Why do we give gifts? Are we looking to get something in return? Are we validating a relationship and deepening a bond? Is your gift simply an act of kindness and love? Are you giving to celebrate an occasion?
Gift-giving is challenging. Is it going to be useful? Are my motivations pure? When is a gift just that, a gift, and when is reciprocation expected? If a physical gift isn’t given, is less love given? What about if my gift is re-gifted, returned to the store, or sold online? Does that devalue the gift given and my act of giving the gift?
Giving gifts is human nature, but the discomfort around gift-giving likely goes all the way back to the days of Cain and Abel. One gave a God-pleasing gift and one did not.
Modern economics has brought continued confusion to this idea of gift-giving. If I go to my workplace and take out the garbage, I expect to be paid since I am on the clock. In fact, most employers would highly discourage providing free labor in a workplace. They expect to pay you for your time. Yet, if I take the garbage out at home, this very same act becomes a gift to my wife, myself, and whoever else comes into our home. I do not expect to be paid nor do I expect her to reciprocate in some way because I did the act of taking out the garbage. Plain and simple. It is a gift.
This begs the question. When is a gift an actual gift and when do you expect to be paid for it? Historically, if the “gift” was given to a tribe member (family, friend, close community) no reciprocation is needed. If the “gift” is given to a stranger, then this is expected to be compensated in some way.
As you think about this, you can probably see how this can get quite interesting and conflicting. Can we allow ourselves to receive gifts without feeling the need to reciprocate? Can we give gifts freely without feeling the need to receive some type of personal gain?
Why Giving Art Is Your Greatest Gift
First off, I need to provide a definition. When I use the word “art,” I am speaking broadly. This is not only referring to drawings, paintings, or photography. There is art in everything we do. How you cook, how you interact with others, how you raise children, how you live.
Giving your art really means giving love and emotional labor to others. This servant mindset eliminates our modern concept of economics. It also frees you to create art that is not tied to its ability produce profits or create extrinsic value. Taking out the garbage at home is a gift, but the way you complete the task can be a beautiful work of art as well. You can’t really put a price on that.
When we identify our strengths and passions, it is very easy to fall into the trap of immediately looking for ways to monetize those passions. This is to be expected. Economics at its foundation is all about survival. If I don’t have food and shelter, I cannot survive. How can I give gifts freely if I am barely surviving?
Yet, as soon as our art get monetized in any way, it runs the risk of losing its creativity and thus becoming less like art. A concrete example is the music and film industry. Risk-taking and originality are often pushed back against because it can get in the way of the profitability of a project. If you know a certain type of song or film will sell, why create something new and different? Following a formula to a hit song or film is not art. It the product of a factory.
If you want to give great artistic gifts to the world, do everything you can to keep the economics out of the way. Gift giving is about showing love and it is freely given. Whatever your art is, give it to the world and give it as a gift (even if you are being paid for it.) This is the greatest gift.
Does This Mean I Can’t Create Art for a Living?
Of course you can create art for a living! The act of giving the gift creates value and people will reward you for that value. The difference is that the gift you are giving is the same whether you are paid for it or not. If someone pays you $500 for a keynote presentation and another $5000, should one presentation be worse than the other? If someone comes into your office and needs help on a topic you are an expert in, will you then send them an invoice for giving that gift of an answer?
The act of giving great gifts to the world creates value. This value can be monetized, but this doesn’t mean you wouldn’t still give that value if it was free. I’m not going to charge someone the next time they ask for advice. In fact, I look forward to giving that gift every time it happens. Giving freely and lovingly creates an environment that in the long-term will probably produce more reciprocity than you ever wanted to receive.
The Benefits of Gift-Giving
When you give gifts freely, you actually will likely gain great benefits. These benefits, however, are not why we give the gifts.
It is hard to imagine doing this easily in this time of social distancing, but when you have people over for a meal. This is a gift of food to your friends or family, but what do you receive? You get great company and a closer bond with the guests. These bonds can lead to far greater gifts and rewards.
When you share your expertise and help others around you, you get the reward of seeing how your gift helped them. Its not tangible, but there is great satisfaction.
In the workplace, the people who look for creative solutions and go above and beyond are often the people who receive the monetary benefit of a raise. When you give gifts willingly in the workplace, your employer finds you indispensable and will take great measures to keep you. (I must reiterate. This is not why we give gifts freely, but many employers do notice and will act accordingly.)
A Final Gift
Everyday we have the ability to give freely of ourselves. These gifts can be monetary, physical, creative, or emotional. All of them are art. I encourage you to take your art and give it as a wonderful, generous gift.