Liam Rotheram Contextualising Practice I Summative Assignment

What is creativity? How important are rules and restrictions to the creative process? Discuss the use of rules and restrictions in your own work and compare it to another cultural practice.

Introduction (276 words):

Over the course of this essay, I will be offering up concepts and beliefs contributed to the world of literature and arts by several creative minds, in a manner that opens up the discussion of creativity’s origins, variety and applications. The nature of creativity is that it is not quantifiable in words, it cannot be grounded by imagery and bordered continents certainly cannot bind it. In short, I shall explain the key ideas surrounding creativity in aid of the reader’s general following as I progress, tying quotes and concepts together with examples of real-world applications. Key terms will be contextualised with cross-cultured art and visionary output so that the overall problem concerning creativity can be discussed through an approach that takes ideas and concepts for what they are worth and condenses them to arguments that can be debated openly with relative ease. The distribution of quotes and ideas by creatives may saturate the subject. It is my intention of collecting many points together as a generalisation, to discuss their roles in the modern day and the near future, to then isolate and distinguish how, why and where the most-realised points may be important to my practice and artistic thinking as separate bodies. It is in this section that the discussion of rules and restrictions will come into perfect alignment with the concept of creativity across cultures. Rules and restrictions are self-imposed, thus making them distinctly personal. The personality of an individual is sculpted and defined by the culture they belong to. It is only accurate to assume that there are differences in the perception of creativity and imagination across continents and the cultures that inhabit them.

Section one (426 words) “Knowledge and Boundaries”:

John Berger puts forward a very strong idea that we are all children to a fault. As humans we are born, we grow with care and we become larger beings with larger minds that inhabit a larger place in this even larger world. In the early stages of infancy, properties of our being develop: our eyes begin to ‘see’, our ears begin to ‘hear’ and our senses are exposed to external stimuli. This is all fact that we can quantify, as we have all experienced it personally, to some degree. Then, is there a point at which our bodies fully complete this transition of growth? Do we ever stop ‘seeing’? “Seeing comes before words,” (Berger, 1972:1) is the theory proposed by Berger. The child that grows has eyes that see, but as of yet, no working/tangible way of communicating what it sees. Language requires implementation as a concept and as a method of communication for this child, but the child sees nonetheless. It is this ‘seeing without words’ that begins my research into the nature of creativity. The ways in which we make use of our surroundings plays a part in how we eventually use our minds. From a 'Ways of Seeing' point of view, the more that you understand your surroundings and use language to give it meaning and quantification, the greater the source of material you can draw from whilst creating written work or art. However, one may argue the lack of knowledge of ones surroundings is what truly evokes a naturally creative response to the world. Seeing becomes new again. Boundaries of language do not interrupt the patterns of thought, offering the mind efficiency not found in 'knowing'. It is often that I find myself with the ability to draw only at night time, after continual effort of producing what seems to fall short, in description, of ‘naturally good work’. My body relaxes to the point at which my brain allows my hand free reign over what to put onto the page. The hard work is seemingly non-existent. Perhaps this is one example of efficiency in ‘not knowing’, because the processes taking place in the creative mind no longer require mechanisation or even reason: the mind simply creates based on instinct. David Bohm suggests that these thought processes are the more ‘natural’ forms of thought, unimpeded by conflicting rules or restrictions. Preconceptions that, in the daytime, may be restricted by knowledge of past events, of success and failure, now become obsolete because I remain naïve to right and wrong and what is good or bad.

