We are increasingly moving towards an age where we rely heavily on imagination and the creative economy which makes it necessary to have creative people in the business world. For this reason, artists and entrepreneurs have a lot in common. They both have the ability to follow their instincts and inspirations creating original ideas and solutions to overcome challenges. They think outside the box, and as a result are able to produce something new and improve what already exists. Both artists and entrepreneurs like to get lost in their art or business, they love their work and enjoy spending time on it, with a common goal to generate impact on the viewer or customer by addressing their needs and achieving accomplishments. Both artists and entrepreneurs make the intangible tangible using the resources and tools of their craft to transform that idea into a finished product.
SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ARTISTS AND ENTREPRENEURS
However, the world of the artist and the world of the entrepreneur do not always align. For example, artists value creation while entrepreneurs create value. Artists use their hearts, minds and souls to create their works, and in the process they explore new territories about themselves and the world around them. In fact, the primary audience for their work is often the artist itself. The actions of entrepreneurs often lead to “creative destruction”, a term popularized by Joseph Schumpeter, one of the patriarchs of entrepreneurial theory, who defined entrepreneurship as “the science of change, not continuity”. The primary audience for entrepreneurs is their customers. They design products or services to meet their needs. Both worlds involve creativity but in a different way: artists are driven by their passions to create valuable works, entrepreneurs are driven by people who value the entrepreneur’s creation because it solves their problem. It’s a shift from right brain to left brain, from internal to external, from passion to product. Taking into consideration this duality, these two worlds can exchange something – artists can be entrepreneurial and entrepreneurs can be artistic.
WHAT ENTREPRENEURS CAN LEARN FROM ARTISTS?
- Confidence about the idea and the ability to communicate to a wider audience
- Failures as a learning experience towards success
- Curiosity about the world to learn how to adapt and face changes
- Courage to present their idea
- Questioning their assumptions and approaches to solve problems and build a business
- See the big picture and pay attention to details
- Thinking rather than doing helps reflect
By blending these two mindsets, artists and entrepreneurs will be able to upscale themselves significantly. They’re both extremely driven, have more to offer the world than they are, and if they look to one another for advice on the things that make them unique, they can each grow exponentially and realize they are not so different after all.
Author: Germana Girelli
