Did You Know That Art Is an Infinite Game?
On the advice of someone I wanted to impress, 20 years ago I bought a book called Finite and Infinite Games by James Carse. I tried to read it, didn’t understand it, and stuck it back on my bookshelf.
It resurfaced during a Marie Kondo decluttering seizure. I tried reading it again. This time I understood more. It’s relevant to what we’re experiencing with quarantine and Covid-19 and the upheaval of the world as we know it.
Here’s the gist.
A finite game has rules, The players all agree to the rules. Then the players play the game until the rules show who won.
There were clear rules before the pandemic
The world before pandemic had rules. We got up. Got dressed, left the house. We drove to the office or school or work. We saw each other face to face. We went to restaurants and bars and concerts and festivals and farmers’ markets and classes and lectures. We all agreed that if we went to these places and followed the rules; did our work, paid the bills, showed up for class, we’d get paid, get our diploma, get our hamburger, hear the concert, buy the veggies.
Not anymore
Now the finite game and its rules are out the window.
This reveals the infinite game underneath.
An infinite game has rules, but instead of the rules defining who wins and loses, the rules in an infinite game are designed to keep the game going.
This is how art is an infinite game
Instead of diplomas and an office with a window and a hamburger, here’s what I think we’re playing for in the infinite game: Work that matters. Creativity. Learning and Growth. Connection. And Love.
When we play for these things, it’s crucial to keep the game going (an infinite game), as opposed to figuring out who won.
If you’re “playing” for love, creativity, connection growth, and work that matters, what will your work, your relationships and your art look like, now the old rules are gone?
I don’t know the answers to this but maybe you do? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. What I do know is that my main goal is to keep the game going, and help keep everyone else in the game also.
Two programs to help you create art in your own infinite game
I am doing two individual coaching programs. Create Your Day Job and Sell Your Art Peacefully. If you’d like to talk about whether either of these programs would be a fit for you, please book a chat with me. Or--book a chat with me to brainstorm what the rules are for you in this infinite game.