What is Art if Not Love?

Tawn Holstra Profile Pic I was watching a particularly good @Brene Brown YouTube about being criticized online (It is Not the Critic Who Counts) – and one of the things she says, is “what is art if not love?”.    It struck me for a second, that someone so successful and, dare I say, mainstream… thinks that making art is a way of sharing love.

What About Those Creatives Who Are Not In the Traditional Arts?

I   am in awe of artists, designers, musicians, writers, — all the obvious suspects of the “arts”.  I am also in awe of the artists who almost no one recognizes as “artists”.    The landscaper who is pruning your butterfly bushes to perfection;  the pre-school teacher who is at home making popsicle stick puppets out of felt so she can teach her classroom fruits and vegetables through storytelling; or the coach who inspires her client to discover their own inner warrior and get healthy for their own future. These champions of the human spirit and of mother nature’s spirit are heroes in my eyes and have earned the right to call themselves “artists” as much as the person in front of the easel.   Because they are in the world of “making a living” they get sidelined as “not creative” or worse yet, “not really creative”, which is not truly being disrespected but more accurately, they are simply not seen.    I cannot imagine a worse fate for a creative.   There is always the joy “being creative” brings… yet, there is some desire to share our work with others for the appreciation of our efforts and, as an entrepreneur, to make a living.

Creating From Nothing – Bringing a New World Into Existence

Art, for me, is about creating from nothing – bringing a vision into existence from the ether and sharing it in a way that others can be moved and inspired by it. By that definition, all entrepreneurs who put their passion before their profits qualify as artists!  Anyone who is willing to put their heart on a poster, in a blog or video, and send it out into the world to make a difference – make the world a better place… that is the heart of the artist and the creative entrepreneur.

For Creative Entrepreneurs’ Their Work Is Their Love

I long to experience art —  it is the beauty, the magic, the mystery that cannot always be explained – yet plucks our emotions like a lyre.   I am eternally grateful for those who throw themselves into the arena and splash around in the muck for the possibility of inspiring life and sharing their love. For creative entrepreneurs, their work is their art, thus their work is their way of sharing their love with us all.    When I stand in front of the Van Gogh Sunflowers in the Met, I imagine that Vincent was standing in front of that canvas at some point and put his brushes on the canvas… he stood very near where I stand when I embrace the vision it is.   Then I take a deep breath —  I can almost feel him there still, in the canvas, in the paint… When I stand in front of an incredible garden, or a display window for a store that captivates my attention, I am present to the artist as much as the image.

Thank you to the Creatives in the Arena!

“What is art if not love?”,   Thank you @Brene Brown for reminding me of the love that is all around us every day as creatives do their work. Also, thank you for the deeper message of facing our critics directly — online or not, that our scrapes and bruises are part of our journey and it is not for the trolls to decide our contribution or worth, but the other creatives who are on the court, or in this case, “in the arena with us”!

For more reading on  “Sharing Your Work and Making a Living” read: Uncovering Your Subtle Self Sabotage and How to Intervene 

FREE FOR YOU!    Be my guest at a Creative Entrepreneurs’ Business Development Center’s Small Business Trouble Shooting Call – a 90 Minute Q&A available weekly – for all members and their guests.   For dates and times of our upcoming Q&A, please contact Collette@business101forcreativeentrepreneurs.com
Ready to Talk? Give Me a Call — No Really…

I started my first Creative Business when I was a single mom with four tiny children.   That was 25 years ago and I started Business 101 for Creative Entrepreneurs to give back.  I am so grateful for all the support did get while I was getting started, but more than anything I wished I had some business support, some mentoring or guidance.    I want you to know that I get how hard, confusing, and challenging it can be to be alone and have real questions with no one to ask.

Please accept this FREE 30 Minute Creative Business Consult as my way of saying “You Can Do It!” Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t!!

What You Can Use Your Call to Accomplish:

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