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Liam Rotheram Contextualising Practice I Summative Assignment

Section two (424 words) “Interest, Application and Reason”:

Claude Lévi-Strauss’ ‘The Savage Mind’ offers an incredible insight into the thought processes occurring cross-culturally. He recalls writers that study ethnography and comments on specific peoples’ habits and bases of knowledge, how they are not simply learned in vague assumptions of their world, but instead have a great many designations for very intricate and often minute details. In the artistic cultures of Manchester or Liverpool, per se, an individual may produce a painting that focuses on a key element - be it narrative, facial features, allegory - and decide this concept is important based on personal experience, so it will stay at the forefront of the work. In another artistic culture, of Tokyo, the individual that has grown up to believe in ideas with disparate cultural importance would focus not, however, on narrative, facial features or allegory. They would have no interest in a developed version of the other's concepts, thus separating these individuals. Not, however, with concern to intellect, but creativity. In Hanunóo, the nature of the native’s lifestyle requires they be knowledgeable in all species of plants, their sub-categories and subtle variations. 93% of plants are deemed useful to their lives. If a group of outsiders were to settle here, the plants may have no single impact on their being, because their uses/benefits are unknown. Utilising these plants does not make the native more intelligent or intellectual. It shows, simply, their interest in the surrounding area is far more primary for their culture. (Lévi-Strauss, 1966:6) "Knowledge as systematically developed as this clearly cannot relate just to practical purposes," says Lévi-Strauss. This rule that allows people to consume vast amounts of information regarding a particular subject that interests them has multiple connotations, in that, they can create artwork from deconstructing material that is stored within but also be restricted of the full realisation of said artwork. This refers to the ‘memory bank’ and ‘creative bank account’ that holds tools and materials to build/reorganise ideas, that is, by its very nature, finite. One practical purpose of the creative mind that reorganises previously-available knowledge, is to simply create new versions of what has been, drawing upon the virtues and downfalls. For a body of knowledge in a particular area to be so vast and undiluted, the reasons behind such learning must relate to interest and subjective conditioning. If no interest in this information is observed, how, then, is such a systematic approach to a culture’s research maintained? There can only be intuitive concepts, at play in the mind, to allow for such rigorous research into any field.

Section three (451 words) “Intuition, Restrictions and Preconceptions”:

What is intuition? Paul Rand describes it simply as ‘virtually impossible to pin down,” (Rand, 1993:45) while David Bohm notes it is ‘impossible to define in words.” (Bohm, 1998:2) These may point to a non-existence, but, through personal experience, reinforce my beliefs of its presence. My view is that it is the seemingly natural ability to construct methods of escape from a range of problems, be they physical or mental. In the collection of essays by Paul Rand, ‘Design Form and Chaos’, he offers us the explanation that intuition, for context’s sake, may be described as a ‘flash of insight’. This claim that insight simply occurs in an instant, somewhat portrays creativity and intuition to be an occurrence given to a special few. Moreover, it signifies that despite its speed and natural happening, it is still difficult to possess or experience in full detail. Rand continues that, “intuition is conditioned by experience, habit, native ability…and, at some point, is no stranger to reason.” (Rand, 1993:45) Given all of these factors, restrictions come into place that may not necessarily be controlled directly by an individual. Reason, often governed by experience, compresses all of these conditions to a single decision, when faced with questions. When a ‘flash of insight’ strikes, this is the question that conditions respond to. Intuition will, then, be the lead in deciding what to make of this insight and will likely tip one of two ways. The first, being rastrophiliopustrocity, by definition, the sudden burst or spark of creativity in the mind, followed by immediate realisation by means of writing or otherwise. The second, complete ignorance to the insight. To be actively creative, one cannot simply set out to be so. Reason will often negatively impact the apparent natural flow, because the mind, when faced with a problem, must

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Liam Rotheram Contextualising Practice I Summative Assignment

denounce all preconceptions of what is correct or commonly considered good, and instead work on an open platform to achieve a unique and creative solution that assists insight. It is indeed performing this conscious action that allows creativity to reach its potential. We must impose restrictions to over-analysis, and abolish rules to allow for naturally birthed creative output, following our intuition and walking with it. Ignoring the occurrence of insight is dangerous for me, because my artwork and creative writing comes almost directly from non-mechanical thought. If I were not to challenge boundaries of the known world, I may not consider myself a creative. I paraphrase Lévi-Strauss when I mention that “to be serious about being original and creative, it is necessary first to be original and creative about reactions that make thinking mechanical and mediocre.” (Lévi-Strauss 1966:online) In the regard of ‘special class of people’, restricting oneself of mediocre thought is one key to unlocking creative potential.

