Aesthetics, Medium, and Method: An Introduction to the Differences and Similarities Between Arts and Non-arts Entrepreneurs

Abstract

A topic not often addressed in entrepreneurship literature is the broader similarities and differences between arts and non-arts entrepreneurs and the implications these analogous distinctions have in the classroom. This article is an initial exploration of the topic and outlines a minimal, broad-based hierarchy of the artistic process. Further, we attempt to identify the fundamental similarities of the two entrepreneurs and suggest they both engage not only in an analogous process, they are somewhat distinct in the “meta” materials used. Through comparison, we posit that the “meta” process used by artists is also used by non-arts entrepreneurs. By drawing attention to these analogies, educators will likely discover components applicable to traditional entrepreneurship courses; the inverse is already occurring within the medium of creative and arts entrepreneurship.