Your Art Has a Job. Want to Know What It Is?
I’ve been writing about art/creativity as an infinite game. The point of an infinite game is to keep playing, so if we need to change the rules to keep the game going, we do.
Why does it matter to treat your art, or more broadly, your creativity, as an infinite game?
Here’s one reason. Your art has a job...a purpose in the world. Since we’re playing an infinite game we can change the rules, i.e. change the way your art does its job, as long as it gets to keep working.
If you’ve ever wondered what job your art is here to do, you can actually talk to it and ask.
How to get to the bottom of the purpose of your art
Here’s a short conversation I had with my writing, so you can get an idea of what I mean.
C: Hi. Can I talk to my writing and ask--What is your job?
W: My job is to explain hard things simply to people so they can do them for themselves. I mostly explain money to people so they aren’t scared or intimidated by it. So they understand how to handle it.
C: How do you want me to help you?
W: Keep writing, of course. But I don’t have to always explain things in writing. I can write things that you can use in speeches or videos. It doesn’t always have to be written. I just want to get the word out about money. And I want to do it with humor and compassion.
C: Anything else you want me to know?
W: Just keep taking me seriously. Just because we’re explaining things and not writing the Great American Novel doesn’t mean what we do together isn’t important. This is our corner of the world. It matters.
C: Thank you.
Your art has a purpose. You can try these three questions yourself to find out what it is. You might be surprised what your art is for. You might be surprised that there could be different media than the one(s) you’re using now. Maybe a different audience or a different venue. But the same job.
A free tool to get you selling
If one of the new things you want to try includes selling your art, I have a new freebie for you to use: Keep Calm and Sell Something. When you sign up for my weekly newsletter, you can get it for free delivered right to your inbox.
Individual coaching programs for creatives
Want to keep playing your infinite art game? I am doing two individual coaching programs. Create Your Day Job and Sell Your Art Peacefully. If you’d like to talk about whether either of these programs would be a fit for you, please book a chat with me. Or we can brainstorm together to understand what the rules are for you in this infinite game, or what your art is here to do.
Let me know in the comments below; what do you think your art's job is?