“the most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do from what you are not.” – hugh macleod, ignore everybody
i’ve spent my entire life equally pursuing both business and the creative arts, and trying to “balance” left brain vs. right brain pursuits. we’re told growing up that we’re either right brained or left brained. creative or analytical. messy or organized. can we not be both? it’s one brain we’re talking about, right?
flashing back to my past…
business came to me naturally. entrepreneurship is in my DNA and I’ve been starting businesses since my Mom taught me how to make and calculate profit when I was five. math came naturally to me too. the process of solving complex problems gave me a rush, and coming to a concrete solution had a euphoric affect on me. always being one of a few females in the class, i derived satisfaction from naturally being able to compete and converse with my male counterparts. not much has changed today.
on the inverse, the creative arts are what captivates and inspires me. for as long as I can remember, when I wasn’t thinking and strategizing business plans, I was journaling my thoughts for reflection and understanding; photographing the beauty around me; drawing fashion design sketches; expressing myself through dance and the piano; and coloring, painting and creating any chance I could get. (not much has changed there either.) these were and are the moments when I feel a spiritual connection with myself.
for example: writing the first paragraph about business was easy, thoughtless and took about two minutes. writing now about creativity evokes this inner energy and a similar rush and sense of euphoria that solving calculus problems once provided. the difference is, the joy comes from the creative experience, the art of doing and the uncertain outcome and direction. i feel free, calm and at ease. with math, i want to get it right, i want to win.
when I start writing, it often leads down an unpredictable path. it’s not calculated and i love that. instead, it’s genuine and it’s real. it evokes passion and energy and is equally therapeutic.
for me, creative arts have always been my sacred time, or “amber time” as my friends know me to call it. business is what I pursue in my career (and I love it too!) but the set and range of emotions it evokes is different. this is where i draw my red line.
as i’ve grown and matured (and as I continue to do so), i’ve learned to take the emotion that the arts evoke and apply it in a business sense. i’ve learned to be more compassionate, understanding, flexible, and in control of only that which I can control. i’ve learned that making people feel is quite possibly one of the greatest forms of appreciation, and it’s what I aspire to do every day. emotionless business is boring. it doesn’t inspire and motivate long-term. instead, it crushes business. learning to balance the unpredictable and uncertain with the definitive and calculated makes business more enriching. rather than solely focusing on outcomes (though I do not demote the importance of having a vision, purpose and plan), what’s far more rewarding and sustainable (in my opinion) is focusing too on the experience and being open to opportunity and change.
Tags: art, business, creativity, gaping void, hugh macleod, ignore everybody, life
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I have felt this also, Its nice to no Im not alone.
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“i’ve learned that making people feel is quite possibly one of the greatest forms of appreciation”
If anything, you definitely make me think and feel when reading your posts. You are such an admirable person, and I can’t get it through your head enough. You create a passion for people like me to aspire to do more. I think that is one of your greatest qualities and achievements in life thus far.
thanks, Whit. you make it easy for me to keep writing! so thank you!
let’s catch up soon! i miss you. xoxo
My left and right brain experiences in the old school days were peculiar. In my university math courses only the professor commented on my work. In my art classes, not only did I have professors commenting on my work, but female classmates too! Hells yeah for the art queens. No comment for the Discrete Math/Calculus princesses as their monochromatic clothing made my eyes stare at boring chalked numbers and my ears never heard these monarchs say eclectic comments like “That’s a sexy derivative you’ve got there!” When I failed in an Algorithm Analysis class, the professor continued with a new lecture. When I failed my first English paper, the nice lady professor rolled out a red carpet and pronounced: “####, see me after class regarding your paper!” The English Professor then gives me a chance to rewrite my paper and she later turns my baffling “F” grade into a more fabulous “B” grade! Thumbs up for blonde Lady English Professor! No comment for Computer Science doctors.
Being able to instantly switch gears between logical and random thinking gave me opportunities that may otherwise be more limited. More importantly, it also allows me to see patterns in things I can’t control. Of course, some patterns are still confusing.