Deals are my art form. Other people paint beautifully on canvas

The words of Ed Koch rise with the confidence of a man who knew his craft and embraced it fully: “Deals are my art form. Other people paint beautifully on canvas or write wonderful poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals. That’s how I get my kicks.” In this proclamation lies a profound truth: that art is not confined to brushes, ink, or lyres, but can be found wherever a human soul pours its passion, discipline, and vision. For Koch, the deal—the weaving together of interests, the balancing of power, the creation of agreement where once there was division—was his canvas, his stage, his song.

The ancients would not find this strange. Did not Pericles call the governance of Athens itself the greatest of arts? Did not the Romans celebrate not only sculptors and poets, but also those who could negotiate treaties, forge alliances, and maintain the delicate harmony of empire? To strike a deal, to bring opposing forces into balance, was seen as no less noble than carving marble or writing verse. For both required imagination, courage, and skill. Koch’s words thus remind us: the definition of art is broad, and each of us must find where our artistry lives.

But what makes the deal an art? Like the painter, the dealmaker must see what is not yet visible. He must envision harmony where there is only discord, mutual gain where there seems only conflict. Like the poet, he must choose words carefully, shaping them into persuasion and trust. And like the sculptor, he must chip away at excess, leaving only the form that can endure. In this sense, a great deal is not born of chance or brute force, but of patience, vision, and craft—the very essence of artistry.

Consider the life of Benjamin Franklin, diplomat of a young America. He did not paint upon canvas, but upon the stage of nations. With wit, charm, and wisdom, he persuaded France to ally with the colonies against Britain. That alliance, born of delicate negotiation, turned the tide of history. Franklin’s art was diplomacy; his deals were strokes of genius. And though he left no painted masterpiece, his handiwork shaped the destiny of nations. This is the art Koch calls his own—the art of binding destinies together with words and agreements rather than brush and pigment.

Koch’s declaration also speaks of passion. “That’s how I get my kicks,” he says. Here is the spark of joy that marks true artistry. The artist finds delight not only in the finished product, but in the process itself: the painter in the stroke, the poet in the rhythm, the musician in the note. For Koch, the thrill was in the crafting of deals, in seeing the pieces align, in making something lasting from the chaos of competing desires. This delight is what transforms labor into art, and duty into devotion.

Yet, there is also a lesson of caution here. Just as an artist may become consumed by pride or excess, so too may the dealmaker. Not every deal is noble, and not every success is worthy. The true artistry lies not in the size of the agreement, but in its integrity. A great painting inspires; a great poem uplifts; a great deal, likewise, should bring balance, justice, and prosperity, not merely victory for one side. For the art of dealmaking, when pursued selfishly, becomes manipulation rather than creation.

The lesson is clear: discover your own art form, whether it lies in words, in craft, in leadership, or in the weaving together of human bonds. Do not confine art to the galleries of painters or the libraries of poets; see it also in the building of bridges, the solving of conflicts, the creation of opportunities. And when you find your art, pursue it with the same passion, vision, and care as the painter with his brush or the poet with her pen.

Practical actions follow: seek the field where your artistry awakens joy, and devote yourself to it. Approach your work not as drudgery, but as creation. If your art is in deals, let them be fair; if in leadership, let it be just; if in teaching, let it be generous. In this way, each life becomes a masterpiece, and the world itself is enriched by the varied arts of its people.