How to be Creative

An Examination of a Scene: Sunshine

A Visual Reimagining of Salvadore Dali

The top photo is an original work by Salvadore Dali, an amazingly talented painter.  Below it is the same painting, reframed by me.

The original painting, entitled Galatea of the Spheres, is an amazing example of depth and perspective.  The deep depth provided by the many spheres is what originally drew me to the piece; in fact, it wasn't until later I actually noticed the face in the spheres.  It's a painting of many layers, figuratively and literally, and it's this complexity that drew me in.

There are several key differences between the two framings, the most obvious of which is the face present in the original but absent in the reframing.  The more limited space in the reframing restricts the viewer from seeing all of the painting; the wider space in the original allows the viewer to see everything as originally intended.  Obviously Salvadore Dali framed it the way he did for a reason; without the space, we wouldn't be able to see the girl's face in the spheres.

The original painting also has less visual intensity than the reframing does, because of the wider space.  The reframing focuses intensely on the horizon point; there is nothing but the diagonal lines leading straight to the point.  The original, by contrast, gives a much wider view, one that isn't nearly as intense.  Though the horizon point is still present in the original, it isn't as imposing.  How lines are perceived is another big difference between the two; in the original, we can see the woman in the spheres.  However, the reframing does not show her; the lines can only be perceived as abstract paths to the horizon, as opposed to something bigger.

The original has contrast and affinity that the reframing lacks; there is likeness between the spheres and the lines which they compose, and affinity with the spheres and the woman's face.  In the reframing, however, there is no affinity; just an amalgamation of lines and spheres.  The original also has tension and release where the reframing does not.  The tension of the imposing wall of spheres is released the realization that there is a woman's face within them; the reframing, not showing the woman's face, has no release, and is thus somewhat more uncomfortable to look at.

Seth Godin's "Brainwashed"

Linked is Seth Godin's "Brainwashed", an essay on creativity and how we've been conditioned to restrict it.

Acknowledge the Lizard


Godin argues that the "lizard brain - the prehistoric brainstem that all of us must contend with" is a key figure in the restriction of our creativity.  It's timid, afraid of criticism, and as a result resists our artistic instincts.  It was complicit in our brainwashing as youth.  And so, in order to effectively ignore it and embrace our creative spirit, we must first acknowledge its existence and understand its pattern of behavior.  Only then can we overcome it.

Ship


The ability to finish things is an incredibly important one to have.  Those who create but don't ship are merely wasting time.  Of course, people value those who can get work done reliably.  Shipping can often be difficult in part because of the lizard brain - that prehistoric philistine inside us.  Shipping is scary; it encourages criticism and opens the door for failure.  But only by shipping can we share with the world our art and abilities.


Both of the above points are, I agree, crucial to effectively embracing our artistic abilities.  This blog is itself an example of shipping; by publishing our thoughts and opinions on the internet, we are shipping our ideas and styles to the world.  By creating creative content and publishing it here, we are in one stroke acknowledging and ignoring the lizard brain inside us.  Both exercises are important for growing as students and artists, in that they encourage taking a chance; they encourage having the courage to step outside the lines and try new things.  And that, after all, is how great ideas are born.

Songwriting Assignment

Our songs.

Exploration of a Cover Song

REM's "It's The End Of The World"

Covered by Great Big Sea:

I really like both versions of this song.  I happened to hear Great Big Sea's version first, and only later became aware that REM wrote the original.

The obvious difference between the two is the speed.  Great Big Sea sings the song very fast, making it hard to understand exactly what they're saying.  But, it also increases the intensity of the song, by making it seem more frantic and unorganized.  I had become used to this by the time I heard the original by REM, so the original by contrast seemed slow and plodding.  I felt a song about the end of the world should be fast and frantic, because that's what I assume the end of the world will be like; lots of tension, with the release coming only at the end.  The Great Big Sea version provides this, while the original by REM does not.

However, the original has a sense of organization that Great Big Sea's doesn't have.  It's sung slow enough to understand, and never feels like it's going out of control.  The timbre is, as a result, different between the two versions.  Great Big Sea's version is noisy and hectic; it sounds "fuller" than the original, which has an emptier feeling.

If I had to pick one as my preferred version, I'd have to go with Great Big Sea's, simply because it was the one I had heard first.  I became used to it, so the original felt "off" to me.  However, they're both great songs, and I could listen to either if I had to.

Soundscape

Created for MDIA 203; the emotion is COMFORTABLE

Enjoy.