Ever toil away at a problem, getting nowhere, then finally give up in despair and take a shower, or go for a drive? If you have read Jay Ingram‘s book “Theatre of the Mind”, you will recognize that state he talks about, where in doing something familiar that requires little brain energy, your imagination is free to wander and relax, and “eureka!” the solution to your problem pops seemingly out of nowhere.
Creativity needs that open space in order to forge new “links” previously unrecognized. For me, that freedom to follow my instincts in the painting studio is key to making work that engages me, and hopefully the viewer as well.
My art school pal Chris Catalano wrote in with this comment:
“Ever hear Gretzky talk about those kids whose parents made them go to hockey school in the summers, play hockey when they woke up, go practice after school, watch hockey videos in the evening? Not him. He claims that in the summer when other kids were obsessing on hockey perfection, he went swimming, or played ball, or just chilled. Look at what became of him.
Too many people think if they simply focus on one task, their acquired virtuosity will make them the best at their chosen field…but it doesn’t always work that way. Creativity DOES have to breathe, retreat, fool around, fuck up, innovate. One trick ponies are usually boring, limited in conceptual scope and vision.
Gretzky “saw the ice”…and hockey became better because of it.”