Polarized. Divided. Angry. Distrustful. Depressed. Motivated. Sad. Scared.
These are just a few words to describe how most of us in the United States feel these days. And no matter which side you fall on, these words certainly apply. In the mix is that somehow we have lost, or at least forsaken, our ability to see each other as worthy of seeing – to fully embrace how someone who does not look, act or talk like us is thinking. Yes, the one skill that is not on display is real empathy and respect for other.
As with all things, empathy is a skill that can be developed and honed with education, experience and desire. For the business of creativity, there is no more important skill to work on today.
As the noise of the world stage impacts us all, I submit to you that you have to decide whether to own your responsibility to empathize and respect with all of those you encounter or to continue to strike a note of being tone deaf at worst, condescending at best. Will you perpetuate the entirely antiquated notion of a power struggle and value based on power or will you embrace the value inherent in your ability to empathize with your clients — to fill the emotional void that brought them to you and your creative business in the first place?
Since the end of season is in sight for many creative businesses, the question will always become what will you do in this slower season. For some of you, right now, the idea is to go to sleep for a few days (weeks or months). Rest and recovery. Important no doubt.
At a certain point though, you will have to contemplate how to shape the tomorrows of your creative business. Then you will think about what you will do to improve your art and your creative business. You can already see all of the experts getting ready for you with new courses, guides, conferences, seminars for you to jump on when your “tomorrow” window opens. Of course, you also have your new site, social media campaigns, etc. to get to. Busy busy doing what is next to convince yourself that you are, in fact, improving yourself, your art and your creative business.
I will never be one to say that learning to be better is not a valuable investment. However, given where we are today and who we want to be tomorrow, you might want to consider that, for this year in particular, nuts and bolts ought to take a back seat to your own humanity.
All creative businesses are in the relationship business and almost without exception the lives your clients lead are most certainly not your own. How then do you really go about understanding them and they you? How do you find your way to communicate in a more meaningful manner? How do you discover the joint desire to be fulfilled with the creativity you and your creative business possess?
Will you find your way to an improv class to learn the rules of improvand tap into what a world will look like where you can only say “Yes, and…”? An acting class to improve your ability to express yourself?
Will you do the art that maybe you have left behind because it is now your job? Or will you invest again in the inner artist because of the joy it gives you? Will you nourish that part of your soul?
If you are beating your head against the proverbial wall, when you stop you will feel better. However, you are not really better until you figure out your way around the wall or, best, how to remove the wall. Honing all of the techniques, theories and fundamentals you are working on in your creative business is important work but not today’s solution for tomorrow. Only your decision about whether you will allow yourself to go deeper into the community you hold so dear will reveal a new path to you, your art and your creative business.
Time and money are precious, no doubt. Never mistake a tool for talent, technique for soul, marketing for meaning. The world has enough tools, techniques and marketing for the moment. Artists giving us more talent, soul and meaning is what is on order. We will all be better off if you do, your creative business most of all.
