Can Business be Beautiful?

Consider, if you will, the various types of artist: painter, photographer, sculptor, graphic designer, illustrator, and so on.

Because of the years of precedent and the need for the works to be publicly presented, modern artists can look back to history to inspire and inform their work. They can recognise their abilities in one form over another and choose to pursue that particular path as the best expression of their talents.

When it comes to business, though, the idea of precedent and talent is far rarer. How many people in any given business went into their role as an accountant or a lawyer or a marketer because they were inspired by the work of previous generations? Or because it appealed to their natural talents?

The more creative the work, the more likely it is that people initially enter the field due to passion and talent. Advertisers may enjoy the creative aspect and may have been inspired by the adverts of their youth, but the same is unlikely to be said for a solicitor.

This leads me to the question: can business be beautiful? Can it be an expression of talents and genius, or is it something that must be learnt over anew for each generation?

My contention is that, with the wealth of bloggers and the availability of information online nowadays, it is possible for job-seekers to discover what they enjoy and where their talents lie before they enter business. Ramit has proven that something as apparently dry as personal finance can have an artistry to it and can be a natural talent for some.

We might well be entering a new era of business in which people are more passionate about the work they do, precisely because they are better informed about it and can see the worldwide precedents being set for them.

Which leads us all to consider where our talents lie. Are you a sculptor who likes to strip business down and reduce and simplify? Or a painter who prefers a blank canvas on which to create? Or a photographer who sees what everyone else sees, but can demonstrate it in an accessible and interesting way?

Worth thinking about.