Confession: I am a terrible artist. All the colours blend together, lines are never straight and everything looks "modern" and "free-style"... to put it nicely. : ) I don't even know if my Mom could name a piece of art that I did of which she may have been proud (beyond the "my child is perfect in every way" sort of proud).
But in Linchpin, Seth Godin has redefined art for me, in a way that makes me see myself as an artist.
Art, says Godin, is a unique expression of each person; something one individual can do that can not be replicated by anyone else.
There are traditional arts, yes - sculpting, painting, acting, dancing.
But there are other kinds of art as well. The art of caring, of giving, of interacting. The art of writing a letter, serving coffee, talking with a customer. Interviewing an employee, meeting someone for the first time, working with a team - each of us performs art, in our own way, each day.
Art involves labour, and it equals change - change in the person who is creating it as much as the change in the environment or what is being created.
No matter what our art is, we will almost certainly be happiest, most fulfilled, when we are using it often - including at work, home and wherever else we spend time.
The process of figuring out what you are uniquely talented to do is a life-long one, but it's worth searching out and putting in to practice.
What's your art?
~Bethany
PS: This is part of a series of blogs about Seth Godin's Linchpin that I'm doing in conjunction with a Twitter-friend, Chett. Check our her blog for more insights!
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