I carry bits of information and ideas
around for years, waiting for the time that a group of them come
together to form a better understanding of life. Today I became
aware of a change in thinking I've undergone. Several ideas came
together, to make me more conscious of the change. First thing, I
must tell you a joke; if you've heard it before, please bear with me,
it's quite relevant.
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There was a missionary, he signed up
for a 5 year stint on the mission field. Upon arriving, he was served
a bowl of soup. He was about to eat, when he noticed a fly in the
soup. He lost his appetite, and declined the soup.
Five years later, he has returned for
his second stint, and again, is served a bowl of soup. By
coincidence, this bowl too has a fly in it. Being somewhat
acclimated,he carefully removes the offending insect, and eats the
soup.
Five years after this, he has returned
for his third stint. Again, he is served a bowl of soup, but this
time, there's no fly in it. Without hesitation, he catches one, and
throws it into his soup!
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Many years ago, I worked in a sign
shop that had a designer on staff. He loved the look of airbrushed
color blends in the lettering. I could see that it wasn't always
appropriate for the client's needs. Some businesses need a nationwide
fleet look, some need a very formal look, others need a fun and
casual look. I reasoned that the medium (airbrush in this case)
should never determine design, but that the design should determine
the medium. For instance, Sally's Surf and Sunglasses Apparel Shop
could incorporate a piece of driftwood into the design, but First
National Bank would not.
As time has passed,I've realized
that's the ideal, but I'm nevertheless usually limited by the medium
in some way. Budget constraints, time limitations, and durability of
materials are example of frequent limitations. I came to realize that
my job is to give the client the most I can within the parameters I
have to work in. This has taken time, along the way I found this
website about art quotes:
http://www.wisdomquotes.com/topics/art/index3.html
It has some gems, I'll give you a few,
Art is moral passion married to entertainment. Moral passion without
entertainment is propaganda, and entertainment without moral passion
is television. Rita Mae Brown
I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study
mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and
philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture,
navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children
a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary,
tapestry, and porcelain. John Adams
The one that's really relevant to this post is the following from
Rollo May :
Creativity arises out of the tension between spontaneity and
limitations, the latter (like the river banks) forcing the
spontaneity into the various forms which are essential to the work of
art or poem.
The change in thinking is that I now
enjoy the challenge of making things look or work well within the
limitations. I do it in a hundred everyday ways,other than designing
signs and graphics. I wonder if I'd be bored with being able to buy
everything new. There's an old building on a busy highway that I've
been given permission to paint what I want on it (mural). I
absolutely loath the architecture, but I think I've figured out a
design I like, which will hide that part .
I would really be at my best if I
could continuously remember that it's to God's glory when His
creation pushes forth beauty, in whatever little space they occupy.
