Becoming a master is a mission, staying at this level is an art!

After an intensive working-day I am driving home. Hundreds of thoughts are crossing my mind. Then I decide to switch the audio-system on, and I start to listen to Janine Jansen, who is playing the Violin Concerto in E minor, opus 64 (by Felix Mendelssohn). It is an absolute stunning peace, performed by an amazing artist. My love for this peace probably is also a result of the violin lessons that I have had as a 5 year old child, and my fascination for Mendelssohn at that early age. Janine is a brilliant violinist, in the true sense of the word: a master in her trade, she is playing on a ‘master-violin’ (one of the very rare 318 Stradivarius), and always performs ‘masterly’.

Jan and Hubert van Eyck

Together with Sylvia, my wife, we stood and stared at an amazing work of art in the Sint-Braafs Cathedral in Gent for over half an hour. ‘Het drieluik – de aanbidding van het Lam Gods’. Truly one of the milestones in the history of art.

A master and 300 years of influence, Abraham Bloemaert

Today Sylvia and I visited the Centraal Museum in Utrecht, where we admired the exhibition ‘the Bloemaert-effect’. If one thinks of the Ducht Painters of the ‘Gouden Eeuw’, names like Rembrandt, Frans Hals en Johannes Vermeer quickly pop up. Abraham Bloemaert (born in 1566 in Gorinchem and died in 1651 in Utrecht), however, should certainly be added to such a list. Next to the great range of extraordinary and beautiful paintings Bloemaert produced hundreds of drawings. It is fascinating to see how he, during his lifetime (85 years), kept on growing in his trade, how he grew to become a master, and finally a artist.

Are you born as an artist?

Yes… and no!

It is true that everybody is born with a unique set of skills and natural abilities, such as: creative thinking, design, musical abilities, organizing, dancing, etc. Nonetheless, this does not mean that these natural abilities and skills do not need any development, and it absolutely does not mean that one automatically gets to the level of ‘professional’ just because he has these skills and natural abilities. However, we all have a special set of natural abilities and skills and therefore the potential in ourselves to develop them to a next level!

Mastery as THE source of inner motivation

In his new book ‘drive’ Daniel Pink argues that better performance and inner motivation/personal satisfaction exist out of 3 factors, which can release lasting intrinsic energy:

1.    Mastery: continuously growing in your profession, hobbies etc;

2.    Autonomy: getting the space that you need to be able to shape your work-situation in a responsible way, being self-directive;

3.    Purpose: experiencing that your contribution to the company/organization is an essential one, and doing so, realizing a positive contribution to society.

This blog ‘mastery’ will be about the first pillar of the intrinsic motivation.

Are you a professional who wants to grow in your profession? Than this is the blog that will inspire you 2 times a month to continuously really choose for your profession.

Chris Sommer (master goldsmith) and I (Paul Ch. Donders), have written a new book with the title ‘mastery’. It roughly contains the following themes:

• 3000 years history of craftsmanship
• how to grow from student to professional, to master and finally to artist
• 5 elements of inspiring design
• 5 secrets from a master

Curious? Follow this blog, and let yourself be taken by the exiting world of mastery…

An excellent short movie (about 10 minutes) in regard to Daniel Pink and his book ‘Drive’ can be found on YouTube: at RSA drive/Daniel Pink