Art in business

This time Art is applying for a new job.
It is very difficult as a living artist to get by.
So a side-job would be great to have a bit of stability in life.
And he thought to apply for a managers position...as he feels he could teach people quite a bit.
In his mind companies more and more focus on (a)squeezing the last cost out of the company, (b) monitor all employees' every minute spent and (c)adopting the latest flavor of methodology and (d) jump on the newest managerial hype.

Art Burshy feels it is time to re-focus on inspiration, learning from concepts in art.
It seems so logical that the best performing teams are the ones with motivated and maybe even happy people.
And when overstructuring jobs, the pleasure is structured away, people lose a sense of fun.
And life is not about running and finding the answer to every issue and question. It is about learning to ask the real questions, like an artist.

And wow, somehow to his own surprise now Art even reached the last 2 candidates.
This seemed such a great company; they had a great social campaign, they have an environmentally friendly building, they advertised the need for diversity...
and looking around they could use a bit of diversity... A good moment to hire a nice middle aged artist with a little bit of business experience but lots of life experience.
Nowadays everybody is a manager by the way, so it cant be difficult, so why could it not be Art.

But somehow, in the back of his mind a little alarm bell is ringing...everything here is soo consistent, all the same, same suits, same expression, and...
Well he starts to wonder; despite the advertised company policy, the corporate responsibility programs, the people-are-our-most-valuable-assets program, the fantastic smiles and empathic looks...
he somehow starts to think that just in the end they might stick to old habits...
and maybe not take this unique opportunity to choose an enrichment to what they already have, to hire an artist that is full of energy and ready to get started.

Well, time will tell...

Inspiration is overrated

So, Art got up, he has to make a new painting for his next exhibition...in fact he needs to make 5!

It all started so great, being invited for this great exhibition in Chelsea, the current walhalla of art in the West of New York.
And when they asked how many art works he would want to have in the show, he enthusiastically said '6 should be fine'...
That was around 6 months ago...
And here he stood, in front of a plain white canvas...with lowest energy ever...
He was angry...but angry for what...and angry on who?
- for the shining white canvas that looked at him, giving him way too many options
- for the loads of ideas he has, but of which none seem really to inspire him now
- for the bloody gallery that kept sending mails, reminders, checks etc, pushing his creativity in their structure...bastards
- for himself basically being way too optimistic
- on his incontinence not being able to keep his mouth shut when being enthusiastic
- AND his ego that just took over for 5 seconds
- for linear time, that passed by so quickly...bloody Einstein saying time is relevant...what a bullsh*t!
- for inspiration that always evaporates when time pressure increases
- for all the distractions and his inability to resist and focus...

Yes, quite an impressive list of things and people to blame...and of course deep down he knew that it was basically himself that was the root cause of all this...but he did not want to hear now, he just wanted to be grumpy.

And he knows the theories about inspiration and the key guidelines:
- find a clear direction for your art works, where you want to go
- limit yourself, just take 2 colours and 1 subject
- and start the journey, exploring and adjusting, each time refining your art work
But he felt already too tired to even select 2 colours...

So, what to do?
He actually felt like taking a nice beer, maybe the alcohol would free him...well, he knows that alcohol does not help the quality of the work...
Or just throwing some paint on the canvas and go 'Pollock'...
Well, he was sure he would find something, and he know he would in the end be on time, but he also know it would be last minute intense stress and no sleep for a few nights

While thinking of all this he started walking to the drawer where he kept his paints, he sighed...slowly preparing the canvas...and a smile came on his face...why did he somehow always have to go through this phase...?
Anyway, inspiration is highly overrated..!

I can feel the inspiration coming

Our friend Art doesn't stand the cold very well, so he went to a tropical island to get through the winter. He also feels that the temperatures in summer actually inspire him.
And he told his accountant that this would be a work trip...
he would go to find inspiration and break through some barriers...
so the cost of the trip are tax-deductible, aren't they?!

This morning he wakes up on the beach...
or is it afternoon already...
he has this weird feeling in his head that he only vaguely recognises from years ago when he was young...
almost feels like a huge hangover...

Looking around he sees the wine bottles of last night.
He smiles and starts to remember the great conversations he had, the brilliant stories that he heard..
or did he imagine.

Now he senses the taste of 'dead birds' in his mouth...
and somehow he now notices his heart is beating in his head...
and he feels pain in his neck, as if he has slept all night in a weird position...

Yes, these are the consequences of a bacchanal night like the ancient Greeks used to have. And it is pretty painful now, but he smiles as...like for the Greek the greatest myths were created during the darkest moments of such nights, and somehow he can feel the inspiration coming.

Art feels that many people stay to often in their safe zone, never willing to go too deep anymore, and afraid to have some pain afterwards... that is so monotonous and boring! Art smiles like a dog happily awakening from being operated still fuzzy from the anaesthetics... this is painful, but at least he is alive...and he thinks that this will lead him definitely to a true master piece...what do you think?

Spring inspiration

Art Burshy loves spring...purely for the artisitic inspiration of course...

P.S. Had drawn this one some time ago, but guess just in time to talk about spring as really summer didnt start yet here in Europe...

the artist and his ideology...

Art Burshy has a great ideology which gives him lots of inspiration.
But after years of fighting for this passion he discovered the world is not listening and not rewarding him for his pure intentions.
And what initially inspired him becomes a source for his dark side, turning into heavy sarcasm that sucks away all the energy...
Of course this is pure fiction... this doesnt happen in real life ;)

Art Burshy > Inspiration

Drawing another cartoon in my notepad... it is not always great to have negative things happening, but they do add lots of inspiration when exploring them...