Section four (421 words) “Memory and Application”:

Insight and intuition, links to the nature of the thought process described as ‘magic’ in that it occurs naturally, without instigation and without first being desired. It forms itself as a somewhat indescribable, imaginary concept that has no bounds, from what, it is said, has never been experienced by the individual. Most often, this thought is formed as image. Not so much ‘intuition’, then, is the other mode of thought proposed (not exclusive to intelligentsia) that can be titled ‘scientific’, referring to the reorganization and finite ‘memory storage’ that comes about through experience and familiarity. Within this quantifiable knowledge base, rules are applied to situations that require specific solutions. For instance, I was tasked with illustrating two large pieces, based on a narrative to be informed by research and development. In order to fulfill the desired concepts I had researched, my brain deconstructed an immeasurable amount of data collected over time, filtering out unnecessary information, to refine key elements through means of construction. This construction is clearly finite, and only in this instance will the tools that I possess – tools of the mind - intersect in this way, leading me to this particular illustration. Perhaps intuition plays a role in this process: to be filled with tools for creating, but no materials, one must first understand how construction may commence. I quote, now, an understanding of what these thought processes are. "It is therefore better, instead of contrasting magic and science, to compare them as two parallel modes of acquiring knowledge.” (Lévi-Strauss, 1966:online) Lévi-Strauss wants to convey a consideration that there is no true definitive line between the main bodies of thought. Instead, he refers to the distinction of application. Where one mode comes from experience and the collection of minute aspects of concept and imagery to form a cohesive image of multiple parts, the other comes specifically from the brain’s imagination. To understand how rules and restrictions apply to these methods, circumstance is the catalyst for such thought. “The difference is therefore less absolute than it might appear,” (Lévi-Strauss, 1966:online) says Lévi-Strauss, and my interpretation of this larger theory is that the rules that we apply to other daily activities, may not be applied here. Restrictions, however, are what allow these thoughts to occur in such a way that solves problems.

Evaluation and Conclusion (207 words):

Perhaps being subjected to arts and experience that is particular to one culture allows for the natural growth of personal/nationwide interest. It is natural, I say, because of the contact with the arts that I have experienced. As a child with eyes that see and ears that hear, the world was always a playground that I could peruse. Rules and restrictions were imposed, then, upon me, as the education system taught me to believe in preconceptions and predetermined structures. Mediocre thought processes subdued the creative insights that were appearing in my life, mechanical thought overtook other methods and I became a part of the system.

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Liam Rotheram Contextualising Practice I Summative Assignment

The ‘engineer’ (referring to scientific thought) questions what is presented to them, creating new habits, new ideas and new possibilities in the world, while the mechanical thinker merely reciprocates a system. I believe that that, while we know what we know, and are unaware of what we do not, the mind is forever offering rearrangements of information, creating new experiences. Creativity cannot truly be defined by words, but it can be observed, perhaps, in the negative spaces of which it cannot be found. Imagine the world as a two-dimensional surface, much like a jigsaw puzzle. One can observe creative output, as a bright light, or as a puzzle piece slotting together. The negative space that remains solidifies its existence, despite its difficulty to be properly grounded in the world of language.

Bibliography

Rand, P. (1993) Design Form and Chaos, Southbend: Mossberg & Co. Inc.Lévi-Strauss, C. (1966) The Savage Mind, 2nd. Ed., London: Weidenfeld & NicholsonBohm, D. (1998) On Creativity, London: RoutledgeBerger, J. (1972) Ways of Seeing, London: BBC/Penguin

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