Our environments matter in terms of their creativity-affording potential.
I am currently organizing sticky notes. I have time and space and materials to create. I am in solitude and I have a multi-sensory environment with “levels” of engagement.
What do I mean by levels? I mean that I can engage with ideas on: (1) a post-it note, a spiral-bound notebook, a to-do task booklet, a large notebook, loose paper leaves, or…
I can also…
(2) use any number of crafts around me, including oil paints, collage, chalk pastels, a “junk drawer,” color pencils, or markers.
I can also…
(3) record high quality audio, including ambient sources and musical sources, with microphones and instruments that I own.
I can also…
(4) go into a sensory deprivation closet to reduce input, or pace on the floor with a self-made pacing pattern, or sit on one of two chairs, or lay beneath a multilevel, suspended mandala “vision tent” of my own making.
I can also…
(5) drink from a fridge in this room that is stocked with fizzy water and other drinks that I like, or dart across the hall to a restroom.
I can also…
(6) use an atmospheric audio app with an independently connected speaker to create the kind of ambiance I want, or use headphones connected to my phone.
I can also…
(7) choose from three different types of sunglasses with different levels of tinting.
I can also…
(8) easily stretch, or work out because of my chosen base attire, or add a weighty vest and headband to introduce a “grounded” feeling.
I can also…
(9) engage one of two small fans to circulate the air, or turn on a small heater, or light some incense to introduce more sensory input.
I can also…
(10) write on this blog from my phone, or use my phone as a digital audio workstation, or video camera.
Now, tell me privilege doesn’t matter.
Our environments play a large role in the level of uninterrupted focus we can attain and, subsequently, the level of flow we achieve.
Environmental affordances, along with our curiosity, can help us to translate our inner experiences into art, poetry, prose, and performance.
It is a privilege to have so many conveniences. It is a privilege to have time. It is a privilege to afford the implements of one’s creative pursuits. It is a privilege to have education. It is a privilege to have experience. It is a privilege to have privacy. It is a privilege to not be overworked. It is a privilege to have a supportive partner. It is a privilege to set one’s own deadlines. It is a privilege to exercise critical thinking. It is a privilege to exercise free speech.
I believe we miss hearing countless good ideas from people because: (1) too many of us are not afforded the privileges that would help us to bring forward our ideas, and (2) too many of us feel unsupported in general. There’s a person component to this, and there’s also an environmental component.
Our environments play a large role in our creative pursuits, from the communities in which we live, to the length of our commute, to the “creative corner,” or “human hut,” or “man cave,” or “she shed” where we explore our interests.
This blog is, in part, an exploration of one such confluence of environments, namely my own little creative caves. My art nooks.
This blog is also about the evolution of ideas. It is about stepping on a platform and trusting the thread as I swing from mind grape to mind grape, unsure of where it will lead. It is about giving over my creative control to my interpretive reflexes.
Through my practice, using this blog, I will reflect on the person- and environmental factors of my creative process. My hope is that my efforts will provide some fodder for your own practice.
I am glad to have your kinship along for this journey.
JDF
Trust The Thread 