“I was trying to make something really hard, but then I thought I should make something really soft instead, that could be molded into different shapes. That was how I came up with the first plastic. I called it Bakelite.” ~ Leo Baekeland
I read an interesting statement this morning by Mark Di Somma on Entrepreneur.com, “Successful entrepreneurs are disruptors.” He explains that disruption is innovation that doesn’t radically redefine a market, it simply seeks to resolve an existing issue which inevitably brings change. In other words, disrupters ask questions that no one else dares ask, but by doing so, they bring solutions that better the lives of others. This thought should help us unpack our ninth creative quality:
9. Most creative people are very passionate about their work, yet they can be extremely objective about it as well.
I do not know a truly creative person that is not passionate. When you read of the artists that brought the Renaissance to life, you learn of personalities that were consumed with perfection and beauty to the point of near madness. They were on a quest, undoubtedly fueled by competitive jealousies, but also by the sheer joy of the creative process. We can assign various personality traits and temperamental characteristics to those that history shined upon, but there is one thing we can never fully understand – the motive of their hearts.
I have learned a valuable lesson as I have grown older. To truly grasp the actions of a person, one must understand their motive. Another lesson that I have learned: When I assign motives to a person, I am usually wrong. It is impossible for me to completely grasp all the factors that make up a person’s thought process. Unless I am willing to ask questions, and truly seek to listen and understand, my assessment of a situation will be based on my motives, not the other person’s. What does this have to do with our subject? Being objective requires a detachment of sorts that is difficult for passionate people to cultivate. Maturity plays a large part in the ability to be objective about one’s passion, but there is another factor that is key – motive.
If you have come to the place of objectivity about your work, then most likely you have laid aside any need to prove yourself or make your name known. Instead, it is likely you are motivated by something greater than yourself, namely compassion. A deep compassion for others will cause you to be an unintentional disrupter. The solution needed to bring compassionate answers to others may be the tipping point of critical mass – the break in the dam if you will. But objectivity will allow you to see clear solutions as change takes place instead of the unintended flood.
For the Christian, this is a necessary perspective because it allows God to have his rightful place. We are to be moldable and pliable in the hands of the Master Artist knowing that he holds the paintbrush that will create the ultimate piece de resistance. We must also never mistake our need to be objective with the thought that God detaches himself from his passionate nature. He cannot do so – compassion is the very heartbeat of heaven. If we find ourselves being disrupted by Jesus, we can rest assured that it will only bring about much needed solutions.
“Detachment and involvement: the artist must have both. The link between them is compassion.” ~ Madeleine L’Engle