by Jeanne Carey, Creative Spirit exhibiting artist
"In what larger ways will the limitations of these times trigger creative solutions and new ideas?"
I just painted a Jackson Pollack in my driveway with an old can of enamel paint that was in the closet of my house when I bought it. I showed a friend the painting and he said “ I like the colors.” I had to laugh. The paint color was selected by someone I never met who died 25 years ago. I found the can of paint because I was cleaning my closet. Because I was cleaning every closet. After all, I was sheltering-in-place for 10 weeks. I used the can of paint because it was there, and it didn’t involve going to a store. I painted a Pollack because it was assigned in an online MOMA class I’ve been dabbling in as I am stuck at home. Creating this painting was simple, spontaneous, rewarding, and all fun. It was a good reminder that limitations are not usually the impediment to creativity we think they are. In fact, they are more often the impetus.
"The problem isn’t just a problem, it is the thing that focuses the mind to innovate."
Design is problem solving. The problem isn’t just a problem, it is the thing that focuses the mind to innovate. I’ve heard the colorful, distinctive cut-out collage work Matisse developed near the end of his career was a direct result of a disability that prevented him from painting. And Django Reinhart’s unique musical style grew out of his inability to use two fingers badly burned in a fire.
"This pandemic is a time of great limitations and a time of great creative potential."
This pandemic is a time of great limitations and a time of great creative potential. It’s a time of bread baking, home made masks and children’s drawings taped to window panes. In what larger ways will the limitations of these times trigger creative solutions and new ideas?
