I was in Madison for a conference and the annual Art Walk happened to be on the Capital Square. As I was walking through the displays, I noticed a strongly consistent theme: each booth had it’s own theme. Take a random sampling of pieces out of display booths, put them in a lineup, and ask a team of children to match them with the original display booths. I’d bet they’d match 80% or better.
Why?
Because the same artist made the pieces. Duh! But really, if artists are the creative ones, that produce works that correspond to a plausible human experience, that help us see the world in a new way, why the repetition of theme? It’s not just Picassos — Bach, Davis, Shakespeare, Wright — take your pick, you could spot or hear them from across the room.
Why?
It’s called creative art work for a reason. Remember my post on the social thermodynamics of creativity? Changing phase into a totally new thought paradigm takes increased resources, empathy, collaborations, relaxation, and a focus on what matters. Then BAM it happens. With it, whatever it is, you change our human experience.
Now what?
Play with it. Bend it. Break it. Work. Work.. Work… Strike while the iron is hot! Remember that creative genius who was a one hit wonder? Everyone is a little different and new combinations speak to everyone in different ways. Run with it until you can’t. If you’re lucky, you can keep going until you reach a level of sophistication where the diminishing returns set in. Then, if your work allowed you to amass enough resources and connected you in enough new ways along the way, you’re likely feeling enough pressure to know it’s time to change phase for the next big adventure.
You really didn’t think this Social Thermodynamics thing would be a single post did you?
(Note: this post is one chapter of what could become a book someday. The other chapters can be found here: https://hydrogen.wsu.edu/dr-jacob-leachman/ )