America was once dominated by either pragmatists or professionals, people who aspired for material success or people who sought respectability through a set of external standards defined by a field. Today, another attitude is taking over, an attitude in which everyone from chefs to entrepreneurs is seeking to connect with the creative force within. This drive to question prescribed paths and make things authentically one's own is evidence of the new artistic persona shaping the future of the American economy and society. The Artistics explores how the artistic persona has taken hold in America, and how this new breed of artistics is changing our relationship to work and leisure and transforming our long-held concept of art