Day 51 - Introduction - Art Thinking

Amy Whitaker devotes the introduction to her concepts about art in the world of business with her book "Art Thinking: How to Carve Out Creative Space in a World of Schedules, Budgets, and Bosses."  She defines art as … traditionally, an object like a painting or a sculpture, as well as modern day views of the German artist who locked himself in a room with a coyote while he read the Wall Street Journal.  She merges this definition with philosopher Martin Heidegger’s view as art is something new in the world that changes the world to allow itself to exist, as “art is less an objection and more a process of exploration.”   Art is about the process of exploration, not the product released from one's creative discovery.   She offers another way of seeing with the intertwining of art and commerce as most often people are focused on the end product. By having a PRICE on the things one create she alludes to the economic assumptions of business - efficiency, productivity, and knowable value.  While innovation is important in the business world, she returns the reader's focus of reinvention.  How our culture - economic and society looks at "necessary change" as a survival system. She sets up Art Thinking framework as the following:

1. From wide angle - zoom out and see everything from a wide-angle view
2. In the Weeds - change one's focus from outcome to process; and from comparing one's work in progress with another's completed projects
3. To the Lighthouse - trade outcomes goals for question that guide’s one forward
4. To Make A Boat - manage risk by taking a portfolio view and by owning the upside of what is created
5. Be in the Fray - Assign roles and adapt tools of conversation to set culture and manage projects
6. Build a House - build artistic business models working within design constraints of capitalism itself
7. See the Whole - navigate complexity of organizations and disciplines to address big questions

Whitaker concludes the introduction with the paradoxical gifts art thinking has for the reader:  one cannot control the outcome of any endeavor AND one might fail.  She encourages her reader to follow their own “discovery with integrity.” Finding what works best and what doesn’t, brings about more chances for one’s own contributions to come to life.  Again a reminder to focus on the process rather than the product.  She throws out a idea of WHAT WOULD LEONARDO DO to stimulate the reader's thinking … reminding one of Leonardo's label as genius.  To emulate his way of looking at creativity, one might view him as an explorer of ideas. While a person might not have patrons to support them in one's creative exploration, they can invest in their own discoveries. Finding one's own authentic voice and flow rather than projecting another genius to emulate.

I encourage you to buy a copy of Art Thinking for a better understanding of your own creative process.  Whether you're a master artist or beginning artist, this is an excellent book.

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