Comments on: The Artist in Each of Us

By: bondChristian

bondChristian — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:51:14 +0000

Yes, I just mined through some of your archives, Chris, and over at Zen Habits too to find where I first entered your site. This must have been it… even though I don’t remember specifically reading through this post, I do remember the one about the marathon on the open seas. I left a comment there, which I think was my first one here.

Sorry for the rambling – I started realizing how much I’ve loved this site and how much you’ve taught me. Thanks so much.

Yours and Leo’s were the first blogs I actually got to watch ‘grow up.’

-Marshall Jones Jr.

By: Corinne

Corinne — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:47:35 +0000

In the book “Guerrilla Marketing”, Jay Conrad Levinson states that creativity comes from knowledge.

As far as marketing is concerned (which is an art form that I am interested in pursuing) the most successful and most creative campaigns come from combining elements in ways that they have not been combined before and that takes knowledge of many different topics. It gives me confidence, and also permission, to take art and music classes even if they are not part of my major because it all translates.

By: Eve

Eve — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:31:08 +0000

Thanks for this post! Most of my research is in scientific creativity and it’s great to see someone who believes that creativity doesn’t necessarily have to be artistic.

By: Kristian Swearingen

Kristian Swearingen — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:02:17 +0000

The art form i’m exploring now is better living through science, specifically in the developing world. it’s a new canvas for me, rather exciting, and quite challenging.

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:04:19 +0000

@ Andre,

“Being able to draw from multiple disciplines is a hallmark of creativity.”

I would like permission to steal that excellent observation.

@ Everyone,

You guys are great; I hope you really like the manifesto. More news on that coming tomorrow….

By: Harlie

Harlie — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:20:25 +0000

Great post Chris. Can’t wait to read the Manifesto!

By: Marlina

Marlina — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:10:35 +0000

Wonderful article. I believe that Art simply involves doing something creative, where creativity is just a word to describe the ability to finding an answer to a question or solution or to problem by “connecting the dots” or as you put it – “looking for unexpected relationships”.

Negotiating a business deal is as much an art as painting a picture that appeals to the senses.

By: Jen

Jen — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:54:51 +0000

Hi Chris,
I too came over from Zen Habits. I love Leo’s articles and now have found another resource in you.

I guess I subconsiously thought of all that we do is art, but I never really put it in words. I recently left the corporate world to start my own coaching business. The reason was I wanted to serve other people, to learn new stuff, and to “create” something. Isn’t that a definition of art.

I won’t keep my art thoughts confined to my writing and painting anymore. Thanks for opening my eyes.

By: Anastasia Russell-Head

Anastasia Russell-Head — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:48:25 +0000

I trained as a classical musician, and more and more I am coming to realise that my training had very little to do with “art”. Being an artist is about how you see the world, drawing links between seemingly disparate things, and seeing beauty in unexpected places. My training was focussed on technical skill and following rules – not art at all!

By: Andre Kibbe

Andre Kibbe — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:30:53 +0000

Being able to draw from multiple disciplines is a hallmark of creativity. Many people allow their varied interests to atrophy in a misguided attempt to make themselves more adaptable (or more accurately, adoptable) to the existing job market, resulting in a slow artistic suicide.

It’s unfortunate that “art” so often connotes some type of performance skill, like painting, musicianship, or even writing. You’re right: art is more a way of seeing, of experiencing, than just making things.

“I don’t want to see new things,” photographer Ernest Haas once remarked, “I want to see things new.”