create. Script, Props, Stage, and Inspiration. Ever written a love note and passed it in school or wrote a poem or a nice card to a loved one? At that moment, you were an artist and proved that you ARE one as well. Here…I’ll prove it to you.

Let’s go reverse order. Your inspiration is the feeling that you have or had for that person. Whatever emotion is evoked in your thoughts of that person is what drives you to take action and express yourself to them through any medium available to you in that brief moment in time that you take action. Your stage quite simply is that piece of paper or card that was the final product of your creative expression. Your props were the writing utensil, brain, and heart that you used to transfer those nonverbal feelings into meaningful words. Your script is simply time. YOU, dear reader, are an artist. Did you know this? Better yet…do you believe it?

Let’s look at this in the business world and I’ll share myself for an example with you about my artistry when it comes to speaking on stage at a conference.  

My inspiration is CONNECTION. The connection that exists between fellow attendees who have attended several of this same conference together, the bond that exists between them as they travel the miles to come together again year after year. The connection the convention hosts have to create for their attendees. The connection I need to establish with the audience to ensure the message I’m hired to deliver resonates and calls each person to action.  

My stage could quite literally be the stage that I’m on that night yet I (nor you) don’t have to limit yourself. Use the entire space you have to show to your potential client what you have to offer. Don’t limit yourself to just the real estate you pay for that is brick and mortar, go beyond to ensure your message resonates with a clear call to actions wherever your potential clients consume. Your props are your tools of the trade, whatever you use to create your artistry. Your script once again is time. The finite time that you have to create your artistry and deliver to your clientele over your years in business.

Your inspiration should be your why. Why do you do what you do? Love of people, what got you into the business in the first place, money (evil necessity and certainly IMO should NOT be your primary motivator)…If you don’t know your WHY it’s impossible to be the best artist you can possibly be. Your stage is simply wherever you are when you are trying or wanting to create. No red velvet curtain required. Anything is possible and you aren’t limited by society’s walls when you think like an artist. There really is NO box…stop trying to think outside of it. Your props are whatever you have handy at the time that allows you to express yourself more freely creatively and get your point across more effectively. They can literally be ANYTHING. Once again….your script is time.

The one thing we have in this world that is finite – is time.

Time waits for no man…especially artists. Thoughts, phenomenal ideas are fleeting, floating around in your brain until inspiration strikes and this is why it’s so important as expressive artists that when the moment hits us we have the props necessary to help us channel that creative energy so we can affect positive change in the world around us. Technology today makes that more readily accessible but in the past journals or scraps of paper took the place of the Notes feature on my iPhone or iPad.

I urge you…get out and create. Follow your passions. A public THANK YOU to all of the mentors in artistry I have had, who have always inspired me to directly create in my business while indirectly creating this life that I’m so blessed to live. Here’s to you always being able to capture that inspiration and release that creative energy in a positive direction to affect change in the world.