If at first you don't succeed...
We've all heard this proverb before. How does it go? "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again".
In his book, "Think Like an Artist" (2015), BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz offers a different approach:
"If at first you don't succeed, don't try exactly the same thing again. You won't succeed, again. Instead, have a think, evaluate, correct, modify and then try again."
Gompertz is talking about creativity being an iterative process. But the point of the book is that creative thinking is not just for artists, but for all of us. Whether embarking on a new project, dealing with a difficult issue, or deciding our own future path, creative thinking can bring results.
He also tells us about Picasso's reductive process to distill the visual essence of a bull. With very little detail, the final picture is clearly recognisable as a bull. This shows us that "creativity isn't about making additions; it is about making subtractions", to hone, simplify and focus ideas.
This takes me to another creative mind, that of architect Thomas Heatherwick. In his Ted Talk, "Building the Seed Cathedral" (2011), he talks about a power station project in which his team had to identify all the essential elements for the plant, but find a more efficient way of putting them together. His approach to design is to focus not on what the thing is, but on how it works.
Gompertz tells us of the transformative power of the artist's chair:
"When artists sit down in their chairs they switch personas. They stop being the creator and turn into a critic. With the temperament of the most fastidious connoisseur, they look at what they have just created and evaluate their efforts. Their hyper-critical eyes scrutinise the work for insincerity, sloppiness and technical mistakes."
Whatever we are dealing with, we are seldom starting with a blank canvas. But we can reduce the issue to its essence, focus on the things that we absolutely need to make it work, and be self-critical.
And if at first we don't succeed..."have a think, evaluate, correct, modify and then try again".
