Michelangelo didn’t own the Sistine Chapel

The truth is that Michelangelo didn’t follow the brief.

The work was too earthly for such a sacred place, the figures too muscular, the relationship between God and Adam—almost touching fingers—was portrayed far too personal for the Church’s taste. And that was just some of the feedback Michelangelo got from Church leaders.

Not to mention all the nudity.

Pope Julius II, who commissioned the work, was upset. But he believed in Michelangelo and defended his creative license to other church leaders who demanded a complete rework.

Michelangelo may not have owned the Sistine Chapel. But he did own his creative vision.

He may not have had the power to call the shots, but he stuck to his ideas. (It also helped that he had an influential advocate in Pope Julius II, who pushed back on the Church’s criticisms. Thank the heavens he did—it’s the reason we have the Sistine Chapel today and not just another forgettable church fresco.)

Michelangelo saw himself as not just creating for the Church but for the world, and he wanted to bring a portrayal of divinity that was personal and relatable. Above all, human. (Six-pack abs and bouldering muscularity notwithstanding.)

Unless we own our own business, our own Sistine Chapel, most of us creatives are in the same position today as Michelangelo. We don’t get to call the shots. Everyone else gets to dictate the final product—clients, stakeholders, bosses, brands, briefs, marketing VPs, creative reviews, the Pope.

How do we, as modern creatives, fully own the process, even when we don't control the outcome?

First, it helps to have an advocate who will pitch our work to higher-ups and get buy-in, like Pope Julius II did for Michelangelo.

More importantly, we realize that, although we create for others, we have a duty to express our unique perspective—which is what drives us to create in the first place. And to see things other don’t, so that we may bring something new into the world.

Creative agency isn’t just about sticking it to the man; it’s about finding the line between client needs and personal expression.

Yes, Michelangelo defied the brief, but he ultimately delivered on what the Church wanted—a grand, moving depiction of divinity for generations to gawk at.

He wasn’t trying to be rebellious for its own sake, as much as he was trying to push the idea to its limits. (And isn’t that what we’re in the creative field to do in the first place?)

Because here’s the truth: the commissioner needs the artist, maybe more than they realize. While we may not own the Sistine Chapel, we do own the ideas that can help define it.

The real question, then, isn’t “how do we stick to our creative vision?” but “how can the world be all the better by having our vision in it?”

Then, creative agency sorts itself out.