When I was in high school trying to decide what to do with my future, I heard a story about a comic book writer asking why the families he wrote about were always solid, loving families—surely that’s not realistic? He responded that the art of today makes the culture of tomorrow. If all we show is broken families, then is it any wonder that real families are broken? This statement caught my attention, and it has been rolling around in my head for several years now. If art has that much power, what does that mean for the artists of the world? How are we supposed to respond to such responsibility?
While studying creativity for a class, I came across a book called The Art of Possibility by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander. Benjamin Zander is a professional conductor for the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and has developed his own philosophy of creative leadership, positing that “[the leader’s] true power derives from his ability to make other people powerful” (69). Zander said that when he realized this truth, he stopped focusing on how he looked and turned his attention to how he could empower his musicians. As artists and “conductors,” how are we leading? Are we encouraging and inspiring our followers?
Zander has established a practice of taking a good look at the people he leads and asking himself, “Who am I being that they are not shining?” (74). As writers, our ultimate power is not in how many books we can sell, or how much publicity we can get. Our greatest impact is in empowering our followers to rise up and lead others. What do your words create in others?
Quotes taken from The Art of Possibility, by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander.
Callie Johnson works as Editorial Assistant at Kelli Sallman Writing and Editing with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and Creative Writing from Calvary University. She previously interned with Kelli for two years, working as proofreader and copyeditor on several manuscripts. Her strange obsessions include kerning, East Coker, and the sound of cows chewing.