Photo credit: Reboot
This is a photograph of my dear friend Ray Foote. He’s a bit of a personal hero. Ray pulled me through a difficult time. I did the work, but Ray was my guide. He helped me see what I couldn’t on my own. I’m in a much better place today because of him. The lessons he taught me are timeless. I continue to benefit from them and so do the people I share them with.
Ray is a creative entrepreneur, musician, builder, designer, and inventor. He’s a husband, father, spiritual warrior, and all around badass dude. He’s also an executive coach for Jerry Colonna’s firm, Reboot, and that’s how I got to know him.
At first, I was reluctant to meet Ray. Another good friend lead me to the idea of coaching and to Reboot. I went through the screening interview and was matched with Ray: “He’s perfect for you,” the onboarding consultant said. But once Ray started making contact, I started making excuses: “It’s too expensive. I don’t have time. Maybe later.”
Seeing right through this, Ray did what any great coach would do. He nudged his way in and made me a simple proposition that was hard to refuse: “Talk to me for an hour, free of charge. No other commitment required. What do you have to lose?” The real question was what did I have to gain. The answer to that, I’d later find out, was: “a hell of a lot.”
When we finally spoke, I downloaded him with what was in front of me and where I was struggling. At the time, I was tangled in some angst around a major writing project I was working on. The details don’t matter, other than to say, other people’s agendas were orbiting around and at times intruding on the project, even though they weren’t involved with the actual work. It was pissing me off.
That’s when he said something so profound that it changed my life forever—and the lives of everyone I’ve shared this framework with. In his deep, deliberate voice, he said some version of the following:
You know, Ian, I checked you out before this call. I checked out your website and how you show up on the Internet. I saw all of the writing you do. It’s impressive. You may not know this, but you’re an artist. And your art is writing. Artists don’t like it when people fuck with their art. That’s why you’re pissed off.
I was blown away. The earth shook with those words. I knew then that I was going to start working with Ray and that something big was happening. Although I do and excel at a number of different things—I’m an executive, mentor, advisor, and investor—writing, above all, is my art. Ray was right about that. I just had never framed it this way.
Ray’s more expansive view of art really resonated with me. Seth Godin defines art in a similarly expansive manner:
I define art as having nothing at all to do with painting. Art is a human act, a generous contribution, something that might not work, and it is intended to change the recipient for the better, often causing a connection to happen.
Your art is your craft. It’s what you’re doing when you bring your best self into the world, whatever that may be. It’s intended to help others. The joy comes from a job well done and the impact it’s having on the people around you. The fruits are the labor itself. Art is also subjective and deeply personal.
A times, our art aligns with what we do for a living. At times it doesn’t. This varies from person to person. Even so, everyone has an art to offer, even if it’s undiscovered, even if it’s uncultivated, and even if it’s unprotected. And so that’s the challenge.
Discover your art. What gift(s) do you bring into the world?
Cultivate your art. Hone your craft.
Protect your art. Don’t let anyone fuck with your art.
And while you’re at it, go find your Ray Foote too—a person who, through the expression of their art, can help you see yours more clearly.
“Leadership is an artistic enterprise, creating balance between structure, improvisation, and imagination. The end result is value creation, and to get there leaders must navigate the needs and wants of many stakeholders. The key is for leaders to understand, fundamentally, what kind of value they are creating. What is their intention? From that place of clarity and groundedness, the leader can flourish and make art that has true value.”