How do you justify what you do?

One in the arts world can be just as justified in what he does as someone in the medical world or the world of business. Although an illustrator may not be able to perform open heart surgery or discover the cure for cancer, he can have as much of an impact on an individual or a group of people in different ways.

I personally believe that in order to be justified in what one does (regardless of one’s occupation) that some measurable and successful impact must be made. This reigns especially true in regards to the arts. Whether influencing a group of people or impacting the physical environment, there has to be some sort of impact made. For example, Joe is a painter and cannot justify what he paints if it is kept behind closed doors and is never exposed to the world around him. There has to be a communication with the rest of the world so that Joe’s work is known, otherwise it can never have any sort of impact.

There are many ways that someone’s work can make an impact. An interior designer’s work impacts the physical space and environment in which it is located in a functional way, whereas an art educator impacts an audience or class by revealing and teaching what he knows about certain aspects and techniques of art. A painter or sculptor can justify what they do by influencing others to create or by satisfying the demands of a particular customer.

Not only does one have to make an impact in order to be justified in what he does, but the impact must also be measurable and successful. If an architect decided to build a bridge that would be used daily and built one that was beautifully decorated but highly unstable, then how can the architect justify his work when it cannot serve its purpose? In order to be justified in what one does, he must successfully accomplish what he had originally intended to do. An artist is just as much justified in what he does as anyone else holding any other position or occupation as long as he successfully makes an impact and accomplishes what he had planned to.