Breathe Deep and Say Yes

Art transcends its medium.  No creative business sells a product or service.  Not really.  They sell meaning, emotion, desire, fulfillment.  If your creative business understands the depth of connection formed, you will inevitably be asked to move beyond yourself and the current state of your art and creative business.

Breathe deep and say yes.

Of course, there is someone out there that could do an excellent job at what you are being asked to do (i.e., for events, a designer asked to plan; an architect asked to do interior design, a still photographer asked to direct a movie, etc.). You might even have relationships with a lot of them.   Call the artisans and have them help.  Redefine your vision of how your client sees you.  Sure, you can stay true to what you do and, for many of you, that might be enough.  Just for a second though, contemplate what is keeping you from saying yes.  Fear?  Yes, you will be terrified of falling down in an area you do not focus on.  And, no, you will not catch up to the masters of that area in a moment or even a lifetime.  Worry about alienating the artisans whose art you are asked to provide.  Hmmm.  Still missing the point.

Trust.  The confidence your client has in your creative business’ ability to understand her vision, to “get” her, is transformative.  If what you can do is to be the defender of that vision, an advocate of the story to be told, why shouldn’t you be responsible for all of it?  You are being seen as the gatekeeper.  Honor that.

What I am ABSOLUTELY not saying is to do it by yourself.  You have no right to practice what you are not expert at, certainly not at your client’s expense.  Bringing artists and artisans you know will respect what is to be delivered – the meaning, relationship and value – into the fold is entirely appropriate.  The beauty of the Internet age is the abundance of talent and our ability to communicate with each other.  Resources are truly global, conversations intimate.

Reconsider your role.  Today you might be the gatekeeper.  Tomorrow another artisan.  What would the world look like if collaboration were the norm, resources fungible? Trust created by another to be valued for the opportunity it creates for everyone?  Today we see trust in another as a threat to our own validity, especially if ours does not rise to that level with the client.  Such a shame.

Invest in trust everywhere – yours first and supporting those around you.  The pie is beyond big enough.  Allow for the possibility of what could be as you focus on building the trust generated by another as much as you do on your own.  It is the essence of the digital age – wealth created is based on integration.  Most certainly your value remains as the artist you are.  Trust and a spirit of expansion though makes your art the seed, far more than the tree.  Know where and how to turn to manifest expansion.  Your community will take you as far as you want to go.