An artist? You? Indeed.
If you love your work, you have a good job. But if you put love INTO your work, you are an artist.
Art is a creation of intent meant to provoke thought and feeling. Don’t you do that with your work? Shouldn’t we all?
Great masters spend countless hours toiling, perfecting, WORKING on their art. Some use canvas; some use storytelling; and some use the dance floor. I use my machine to make art.
As a pilot I was taught the skills to start the engines of the plane, to configure the systems for proper operation, to use the controls to get where we should go. There are lists of items to complete during each flight, and prescribed movements to turn and land the plane. But a pilot doesn’t use force. An elegant flight is an artistic endeavor. I ease the craft off of the runway. I look before I turn and maneuver with care. I vary the bank angle and the rate of turn to put her on course. I select switches with intent. I think ahead. I think through the motions of the landing, and then I adjust based on winds, distance, and environment. A wet runway is different than a dry runway. A high altitude field is different than a sea-level airport. They’re all beautifully challenging, and I adjust to the conditions. I work on my art.
I have found the difference between work and art is the following:
- Art requires a great deal of detail and careful attention to the circumstance at hand.
- Your own voice is important in your art. Work can be done by anybody. But you are different- unique and unmatched anywhere in the world. Your art will reflect that.
- Love creates art. Work is done. Works of art are done with intention, kindness, preparation, and care.
Be artistic. It’s so much better than work.
Bethany Miller is an explorer in life and in business. She’s an airline pilot, businesswoman, veteran and world traveler. Fascinated by global issues and the business of business, Bethany is a doctoral candidate at Université Paris-Dauphine in Paris, France, and is researching extraordinary employees in chaotic work environments.