Purposeful Accident
This whole idea of purposeful accident has really got a hold of me.
I read about it recently in this article on The Creativity Post and the concept, although familiar to me, gave my already brewing ides a foundation.
Well, maybe not a foundation, but rather a hook.
The foundation for everything I've been writing recently, including The Artist's Manifesto, has been creativity. Allowing ourselves the space to create without ulterior motive.
Suddenly when I read the article in The Creativity Post I thought, Yes! that's it right there. This is a concept I can run with.
The whole idea behind purposeful accident is that we do the work, the art, whatever it is, on purpose, with intent and focus.
Collaborate, share ideas, make stuff purely for the fun of it, without an end or a target in sight. Then watch what arises.
As Larry Robertson says in his article;
Creativity isn’t the result of a formula. Without a doubt, there are patterns…but these patterns, while incredibly valuable to understand, still require you to engage with them, experiment, and make them your own.
Robertson refers to Picasso's Cubism style of painting. As he rightly points out, and as I've written before, this style of painting came about by Picasso's purposeful play with ideas.
Picasso didn't set out to create cubism.
The Benefit Of Retrospection
It was only by critics and pundits analysing Picasso's style of painting did they actually see patterns and characteristics common to the range of works produced.
This is the same in music and in architecture and even in nature itself.
We can spend time looking at any series of creations in any field of endeavour and see patterns, group those patterns and give it a label. We are obsessed with categorisation.
It is important for creative people to stay grounded in the truth that creative endeavour does not have a purpose.
There is no reason for it, just like life has no reason.
Art, in all walks of life and in all its forms, is an expression of life and an expression of consciousness. Consciousness has no starting point and no end, it just is.
Therefore to create anything worthwhile we've got to allow ourselves the space without planning.
As I've written before, some of the most wonderful things I've experienced in my life have home about without any planning.
Is There A Destination?
Purposeful Accident comes about as the result of setting out on purpose and intent, but with no destination.
It is the result of following the creative intuition and urge to make stuff purely for the sake of it without ulterior motivation.
To me, there's no greater freedom that this.
This is how we are meant to be.
This Week's Articles
This week was a challenging week for me creatively.
I felt frustrated and stuck. Quite the opposite feeling to that which I'd expect from working with clear and focused creative intent.
However, there's value in it. There's value in everything. Because without the difficult times there's no knowing the great times.
Therefore it's all good.
Here's what I was writing about this week;
Monday – Being Comfortable Outside The Machine
Tuesday – Who’s In Charge Here?
Wednesday – Unproductive Days Are Shit
Thursday – Setting Your Anchor
Friday – Time To Hit The Reset Button
Saturday – The Man Who Didn’t Come Home
Sunday – You're reading it.
Until next week!
-Larry
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