I agree with Steven Johnson to a certain extent. It is true that ideas can often take time to develop and mature. However, it does not mean that it has to be a passive process, quite the contrary. There are many ways to generate ideas from mind mapping to experimenting with techniques to see what happens. It is not always possible to wait for an idea to evolve as there might be deadlines to answer a brief and it is therefore important to develop tools to both generate and develop ideas.
When time is not an issue, it is often helpful to take some distance from an idea and come back to it to see if it still works and what can be added to make it better. I find activities such as going for a walk very helpful as it can take the pressure off and I often notice that I can think of something new or a different way to approach an initial idea. However, the opposite can be true. Sometimes I can reach a better outcome by sitting down and developing ideas through sketching, mind mapping and researching until I am happy with the result.
I find that the quotes in the coursework resonate with me. Like Ros (OCA Textiles, Level 1), I also “start with an idea and a plan”. However, I usually have to readjust one or both as I go along. Initially, I did not welcome a change of plan but I have learned that it is better to be flexible and adapt to the challenges of a brief and the opportunities that can arise during the process.
I think that Steven Johnson’s ideas apply to other disciplines but, at the same time, every discipline has its constraints and potential. An inventor might have one idea in their life (e.g. the invention of Facebook) and this will define their entire career. Depending on the work they do, an illustrator might have to create illustrations for a client with very tight deadlines on a regular basis. As mentioned above, there can still be opportunities to take a break and take some distance from an idea but the options can be more limited.
I have also noticed that I might create an illustration for an exercise and get a better idea at a later stage once I have had time to reflect. It does not mean that it is too late. As Kate (OCA Photography, Level 1) mentions “work find its own way somewhere else and that’s ok”. That is why I find sketching without any outcome in mind so interesting.
Collaboration can be important to creativity. As Steven Johnson explains in the film, ideas can bounce around and improve every time someone in the team adds a different element. However, it also depends on the discipline and people. Some people find it easier to work on their own.
There is a global collaboration in a sense these days with the internet. There are many places on the web where people share their work, their knowledge, or discuss some subjects on a forum. It is like a big creative space where everyone can take inspiration and give back by sharing their work and their ideas.
If I had the opportunity to collaborate with someone from another field or discipline, I might like to collaborate with a writer. Creating illustrations is a way to tell stories and illustrating a text can be very rewarding. However some unexpected and interesting results could probably arise from the collaboration with someone from a different field. For example, Emmanuel Guibert (illustrator) collaborated with Didier Lefèvre (photographer) to create a book. Emmanuel Guibert explains how the drawings are there to give a voice to the photographer and how they contribute to fill a gap between the photos (https://www.dupuis.com/seriebd/le-photographe/570). In a sense, it might not seem like an obvious collaboration since we tend to think that we would choose between illustration or photography to illustrate something. However, this book demonstrates that both disciplines show a different aspect of reality and can therefore be complementary.
Taking an interest in other disciplines is an opportunity to discover new ways of thinking and is a constant source of inspiration.
Catherine Roux Degree in Illustration 