What is it that drives us creative types?  What convinces us each morning to get out of bed and head to our studios/offices/computer stations and create something we call Art? Is it an overwhelming compulsion to be different, or to share our inner-most feelings, or to benefit financially from what must be natural talent at work?

And at the end of the day, is what we’re creating really art at all? Who defines it and clarifies it? Who gets to say, finally, that something we put on paper or canvas, or chisel from a stone is really artwork? What you see may not be the same as what I see, or what our coworkers see, or what the next guy off the street will see. Out of that group, whose opinion matters the most? Who benefits the most… the artist or the viewer? Or is it both?

So many questions about something so simple.

As the Creative Director for an agency, these questions all have merit for me. These are the things that drive what we do… and influence how we make our customers happy… and therefore have an impact on the success of the company. Every day, our job is create visual imagery and written words that inspire, convince, influence, celebrate, and decorate the world we live in. And at the end of our day, we leave the building knowing that what we created here was done in the best interests of our clientele. That makes us a good agency… but does that make us good artists? At what point in the creative process of pushing pixels around did we leave our own opinions or motives behind in order to satisfy the wants and needs of another, and is this a good thing or a bad thing? We get paid for this after all, and the person writing the check wants what they want. We can suggest and maneuver, justifying our positions and attempting to steer things our way, but ultimately what the client wants will be the deciding factor.

So… when it’s all said and done and the check has been written, is it still art that we’ve created?

I believe the answer is yes… we are creating art. It’s easy to portray our own personalities and display images that are reflections of ourselves… we do this every day, not just with the bits of creative genius we make and keep, but also with the clothes we wear, cars we drive, and color of plates we eat off of. However, the ability to turn our interests away and focus on the needs of those who cannot create this imagery on their own is a valuable and unique skill. We can – and should — experience genuine happiness when something we create is put to use by a client and it positively influences their world. In many ways, knowing that we can have such an impact on the lives of others is the greatest satisfaction of all, and that is why we continue to get up in the morning and create something we call Art.