Disorder Is Good: Give Inspiration The Time To Grow
Any great artist, architect, writer or performer will likely say the same thing about their craft; the best work is inspiration followed by great effort to bring the vision into being. The task may be difficult and halting, or graceful and almost trancelike, but the vision begins as a notion, idea, or object brought into form through endeavor. The instant of insight is often a key element to creation. Some have rituals to create the inspired moment; sitting at Drafting Tables, in comfortable Drafting Chairs, or listening to music, or sitting on a particular bench in a park. It’s not the bench, the tables, or the music that creates inspiration and inspiration might not feel inspired. Inspiration something as simple as a vague desire to make a box not ugly, or it might be a vision that shakes the heart and soul. Regardless of the magnitude, inspiration comes from somewhere, from the void comes an idea, then there was motivation to bring something into the physical world.
One of the greatest challenges of the creative arts is living in the place of not knowing. It is the place where the artist has a vague sense of an idea or concept, maybe a blank canvas, or an open dance floor, but hasn’t found the thread that will begin to connect the spaces or themes. It is a pivotal time for any artist and often many succumb to the desire to bring order to the vision too quickly. It is a bit like pulling a butterfly out of the cocoon before it is ready. In the middle of the chaos, ideas and thoughts are flying around and need time to tumble over each other until they begin to find a natural place to rest in the artists head.
Even something like painting a landscape requires far more then just plopping an easel down in the road and picking up the paints. There is the question of where to set the easel and what to focus on. Is it the sun washing over the alfalfa that caught the artists attention, or the clouds blowing past the darkened woods beyond the silo? Even an artist that plans to set up in a random spot, open their eyes and capture whatever they see, has taken the time to be inspired by the possibility of randomness and finding the form in an arbitrary spot.
Creating the space to be still, to vision, feel, see, hear or even taste, provides a fertile ground where great visions are born. It is tuning the senses to experience the world, imagined or real, that gives it the freedom to come into form. An architect will study buildings, walk through them, discover the texture of the wall with his hand and allow this to feed the brewing idea. A dancer will walk to a place on the stage, feel the music or urge to move and explore it.
Allowing space for the unknown is an essential component of any creative vision. The vision will emerge out of the chaos and likely change dramatically as it is brought into form.