Anyone who creates has their tools. Their space.
Carpenters have files, chisels, saws and hammers. Their workshop. Graphic Designers have software, touch-pads and display screens. Their studio.
And you, well, you have your office.
Your place of business is like a fully stocked workshop. An artist’s studio.
I firmly believe that if you work in an office, you have all the tools, space and equipment you need to build your masterpiece. The technology. The people. The physical space and the marketing machine that can bring an idea to life. The challenge is that these tools aren’t readily apparent. The purpose of the space is not clear. Not universally understood. What you’re creating may not be a tangible thing.
When you walk into an artist’s studio, it’s very obvious that this is a place to create. Very little ambiguity. But what about when people walk into your office? Is your place a place to create? Or is it a place to maintain status quo? Different people may have different opinions. But just because it may not be obviously a workshop, doesn’t make its latent potential less powerful.
Your place of work is still a forum to create something; should you choose to see it that way. A place to drive a new program, project or initiative. A new sense of purpose. Of pride. Of legacy. You are immersed in a place (and the tools) to create.
Let’s talk about the obvious, tangible, tools that are likely readily available to you:
All of these are common, important, and highly valuable when leveraged properly. But what about the intangibles? What about the attitude you bring when you enter your place of work? A high school art classroom may have brushes, paint and canvas, but it takes a someone with an artist’s mind to use them in a productive way. What mentality do you bring when you walk into your place of work? (be it a corporate office, a bike shop, or simply a different room of your house)? Are you simply showing up? Or are you there with the intention to create?
What tools are strewn about you, right now, just waiting for someone with an artist’s mindset to put them to better use? What are you going to create?
