In Jeff Goins recent blog post, Art for Art’s Sake (Why Art for Art’s Sake Doesn’t Work), he asks the question:
Is art for art’s sake a noble pursuit, or an exercise in vanity?
I particularly liked his take on the entrepreneurial artist because it speaks to my mindset. He said, “When you leverage the systems available to you to create enduring work…you create the kind of art that impacts a culture. You join the ranks of those who were able to change the world by being both creative and entrepreneurial.”
There is no art for art’s sake in my world. I always write with my audience in mind. Yes, I spend personal thinking and journaling time, but I do both of those things for one reason. So I can share what I’m learning in hopes that it will help someone else.
Takeaways & Reflections:
- Helping others creates a profit.
- There is nothing less noble about art that generates income.
- I’ve made money, lost money, and broken even in my business.
- It’s better to make money.
- When we create art that creates revenue, we buy ourselves time to keep creating.
And that is the biggest gift we can give – to ourselves and to our audience.