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The Artist Otherwise Known as an Entrepreneur 'Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist.' – Pablo Picasso

By Amy Cosper

This story appears in the February 2016 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »

We're all artists. That doesn't mean we're all Picassos with paintbrushes, mind you. But we all have the capacity to create something unique: music, paintings, buildings, sculpture, books, logos, iPhones, businesses.

I know this creative spark is a cornerstone to entrepreneurship (along with drive, talent and balls of steel). But not everyone agrees. Every once in a while, I find myself arguing with someone from some corporation or educational institution about what entrepreneurship is and what it means to our culture. This is their recurring response: "Entrepreneurship means you are the sole proprietor of a business, or you are a business owner assuming risk -- nothing more."

No, actually, sir or madam, that's wrong. Entrepreneurship means creating something never imagined before, born from a passion that wouldn't be stopped. It's in our DNA to figure out how to solve problems. And thank God for that because it's how we're going to survive as a species.

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