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Where do the ideas come from?

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Roger Groom:
Hi All
I have read this string with great interest, and have been involved in similar discussions on this site in the past. However, I am still of the opinion that creativity, design and art, are things that you are born with. Either you have them or you dont. I should imagine that some part of our brain is favoured with these qualities, or not. Where I partially agree with Phillip, that one can learn design and creativity, how far can it be taken. I would compare it to music and painting. A lot of us at school learnt to play the recorder, piano or trombone etc, to a level where we could play "sur la pont, D'avignon, or chopsticks etc, but how many of us went on to play the 1812 overture, without music in front of us. Not many. How many learnt to paint by numbers etc and then went on to paint a Mona Lisa. Not many. (there was most probably a better subject here but hey ho). There are oviously, in my mind, different levels of creativity and design and not many of us will go on to create a real masterpiece, try as we will. However I do not think that any of us, interested in the arty side of turning. will give up trying. I just do not think for most of us it will happen. Happy days.
Roger G

thebowlerhattedturner:
Ahh Roger,
              it's not for the want of trying and I do see your point of view but I do believe that with guidance in directing trains of thought more can be achieved.As a tradesman all my life I have created (made) some interesting pieces and I don't want to blow my own trumpet or be self deprecating but some of them were very good according to the customers that purchased them but I have always been left with the feeling that design wise they could have been better. Or that the design was obvious. Look at the font that I made, a very nice piece but in my mind extremely obvious in design right down to the 12 crosses in the rim! I don't expect to make ground breaking pieces every day but I feel that I have a latent ability to do so but lack the tools mentally to work the design up, if you know what I mean. If I turned a bowl of any shape now and cut it up and reassembled it I would feel that I am trying to emulate ,I don't know,Marilyn Cambell for instance  and although I admire her work amongst others I do not want to be influenced by other's work but come up with something original of my own. I think this is one of the reasons why I have never had lessons from anyone as I do not want to be subconciously influenced,although I am always asking people how they do certain bits  and pieces but to me they are just technical questions. I am quite confident with my ability to copy other people's stuff and to me that is then just technical ability but where I seem to fall down is the thought behind the ideas. I think I am now beginning to repeat myself so I will stop here and if you are not clear about what I am on about then you are halfway to understanding my dilemma. ;D
Regards
John
BHT

woodndesign:
It is an interesting factor, how does any person come up with a unique idea or design, design, be it a building, vehicle, box for your cereals or a bottle, all fall under what that items purpose has to fulfill, it has guidelines which it has to comply with and more oftena size, ideas, think tanks and computer programs all come into play, has the design been done before, most have, how could it be altered, the case with next years model of car, detail changes/revamp so it's new ... but it still complies with regulations and use.

When it comes to creativity in design, it's a thing we are born with, it depends on us getting into the right side of our brain, some do this better than others, it is or can be just not thinking, let the mind go, a drawing as to what it is you wish to make, or straight from the wood as some call it letting the 'wood dictate' or it's as with any design, a development, constant change to the piece or the draw ideas, taken from something seen, no end of magazines pictures, buildings, views and not only turned work offer shapes to form ideas..  we come back to how are these translated into that unique an personal form,  practise develops and makes perfect, is it just that..   ??? ..

David

hughie:
Hmm, good question. I have a archive of bowls pics that have been collected from the net over several years. This includes sculptured bowls, segmented bowls etc and I flick thorugh it from time to time as away of firing up the grey matter of inspiration and it works quite well.

woodndesign:

 :D ..  Phil, excellent, down to earth and so true, we were educated along set lines and standards, we were however still lucky then to get woodwork, metalwork, technical drawing an not just art, there was also gardening ... I had been good at french, but by the 3rd yr had to give it up for science ..  :( ..

That looked to be TED 2006, what, if anything has happened since then.  From what I hear from my sister's children, it's a case of is it, Technical Design, design something simple (maybe a clock) working out marketing and selling it, without any creativity or creating it, most of that work is IT based to fill yet another shrinking market.

If we watch what are some of the excellent turners, who post excellent and unique designs, even we can still learn and broaden our ideas further, what's it ..  dogs an tricks ...   :-[ ..

David

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