Art is an Expression of the Abstract

Since the rise of NFTs in 2020/2021 there has been a resurgence of the word “art” and questioning of what the word means as a whole. Traditionally, when thinking of the word “art” it is associated with paintings in a museum. However, since NFT’s have arrived on the scene there has been a debate regarding the value of art in physical vs. digital form. To me, “art” has never necessarily been about the concrete painting or sculpture at hand, but rather the distinct expression of a particular vision one holds. A vision can mean a lot of things, but the “vision” I am talking about means a set of values intertwined with emotions. Art usually makes you feel.

Throughout my human experience so far, I’ve struggled to conceptualize how to best express my creativity to the world. Around the age of 8 or 9 I had a phase of wanting to be a fashion designer. I would sketch out many drawings of dresses and other clothes. Also during that time, I would sketch furniture where I lived out my wildest imagination of beds that expanded into basically houses. There would be ladders, and computer areas, play areas, etc. But I knew I didn't want to sell furniture. I didn’t even know what I was doing, I was just sketching my childhood play fantasies. In my tweens, I would plan out whole birthday parties (detailed directories and everything) for myself and my little sister. Later, as I grew into my early teens, I would play the computer game “The Sims” where I spent hours a day designing different houses and lifestyles for my characters.

Continuing to my highschool and post highschool years, whether it be in the Israeli scouts or as a commander in the IDF I enjoyed producing programs and lessons to teach to others. I’ve also always been attention-detailed in how I dress, how I design my room etc. But now, during and post my Cornell graduation in 2020, the meaning and expression of the word “art” is taking a whole different form to me. In the past couple of years I’ve really enjoyed rekindling that joy of collecting stickers but also using them to make handwritten notes to friends and family. I also enjoy making edits with different photos of myself. On the more professional side, I would use the word “art” to describe the creative approach I take to thinking about how to solve complex problems such as approaching an investment thesis, as well as building community and connections with others around values I believe in. At present, there are many societal and global issues that could use new creative approaches.

On January 29, 2023, Naval tweeted “All of the great entrepreneurs are artists”, which I believe to be true. While at the moment I may not have produced a product in terms of existing a company, some of the things I’ve done like making original lessons or cultivating my own web 3 thesis and writing required some sort of agency stemming from free will and the abstract thinking of the mind. Currently, to my very limited understanding, to be an entrepreneur is to create something of value to others. If you’re truly a great entrepreneur, you give something to the world in a way that is never done before. The need of what you’re producing in of itself will decide how well you can scale (all in relativity).

Art can mean executing a vision like the iPhone, or it can mean building a beautiful holy architectural church like the La Sagrada Familia in spain. The expression of “art” is in the abstract free flowing form, not a boxed concept limited to a set of factors or rules. The value derived from it and the emotion felt from art is ever expanding or contracting. Thinking of art as an expression of the abstract makes it fun because everyone can participate in their own way as a creator, observer, or just someone along for the ride.