Artists & Entrepreneurship

Thanks for being here and gathering around the Fountain

Art and entrepreneurship share a common thread, they both thrive on creativity, risk, and the pursuit of something creating something unique.

Whether it's the bold stroke of a final paintbrush or the calculated risk of a business decision, both are about daring to stand out. This week, we'll explore the intersection of art and business, how all artists are entrepreneurs, and why understanding one can deepen your appreciation of the other.

In this edition:

⏳ Estimated Read Time: 7 minutes

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FOUNDER LESSONS

Artists are default entrepreneurs themselves.

That’s part of the reason why I love art, artists, and collecting art.

It really started in 2014 when a piece of art in a passing window caught my eye, I swung my Jeep around and went into the store which happened to be LABART LA.

They showed me around, and I loved the Monopoly Man Piece I had seen on the drive by . I asked the guy, out of all the artists, who he thought was the most talented and also commercial potential as an investment.

He pointed out a painted Rolls Royce in the middle of the gallery by a street artist named Alec Monopoly, who happened to be the same artist who created the painting I liked from the window.

We walked over to the piece, a Monopoly Man painted with a blue and orange background. The gallerist said $15,000 for the piece, I said 10, he said 12.5 and we made a deal.

This was 5-10x the price of any art I had bought before and it began my collecting journey.

Art, to me, has been about recognizing and respecting the craft of creating something original. In a world that’s been around for billions of years, with eight billion people, it’s incredible when someone makes something that hasn’t been done before.

I’m lucky enough to have collected through an Artnet Auction https://www.artnet.com/auctions/ an Andy Warhol print from 1976
“Cow 12A” which for me is a beautiful reminder to stand out, and the main concept as one of my favorite business books —> Purple Cow by Seth Godin.

I hope your being your creative self and making a purple cow startup in some garage somewhere.

Artists are entrepreneurs. They create:

There’s risk, creativity, and a need to stand out. Not to mention pricing, marketing, networking, exclusivity, supply and demand, etc.

Whether it’s launching an underwear line or investing in art, it’s about being that purple cow, offering something so distinct that people recognize when they see it and it is so different they tell other people about it. Make the story so good - people will tell it for you.

Masterpiece from Mastering their craft, their style, their vision. Doing something over and over again, making improvements, learning from others, learning from themselves. Something entrepreneurs and business owners sometimes take for granted, but we all become better, the more we practice it.

We have to talk about technologies impact on art. Good or bad that’s a larger conversation. It’s the landscape we’re in. It’s lowered barriers for people to make art. It’s amplified excellent artists, and allowed people to create quicker. People can make beautiful movies or companies advertisements for fraction of the cost.

It’s easy to romanticize the traditional ways of creating and sharing art, but progress doesn’t wait for anyone. Whether it’s the art world or the business world, the ones who thrive are the ones who are adapting to their surroundings. Embracing change while staying true to your unique vision is the key to making an impact.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve taken from both art and entrepreneurship is that you can’t control the landscape and can’t make decisions on the “wish it was like this way”, you have to see things they way they are. Thank you to all the Artists out there making our world a more interesting and beautiful place.

Isn’t it interesting - that one person will pay a million dollars for a piece, when another thinks its worth zero dollars. There’s endless pieces for one to immerse themself into and to express yourself through.

Share with me the Art you love and some artists you think we should add to the collection. Set the Artist Free.

While we’re editing this Monday morning markets are down 15% since Thursday.

I’ve been watching the Fear and Greed Index since 2018. It’s one of those things that helps one see the market. To put it simply, it’s like a mood ring for investors. Fear and Greed, that’s it. The two emotions that drive the market.

Right now, it’s volatile AF out there. The headlines are all doom and gloom, market crashes, BTC under $80k. That little needle on the index is buried in the red. Fear is driving the bus.

There’s an old saying, credited to Baron Rothschild which is echoed by Warren Buffet constantly: “The best time to buy is when there’s blood in the streets.”

Sounds ruthless, but history backs it up. The best opportunities come when everyone else is running scared. When fear takes over, prices drop, assets go on sale, and long-term thinkers, the ones willing to zig when everyone else zags can reap the rewards.

That’s a valuable lesson: You have to detach yourself from the panic and recognize that the best opportunities often feel like the worst moments.

So, I’m paying attention. I’m not suggesting you throw your savings at a dumpster fire, be smart, do your research, and know your risk tolerance. I bought more AMZN and GOOGL Friday last week.

Because in the end, the index isn’t just about market sentiment, it’s about mindset.

Our friends at Blossom Social were telling us that, their app (which is a social app for investing) sees increase in engagement and signups not when the market is up or down, but when the market is volatile. If you want to be a part of the conversation, signup for free.

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