Good morning!
Its time for another blog holiday I think..... now that the ARKA Project is completed. A few ends needed tying up over the past couple of days and hey presto another idea has been born, happened and now lives in memory. Like a good holiday I guess.
The ideas are always plentiful and easy in some ways - the realisation always sheer effort and hard work as well as wonderful at times too. Like giving birth really.
Its great to see something that existed only in the mind become materialised in the physical here and now. That's theatre making, well any art of course, and indeed anything that requires making or executing, which after all is pretty much everything!
So I am going to retreat now for a few days back into imagination - dreamer space. One of the ARKA volunteers asked me 'so what are you going to do next?' - well there are a lot of already half made ideas, invitations and a couple of concrete commissions, but I now need to spend time just recharging and renewing. This means a blog holiday into imagination. All this needs is a simple question 'what do I notice?' and some curiosity - and this applies to anything and everything. Ideas for new work emerge in the everyday, from brief conversations, radio programmes, images, books, other artists, friends. You name it.
There is material everywhere. But it needs time to enter the imagination and synthesise before being formulated into something that can be made concrete. Its what Disney calls 'Dreamer' space. Of course we all know about dreams, we talk often about them. Young people are encouraged to 'follow their dream', 'live the dream' etc; These phrases niggle slightly with me, as often they are disingenuous, well intentioned maybe, but at the same time there is a contradiction, a mixed message.Teachers and parents often chastise kids for daydreaming, or call them a 'dreamer' when they stare out of the window or don't appear to concentrate. ie conform - as if this is a failing.
What is missing generally in my view is a recognised space and time for dreaming. I think maybe there is an underlying fear that people will never get anything done if they dream! All a bit of a muddle really. Have a look at Disney's strategy from Strategies Of Genius Volume 1 by Robert Dilts where he goes into this in great depth.
Suffice it to say - whether you like the Disney Empire or its output or not- this strategy for creativity is simple and it works. I have used it assiduously for over ten years since I first came across it doing my NLP training and have mentioned it in a previous blog some months ago. The strategy can be applied to any creative project - and at your own speed, collectively or by yourself. Its helped me hugely in creating a scaffolding for imagining. Here's a bit about it.
Different Perspectives:
Triptych
To emphasise various perspectives, Disney used the three roles that were discussed simultaneously or consecutively. The following patterns of thought in this method are essential factors to achieve success:
Dreamers – a dreamer is not hindered by straightjacket-thinking but is creative and imaginative and sees limitless opportunities.
Realist – the realist looks at the practical possibilities to find out whether an idea is really feasible. The realist looks at aspects such as the available amount of means and time.
Critic – the critic does not the criticize the plans of the dreamer or the insight of the realist, but looks at a plan like an observer and filters out and removes all crucial mistakes
In Practice
To successfully apply the Disney strategy, three places must be reserved within the same room in which the role of ‘dreamer’, ‘realist’ and ‘critic’ can be assumed in turn. In large brainstorming sessions three separate rooms can be used in which the ‘dreamers’, ‘realists’ and ‘critics’ can discuss the ideas separately and consecutively. Subsequently, the work will continue in three phases.
Phase 2 – in this phase the possible ways to achieve the objective are looked at from the perspective of the ‘realist'. This concerns the ability of making a dream a reality. Limitations and possible risks should therefore not be seen as obstacles but as challenges.
Phase 3 – the ‘critic’s’ perspective will be used to represent how the end user will experience the plan or idea. Possible risks and gaps will be critically examined and changes and areas of improvement will be submitted.
The ideas are always plentiful and easy in some ways - the realisation always sheer effort and hard work as well as wonderful at times too. Like giving birth really.
Its great to see something that existed only in the mind become materialised in the physical here and now. That's theatre making, well any art of course, and indeed anything that requires making or executing, which after all is pretty much everything!
There is material everywhere. But it needs time to enter the imagination and synthesise before being formulated into something that can be made concrete. Its what Disney calls 'Dreamer' space. Of course we all know about dreams, we talk often about them. Young people are encouraged to 'follow their dream', 'live the dream' etc; These phrases niggle slightly with me, as often they are disingenuous, well intentioned maybe, but at the same time there is a contradiction, a mixed message.Teachers and parents often chastise kids for daydreaming, or call them a 'dreamer' when they stare out of the window or don't appear to concentrate. ie conform - as if this is a failing. What is missing generally in my view is a recognised space and time for dreaming. I think maybe there is an underlying fear that people will never get anything done if they dream! All a bit of a muddle really. Have a look at Disney's strategy from Strategies Of Genius Volume 1 by Robert Dilts where he goes into this in great depth.
Suffice it to say - whether you like the Disney Empire or its output or not- this strategy for creativity is simple and it works. I have used it assiduously for over ten years since I first came across it doing my NLP training and have mentioned it in a previous blog some months ago. The strategy can be applied to any creative project - and at your own speed, collectively or by yourself. Its helped me hugely in creating a scaffolding for imagining. Here's a bit about it.
Different Perspectives:
Disney was a master at converting fantasies into reality. His most important starting point was to look at something from different perspectives and include all these ideas in his final conclusion. Whenever he had an idea for a film, he did not only think about how the film would come across on the screen, he also examined ways to produce the film. Then he would put himself in the critical shoes of the audience and adapt the film. Finally, the film was ready for the public. The assessment from multiple perspectives complemented each other well and resulted in a blockbuster.
Triptych
To emphasise various perspectives, Disney used the three roles that were discussed simultaneously or consecutively. The following patterns of thought in this method are essential factors to achieve success:
Dreamers – a dreamer is not hindered by straightjacket-thinking but is creative and imaginative and sees limitless opportunities.Realist – the realist looks at the practical possibilities to find out whether an idea is really feasible. The realist looks at aspects such as the available amount of means and time.
Critic – the critic does not the criticize the plans of the dreamer or the insight of the realist, but looks at a plan like an observer and filters out and removes all crucial mistakes
In Practice
To successfully apply the Disney strategy, three places must be reserved within the same room in which the role of ‘dreamer’, ‘realist’ and ‘critic’ can be assumed in turn. In large brainstorming sessions three separate rooms can be used in which the ‘dreamers’, ‘realists’ and ‘critics’ can discuss the ideas separately and consecutively. Subsequently, the work will continue in three phases.
Phase 1 – the objectives are looked at from the perspective of the ‘dreamer’. The creative and visual thoughts that come up should not be hindered by reality and possible risks. It is all about brainstorming power and the quantity of all the ideas that have been submitted. Lone working on this is also equally as important as brainstorming. (There is a current assumption that creativity happens best in groups - a thought that any solo artist or thinker will largely counter)
Phase 2 – in this phase the possible ways to achieve the objective are looked at from the perspective of the ‘realist'. This concerns the ability of making a dream a reality. Limitations and possible risks should therefore not be seen as obstacles but as challenges.
Phase 3 – the ‘critic’s’ perspective will be used to represent how the end user will experience the plan or idea. Possible risks and gaps will be critically examined and changes and areas of improvement will be submitted.
So as I come out of a period of making and implementing, its time to go back into dreamer and imagining for Jasmine Street. Time to get off the train for a bit for the next few days.
So see you next week... sometime.
Have a great bank holiday if you are in the UK and if not - well have a great weekend!
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