“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.”
Steve Jobs
This week's Thursday Thoughts turn back to art again - my sequence is Art, Life, Books, Art, Life, Books and around we go...
I wonder if this is how Steve Jobs thought about some of his creations - that they kind of just appeared or emerged and somehow he put that with this and suddenly we all had a new way of listening to music, or discovered we really wanted to search the internet on our phone....
To me, this description helps me understand a bit how things happen when you really get going. He includes a more analytical summary of what happens than I ever offer. I often say -" and then the book/paper/pages told me what to do next, or what they wanted to be". It sounds very much like hocus pocus in my words - his words add a certain gravitas to the notion.
By suggesting that we connect things subconsciously and then synthesise these into new ideas, I think he has built a beautiful framework and explanation for those moments when I go " I don't know how I got here but it just happened" or "It really felt like the work just led me along and told me what to do" or " Sometimes pieces seem to arrive fully formed".
He gives credence to the subconscious at work - linking, tying things together, saying this goes with that, or now you know what to do with this old thing over here, or that idea you had three years ago...
I also really like that he gives credit to the creative mind - it's not all just "hey look a that, it just popped up out of nowhere", rather he suggests that a creative mind is at work differently - either seeking out and utilising experiences, or examining and thinking about them differently.
I think for me, there is also something about doing, touching, making memories with my hands that links to my vision. I am sometimes triggered by one or the other - something I see clicks into something I have done with my hands...
Oh what a wondrous adventure it all is!
An example of those inexplicable moments - I was wondering where to next with these "Under Construction" pieces, and was staring into space, outside the studio windows. My eyes rested on a pile of lilly-pilly (great name!) prunings in the garden bed and I suddenly saw them with new eyes. I ran outside stood amongst them (it was a huge pile) and started stripping them of their dead leaves - and found these beautiful notched twigs - so perfect. I had written the words around twigs, but not made the connection until then...
Steve Jobs
This week's Thursday Thoughts turn back to art again - my sequence is Art, Life, Books, Art, Life, Books and around we go...
I wonder if this is how Steve Jobs thought about some of his creations - that they kind of just appeared or emerged and somehow he put that with this and suddenly we all had a new way of listening to music, or discovered we really wanted to search the internet on our phone....
To me, this description helps me understand a bit how things happen when you really get going. He includes a more analytical summary of what happens than I ever offer. I often say -" and then the book/paper/pages told me what to do next, or what they wanted to be". It sounds very much like hocus pocus in my words - his words add a certain gravitas to the notion.
By suggesting that we connect things subconsciously and then synthesise these into new ideas, I think he has built a beautiful framework and explanation for those moments when I go " I don't know how I got here but it just happened" or "It really felt like the work just led me along and told me what to do" or " Sometimes pieces seem to arrive fully formed".
He gives credence to the subconscious at work - linking, tying things together, saying this goes with that, or now you know what to do with this old thing over here, or that idea you had three years ago...
I also really like that he gives credit to the creative mind - it's not all just "hey look a that, it just popped up out of nowhere", rather he suggests that a creative mind is at work differently - either seeking out and utilising experiences, or examining and thinking about them differently.
I think for me, there is also something about doing, touching, making memories with my hands that links to my vision. I am sometimes triggered by one or the other - something I see clicks into something I have done with my hands...
Oh what a wondrous adventure it all is!
An example of those inexplicable moments - I was wondering where to next with these "Under Construction" pieces, and was staring into space, outside the studio windows. My eyes rested on a pile of lilly-pilly (great name!) prunings in the garden bed and I suddenly saw them with new eyes. I ran outside stood amongst them (it was a huge pile) and started stripping them of their dead leaves - and found these beautiful notched twigs - so perfect. I had written the words around twigs, but not made the connection until then...
and y'know the hidden gold is in those connections, those perceptions that seem so obvious that they don't even need to be talked about... they do!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mo - it's good to talk about them and honour them I think. Go well.
Delete