The Fickle Importance of Art and Creativity in a Scaling Business

The definition of art is the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.

I like that last part, "more than ordinary significance". To me, art is the ability to see or do something beyond what is considered normal and, it often elicits an emotional response of some type.

In our culture, art is often associated with a fine art like painting, drawing, music, or acting. In business, it's often perceived as a "nice to have" or soft skill. It's usually, something we can't attach a number to--until later and sometimes never. It's often called "creativity" or "thinking outside of the box". It can be found in every aspect of a business from developing code to hiring, to sales, and even in leadership. Creativity scores second among the most in-demand skills for companies when it comes to hiring. But, according to LinkedIn, it’s “the single-most-important skill in the world for all business professionals today to master.” 

I was listening to the podcast "We Can do Hard Things" by Glennon Doyle. If you are interested, it's episode 36-Writing and Art: When does your real self get to breathe and be seen? In that episode, the question was asked, "When does art become art?" The conversation was about if you have to share your art for it to officially be labeled as art. This triggered the age-old question for me "If a tree falls and no one is around to hear it, does it make a noise?"

The technical answer to that question is if the tree manages to fall in an area with nothing living that has the capability to hear or feel vibrations, then no. As long as something (plant, animal, or human) is there that has the ability to hear or feel vibrations, then yes it does make a sound. Now, I'm not here to argue the science of that. I am here to take that analogy and apply it to art and to business.

When it comes to art it's only personal expression until someone else experiences it. When it comes to growing your business, you can have the best-designed marketing materials and the most innovated product, but if no one knows about you then you'll never sell anything.

So yes, art isn't art until someone else experiences what you've created.

In the business world, “creativity” is the accepted term to mean art—quality and production of more than ordinary significance. It’s a process that involves asking questions and looking at situations from diverse perspectives. It helps businesses create products, services, and other offerings that differentiate themselves from their competitors. It stimulates the mind and can improve collaboration among the team. It's also about failure and the willingness to embrace it.

Creativity and innovation are the keys to surviving and thriving in today’s fiercely competitive business environment. The market demands that businesses adapt to rapid tech and economic change while still providing an authentic and positive customer experience.

Even though creativity comes naturally, it is an ever-evolving process that needs to be fostered and expressed. It isn’t possible to build a business that generates monetary results without anyone else knowing about it.

Omicle delivers brand clarity, marketing strategy, and operational efficiency to prepare leaders to scale their business. If you are ready to scale your business, contact us today to get started.