We will travel great distances, pay admission, and stand in line to experience works of art. We may have a favorite artist, sculptor, composter, musician, or dancer. We may be drawn to abstract expressionists or realists, pre-Raphaelites or muralists. We may prefer ancient artifacts or contemporary creations.
Great works of art are reflections of the people who created them and the worlds in which they lived. They inspire us to see our world in new ways.
In addition to the works of art that capture our attention, our worlds are shaped by arts of work.
Each of us has an understanding, an approach, an art of our own in which we base our work. Our core values and the ways we practice them are reflected in how we do our work.
We may be pragmatic or conceptual. We may work primarily to earn financial security, or be convinced that work is how we express ourselves. Our work commitments may be essential to how we see our integrity, or we may not take work so seriously. We may be working and saving diligently toward retirement. We may take much of our identity from our work.
The media in which we work shape our understanding of what we do. I grew up surrounded by people who worked on farms and in factories. They tended to be pragmatic about work. My father told me, several times, that “They call it ‘work’ because they have to pay you to do it.” His art of work was different from mine now.
We choose our materials, develop our technique, create the masterpieces by which we are known.
What is the art of work you are creating today?
Is there an artist who is a good example of your art of work?
[Image by Julian Carvajal]
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