Ask any artist about “the industry” and most will rail against the pressures of the market. Business people learn and are tasked with navigating and overcoming these pressures. But there is something that we rarely talk about because the culture of the market is so ingrained in our society. Here it is:
The culture of the market can translate human value into market value. We can begin to measure each other against our productivity. We can begin to measure our own provision (time, talents, relationships, etc) against their worth in the market. We can begin to measure others by their value to us and our business. The undercurrent of the market is dehumanizing.
What if we turned the whole thing upside-down? What if all our provision had inherent value, and was only measured against how they were being used for the celebration of the gift of life, and in service with others. What if who we were had inherent value and didn’t need to be produced or branded any further for the sake of the market?
Then the framework we use as we walk in the world around us could be undistorted by the pressures of producing, buying, and selling. We could begin by just existing, and that would be enough.