Redefining Artistry: When Passion Meets Creativity
The qualities of an artist are similar regardless of the art.
Only 2 minutes into my conversation, I could tell he was an artist.
He described each herb in a way that immediately let me know that he had spent more time dissecting his basil than I had spent on my last 3 meals combined.
He sipped his carefully crafted cocktail and noticed the whiskey had a specific flavour profile. That flavour let him know exactly what kind of whiskey it was even though his drink was mixed.
As we sat there discussing the future drink menu for my new lounge, instead of focusing on the drinks at hand, my mind was spinning about what else could be considered art.
That’s when I decided mixology is an art form.
The classical artist
Walking through the old marble bank that my new lounge is built in, I was trying to explain to an artist how I wanted him to paint these canvases.
I talked about how we will have plants, flowers, warming lighting, and leather booths in the building. We don’t want to take away from the beautiful marble walls, but we like pop art.
Realizing I was all over the place, I paused in case I lost him.
As he looked around at the ceiling, touched the marble walls and felt the wood table, he turned back at me and said: “Yeah, I got it. I’ll give you ideas in a week or two.”
I was hesitant that he understood what I was saying and asked if he had any already.
The artist proceeded to tell me far more than I could ever imagine. He explained the textures and tones of colours, as well as specific faces that suited the vibe.
“Okay, he’s clearly an artist too”, I thought to myself.
The chef
During a menu tasting, I asked my head chef what this delicious chicken dish was seasoned with.
Sure enough, he went off talking about the guava reduction and how it is grilled, and I had to stop him in his tracks.
I was immediately reminded of the mixologist.
The chef is also an artist.
The speaker
A podcast I listened to had a new episode that came out with a debate between two heavily influential people.
Naturally, I was excited to listen.
As I listened to the debate, I was mindblown by how much specific information each person knew regarding any topic that came at them. But, that wasn’t the most interesting part.
While they debated, the way they spoke guided each other toward the direction they wanted the debate to go in. It felt as if they were moving a paintbrush together along a canvas.
This form of guidance required creativity, while the ability to study any topic this deeply required passion.
Immediately I realized, that the best speakers are also artists.
The musician
It was 8 pm and the patio I was sitting on had an incredible environment thanks to a live musician. He was playing piano and singing at the same time.
As he played, people would go up to him and request songs. He never once turned down one request.
Being the skeptic that I am, I went and through him a curve ball. I requested an old Coldplay song that few people remember.
“I’ve never heard that one” - he said
Feeling victorious, I turned around to go back to my seat. That’s when he quickly spoke again.
“Can you play it on your phone for me?”
I pulled out my iPhone and played the song for him.
Within 30 seconds, the piano player started playing along and then smiled and kept going.
“That’s a great song!”
It turns out that this piano player can play almost anything as long as he hears it once.
This guy is an artist – my brother.
What is an artist?
Traditionally, we think of the painter, performer and maybe a poet, but we rarely think of the obscure things, like a speaker or mixologist.
When I looked up the definition of an artist, I felt let down.
“A person skilled at a particular task or occupation.”
Some of the other definitions talk about painting, or about the task itself, whereas this definition leaves the task open for your interpretation.
What every definition misses is that art requires more than just skill. It requires passion.
Artists possess the ability to express themselves and their passion creatively through this particular task they are skilled at.
So, I came up with a better definition.
“A person who is skilled at expressing themselves passionately and creatively through a particular task.”
Closing remarks
There is something special about sitting with an artist and listening to them speak about their art.
Any talented artist can make you appreciate their art even if you know little to nothing about it.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a painter, interior designer, photographer, dancer, or race car driver – an artist is an artist. They make this world beautiful.
Thanks for reading