Creative Parameters

You may or may know that I published an art book last year called 40: the Biblical Story Interpreted by Joel Schoon-Tanis (shameless plug: you can buy it here…). It was a huge undertaking, and it has been fun telling people about what I discovered in the process.
 
Here’s a nugget that became clear to me during that process: creativity thrives with parameters – with boundaries – with limitations.  What?! Joel! What are you talking about?! That’s the OPPOSITE of creativity!
 
Here’s the deal.  My mind is always working (ask my wife Kathy about this and she will smile and laugh)… ALWAYS! When given limitless choices, it is almost like my mind can’t stop. There’s always another angle to explore. But given a few parameters, I can get to work and my creativity is free to roam.
 
With 40, it was limiting the work to a standard size with the text written in the same place each time. Those may not sound like huge parameters, but it allowed me to really play with that space and with the series; comparing and contrasting compositions and colors, and finding a rhythm not only in each individual piece, but also in the project as a whole.
 
I’ve been working on a few follow up paintings (call them “40-something”); ones that didn’t make the cut the first time (like a bonus Noah’s Ark), or new ideas from things I’ve learned since then (like the importance of the Ascension). These new ones have confirmed my nugget. For instance, as I explored the camel and the eye of the needle, I thought about the BIG PICTURE, and how the saying has to do with the real path to heaven. Take a peek in the background and see what I added. That would not have been there if not for a few parameters.