When Ideas Take Shape
Inspiration comes in a flash, but then it takes refinement to often bring them to life. Somewhere I read that many great minds have stated this is how their ground breaking ideas and concepts come about.
Quite often, these flashes of insight come about when our analytical mind is in neutral and the lateral parts are left to play.
I recently read the book, "Stealing Fire - How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work" by Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal.
The book focuses on what is referred to as the "flow state", also referred to as being in the zone and the myriad of methods that people use to achieve it. It is defined as the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting loss in one's sense of space and time.
Stealing Fire documents how science and technology is now catching up with and validating what many people over millennia have known and experienced. We in our modern world are discovering how crucial it can be for success, whether that be applied to sport, military, business technological innovations, or simply leading a whole and cohesive life, especially after recovering from trauma.
While the book does initially start out being broad in its overview, I did find that the final few chapters sounded like Burning Man evangelism and somewhat culturally myopic. That however does not diminish the wealth of information in the preceding chapters.
A growing number of the world's movers and shakers have already stolen the fire of the Gods and using it to shape the world we live in. I can highly recommend the book for those who have the bent of futurologists or psychonauts.
The drawing at the top of the article is my latest work.
"When Ideas Take Shape", Leo Plaw, 34 x 24cm, pastel pencils on coloured paper 300 gsm
Leave a comment below, upvote and resteem if you like it.
More of my artwork can be found on my website. LeoPlaw.com
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Great job on that... I assume, black and white charcoal on gray paper. That's a classic!
Interesting book too, I been looking for another good read in m y life. Maybe I will check this out.
The book is well worth the read. You can also get the audio version. Fascinating to see where science is at these days regarding our awareness.
I have not read this book, but it sounds interesting.
I love how your figure in your drawing's imaginings have the feel of a cave painting or a puff of musical inspiration.
You can also order a PDF or audio book version of Stealing Fire. I'll be going over it again.
I wonder what he (the figure in the painting) is imaging. =)
Oh man, I like the random swirl of white to the right of this man's head here, as if his stream of consciousness is substantiating in a visual form. I appreciate your book review too. I'm familiar with the "Flow State," you're describing, and I imagine it'd be a good idea to examine the tools and techniques for accessing that mode of creative efficiency.
Cheers Cabe! As the Buddha said, "With out thoughts, we make the world."
The book is well worth the read.
Hello. Are you engaged in academic drawing? You are the first person on this platform, which I met, who draws from real life real people. I'm looking for like-minded artists. If you are interested in communication on art topics, please go to my blog. If you like the my work, we can exchange subscriptions, discuss and support the creativity of each other.
Hi Mary! The drawing forms the basis of my painting. There are couple of other artists on Steemit working like this.
@mayasky
@jameszenartist
and quite a number of other worthwhile artists.
Thank you, I will get acquainted!
I looked through the tag art and saw your work. Good work maestro!
Do you use professional models for posing?
Hello @mister-omortson and thank you!
I use what ever I can, models and photos.
You know... now I have some troubles with models. But I have true partner - my cat)))))
He is very patient, especially when it sleeps
As long as your cat doesn't sleep on your artwork. =)
I tryed to paint my youngest son. It's just impossible! He is constantly turning :-|
Then photograph him and work from that.
I liked your review, thank you, would be nice to read the book and I actually started to read the book called "Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, maybe you have heard about it...
Hi @balabastic! I haven't heard of that book. I'll look it up. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
What is great about these thoughts is that they do not only apply to art, but also to problem solving. You see, I'm a mathematician who happens to love to write poetry, and I tend to feel the same way when I get inspired both in my writing process as an artist and also in my problem solving: you've got to get creative. On the former, to get in touch with your humanistic side, on the latter, to solve in the best possible way the problem, even if it's a rational process. Though, both feelings are the same. At the end we are human beings: we all share those moments where we
Cheers from México!
I have also worked as a programmer, so I am also familiar with using the other side of my brain. To quote a programmer friend of mine, code is poetry. There is also an artform to well written code.
The Ancients saw no division between mathematics and the arts (Greece, Egypt, ect). They understood the intrinsic beauty in numbers as they represent the relationships of the world around us.
I am believer and practitioner of creative problem solving.
Greetings from Vienna!
as always, a wonderful job. Inspiration is a guest who is not always on the first call. Meanwhile, we must always work, we can not sit idle under the pretext that I'm not located. If you wait for the location and do not try to go towards it, then it's easy to fall into laziness and apathy. We must endure and believe, and inspiration will inevitably come to those who have managed to defeat their disapproval.
Inspiration comes only during work.
Indeed, inspiration comes when you least expect it, and when you are engaged. Dreams are good, but living out the dream is greater.
I love the white swirly bits :D And the guy looks...in the zone, strangely XD
Ahh the flow, occasionally it scares me because it's like a freaking rip and I can't get out, and sometimes I don't want to come out and usually end up with a headache from the sheer effort of not using the force of it to smite whoever pulled me out XD
I'll mentally catalogue the book in the ever-growing library of things I should read.
Cheers @ryivhnn!
Well you could always download the audio book and listen to that while you work. That's what I do. Otherwise I'd never get around to it.
I hear you on being disturbed when in the flow.
I'm not very good at passively listening to or watching things. I can have a conversation or sing (if you can call it that XD) along to music while working, but I can't sit and watch a movie (unless I'm ogling special effects or animation which is most of what I do these days, sometimes I get a bonus good story or interesting characters) or even a tv show or listen to a podcast or audiobook without either tuning out or getting annoyed with it for being on XD
I can't have things running in the background all of the time. I find that more often these days, that I do my best work in silence. This helps me focus.
Ah, poor you, not being able to enjoy films and videos these days because your personal professional critic starts complaining.
Mind you, I'm starting to look at all paintings more critically myself these days. But I'm usually looking at people with skills beyond mine, so it is entertaining because I'm analysing what they do to learn from them. A bit of industrial espionage. =)
Personal professional critic only gets on my case about my stuff. I can't sit and listen to things because I get too restless and find it hard to sit still XD
Maybe you need to stand to work. That will help calm your restlessness. It does wonders for me. Even if you are computer bound, standing to work has huge benefits. A friend of mine who is a programmer switched to standing to program in recent years to help with his posture and body. He prefers this now.
Need a cat XD I had a cat for the last 17 years and didn't have so many problems. All this stuff jumped in my face after she died. I do definitely need much better ergonomics x_x
Doing art isn't a problem, I can sit for ages because I'm moving my hands constantly. Watching a movie you just sit and watch, that's hard. Unless I have a cat or dog sprawled on me. Then it's easy.
So if you had a new cat, it would cat-a-pult you into a new era of creativity? Do you feel a bit cat-a-tonic at the moment? XD
This is pretty nice man! I love working on toned paper :)
..I also hear microdosing is really "in" around here ;)
Toned paper makes drawing much simpler and gives it greater impact.
Oh, who is doing micro doses around here? ;-)
Yes definitely! I remember watching my teacher draw on toned paper using charcoal, chalk, and various contes to feed into the illusion of color on the figure. It was simply mesmerizing to see!
Ha! I wish. I've been toying around with the idea for a very long time. I've been hearing nothing but great results from practicing it. The only doses I've had, had been nothing but timely, strategic, and full ;D
I have a stack of toned paper. I seem to prefer greys or sometimes blues. It works well in combination with the pencils I have.