How NOT to be a Struggling Business Artist (Or a Flat Spirited-Millionaire)
The banker, the MBA and the profit-driven entrepreneur all want to see the market research that identifies the need. They want to see round pegs and round holes. How many are there? Are they the right size? Yes? Good. Let’s go to production.
The artist, the musician, the creative entrepreneur all want to see their thing loved, valued and paid for. They want it to emerge from the depths of their soul into the world and they want money to then flow in exchange towards them.
Both groups are missing something though.
What the profit-driven entrepreneur creates is fully and only for others, but she is the empty millionaire. She makes money, but her soul is flat.
What the creative entrepreneur creates is fully, and only, from his heart; but he is the struggling artist. He creates from spirit, but he is broke.
The groups try to help each other.
The banker tells the artist to meet the needs of potential buyers, but the artist resists because he doesn’t want to ignore his spirit. He doesn’t want to ‘sell out’.
The musician tells the MBA to use her imagination to create, but the MBA resists because it would be too risky not to focus on the demands of the market.
What both sides are missing though is this:
Compromise is NOT the only option. By embracing the paradox, you can transcend the alternatives.
What the profit-driven entrepreneur is missing are the transcendent possibilities that would emerge if she were to let her creativity serve the market instead of her reason. By providing the obvious, she is missing out on a greater service she could provide. So quick to put a round peg in a round hole, she misses how the stems of the flowers that fill her house could fill holes of all shapes and sizes, despite the fact that nobody was looking for that. She doesn’t see what could be wanted because she is so busy looking for what is wanted from within the world of what already is.
What the creative entrepreneur is missing are the transcendent possibilities that would emerge if he, instead of dancing to his own music, was willing to dance to the music that is already there. He thinks the music is the thing and so he dances to his own. But it is not. The dance is the thing. If only he were willing to dance to the buyer’s song. He is missing that even more awesome thing he could create if he were to let the market’s needs be the paints on his palette and he were to paint with those colours.
The way for the profit-driven entrepreneur to do this is to begin using her imagination, to play with possibility and to risk creating in a way that’s not currently sought or asked for. She must risk in order to explore the possibility that by reaching into the world with a fist full of flowers round holes would reveal themselves. In this way, she provides something which not only serves a market’s need, but which is also a pro-creation between what the market needs and what she has to give.
The way for the creative entrepreneur to do this is to learn and get to know the needs of buyers, to listen to them and their language, to feel them, to bring these into his heart, to be with them, play with them, paint with them, sing with them and dance with them. And then to create something which is not only from the depths of his soul, but which is also a pro-creation between what he has to give and what the market needs.
On with creating…
An amazing analysis!
One thing to add, well know advertisers always proud with selling people what they DO NOT NEED. So may be people like me, an epic entrepreneur, should work more on the marketing side. The world we live in, is not about just supply and demand but more than that sheep and the shepherd. An example, tablet technology was around for more than 20 years. But iphone made people to believe this is what they need after so many years.
But maybe there is more to life than making money….I sat and listened to a couple of people talking bout how they would monetise and sell their yoga and meditation business the other day and frankly it made me ill. I understand the need to have enough to live at a reasonable level and then I understand the need to have money as an instrument of validation, but once you have enough to live and your metephorical daddy has patted you on the head enough times, it is time to find a way with heart and soul. Too many entrepreneurs today are focused on what they can sell and not not enough whether their life has heart and soul. You cant take it with you 🙂 Rant over!
I was saying the same thing last night at my Escape the City talk. I used to think I wanted to be a millionaire. Now I know that I don’t need anywhere near that to live a full and exciting life. You need some money to live the life you want, but it ain’t about the money!
That. Is beautifully said. A gorgeous insight. I love seeing how your path is unfolding as you’re walking along it. x
Thank you for the great talk last night John; it was lovely to finally meet you after watching your videos regularly and feeling like we had already met! Your insight was particularly poignant for me and I’m going to try your strategy 😉 I love how you so clearly communicated the subtle differences in focus too. Awesome stuff! cant wait to hear about your adventure next month……. thanks always for your insight and wise words and for sharing x
Boom! This is truer than a true thing. Loving watching you play with gorgeous metaphors too.
Love the marriage of Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth and hero’s journey mythology to business, art, and entrepreneurship!
You’ll enjoy Dr. E’s articles, lectures, class, and festivals!
Dr. E’s The Hero’s Journey in Arts Entrepreneurship & Technology
* 1.1 Departure (or Separation): Taking that first step–blog your vision.
o 1.1.1 The Call to Adventure: Artistic passions & dreams
o 1.1.2 Refusal of the Call: Is it practical?
o 1.1.3 Supernatural Aid: Use the force, Luke. The harder you work, the luckier you get.
o 1.1.4 The Crossing of the First Threshold: Business structures / market research
o 1.1.5 The Belly of the Whale: The business plan, raising funds, intellectual property
* 1.2 Initiation: Building the team, incorporating
o 1.2.1 The Road of Trials: Striving toward profitablitity
o 1.2.2 The Meeting with the Goddess: First customers! Early success!
o 1.2.3 Temptation: Seeking short-term profits over long-term wealth.
o 1.2.4 Atonement with the Father: Competing or collaborating with the big guys–the Microsofts and Apples, the Hollywood studios
o 1.2.5 Realizing the core business Apotheosis
o 1.2.6 The Ultimate Boon: Newfound business acumen!
* 1.3 Return: It is all for naught without the road back!
o 1.3.1 Refusal of the Return: Don’t lose site of the core business!
o 1.3.2 The Magic Flight: Exit strategy! IPO or selling the company!
o 1.3.3 Rescue from Without: When business competition is your best friend.
o 1.3.4 The Crossing of the Return Threshold: The venture is a success!
o 1.3.5 Master of Two Worlds: You know what it takes–like Richard Branson you can do it again.
o 1.3.6 Freedom to Live: Financial freedom to pursue your dreams!!
http://artsentrepreneurship.com/
http://herosjourneyentrepreneurship.org/