Creating
I've been thinking a lot about the connection between my artistic practice and my entrepreneurial practice lately.
If you're new here, you may not know that I have completed art school twice — once for photography and imaging and once for curatorial practice aka exhibition making. In both cases, I was trained to think about the world critically and represent my ideas through my creative practice.
In art school, you're given many assignments that you present to your classmates for critique and feedback. Sidebar: I think everyone should go to art school and everyone should work in food service at least once. You'll learn so much about yourself and others with both experiences. But, I digress.
When I transitioned from my non-profit arts life to my ice cream life, my work day looked different but my ideas never changed. My assignment was to create a space that people felt seen and could connect with others in, while serving a product that they truly enjoyed. The parallels between this new (ice cream) work and my museum work held. Since we opened in 2017, visual art and the practice of gathering through public programs have been at the helm of our company culture. My interests from artist to entrepreneur have always included storytelling, bringing people together, and art making in its many forms.
Earlier this week, I attended a school parent gathering and struck up a conversation with a parent who works as a creative director for a pharmaceutical marketing agency. We talked about how his career as an artist and creative director has evolved over time. He said, "Being creative is not a job it's a lifestyle and you have to live inside of it."
As we spoke, I asked him if he had any sage advice for my nephew who is an aspiring animator. He said you always have to be willing to do the unsexy, tedious, hard work to make yourself valuable within a traditional work setting. But, if you get fired for missing the mark, it's not the end of the world. You learn, apply the lesson, and keep going.
When he said that, it reminded me of an interview with Issa Rae on 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo and Kid Mero that I had just listened to. I appreciated Rae's candor and comfort around her many artistic failures on her road to success in the entertainment industry.
Commitment to sharing your artistic voice, having an embodied creative practice, comfort with missing the mark but a dedication to picking yourself back up to keep pushing towards your goals is the name of the game.
I approach my entrepreneurial practice very similarly to how the creative director talked about being a creative. Everyday, I'm working out an idea that I want the bring to life through this ice cream company. As I've been slowly chipping away at a training program for our front-of-house team, I've realized that my mission is to not only serve delicious ice cream that Nick makes with excellent customer service, it's to turn strangers into neighbors, neighbors into friends, and friends into family. I know that most people won't travel that relational timeline, but if we can get them from at least one role to the next, we've done our job.
Sugar Hill Creamery is a social sculpture that I have the privilege of shaping everyday. I'm passionate about our neighborhood, connecting people in ways that improve their lives, and good food. At times, my effort outweighs my output, but isn't this the way in any creative practice?
Maybe you don't consider yourself a creative person, but you're passionate about what you do. That passion is the foundation of everything. That passion is your why. What comes from that passion is what will bless people in ways you may not have ever imagined.
If you don't feel that passion with your work, hopefully, you have that outlet in some other aspect of your life. Being committed to something bigger than you, that isn't always easy but fills you up and keeps you coming back for more is the hallmark of being truly alive.
Until next time.
Petrushka
Your Local Ice Cream Lady & Life/Business Coach