In terms of new ideas and working projects, artists experience both green pastures, flowing with milk and honey and vast desert landscapes, dry as far as the eye can see. When the former prevails, a great peace envelopes the mind of the artist as he or she works through the ideas that lead to the generation of new work. Artists describe this period of time like a new relationship, full of exciting possibilities, hope, pleasure, and new discoveries. The process of working through this new body of work will naturally spawn new ideas and ways of seeing. The results are often far removed from the original ideas.
When the later, less desirable, of the two options arises, a feeling of loss and uncertainty will inevitably occur. What happens when we run out of ideas? How do we deal with these times of despair?
First and foremost, it is important to keep a journal of ideas. Get into the habit of carrying a journal with you at all times. However, it is what you write in your journal that makes the difference. During those prolific times, when ideas are flowing like an open faucet, you should be jotting down notes about the new discoveries and ideas as they come to you. Even if the notes are unrelated to a current project, write them down under "new work," or another title that makes sense to you. Later, upon the completion of your current project, you will be able to refer back to the notes you have made, then proceed to start the process all over again as you begin working on the new projects that arise from the pages of your journal.
However, there may still come a time when ideas are hard to come by and you begin to feel the despair that comes with the lack of new material. Take heed, the following observations will render new ideas and spawn creativity.
Top of Mind
In an effort to engage your mind in the process of coming up with new ideas and solving problems, you need to keep the topic at hand top of mind. Have you ever noticed that great moments of brilliance often come just as you fall asleep? The reason for this has to do with your state of mind as your begin to drift off. During this time you are less inhibited by doubt and uncertainty, leaving you free to think outside of your own distractions. The information you "load" your mind with prior to going to bed has the ability to shape, not only that moment of brilliance as you begin to fall asleep, but also the dreams you have that evening.
Just before going to bed, spend some time this evening reading up on some of the topics that interest you. Topics like bird migration patterns vs. human migration patterns, Physiognomy/Prenology, or something else. Do this for the next several nights until you feel satisfied with the results. Be sure to set your journal on your nightstand so that when your ideas start to flow you have a place to jot them down.
Thinking Beyond Yourself
How many times have you come up with an idea and in the very next moment you have already convinced yourself that you can not and should not carry it through? All too often, we, as artists, come up with ideas and solutions that we think are too obvious or too easy. We proceed to over-think our ideas and in the process begin to doubt whether we are capable of completing the task or of even coming up with original work.
Stop!
All great work has a starting place. Let your starting place be freedom of thought. If you let your doubts be the end of your ideas then you are never going to reach the highlight of completing great work or moments of new discovery.
READ!
Reading is an important element in teaching your mind to think. This act will also aid in the discovery of new ideas, especially if the books you read pertain to subjects you have an interest in. When coupled with the aforementioned "Top of Mind" technique you are bound to come up with ideas for new work and solutions to new projects. You can become very knowledgeable about a subject by reading just three quality books about the topic? Consider the reading as research for new ideas.
These techniques are useful and have provided me pages of notes and new discovers. Consider practicing them yourself until they become habits. Then post the outcomes her as new work in progress. I can't wait to see what transpires.
Next session the text of William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin
Creative Exploration and the Generation of Ideas
Science vs. Pseudo Science: Falsification vs. Clarification
Science requires the testing of theories through a control group and a test group. These tests are subjected to the scientific method which states that all test start with a question then proceed through the following steps: Do Background Research; Construct a Hypothesis; Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment; Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion; Communicate Your Results. These steps, when conducted properly, will reveal the validity of the hypothesis that have lead to the investigation of the subject matter.
Pseudoscience makes claims that similar test were conducted using a similar scientific method. Where they depart is when these test fail to render the desired results. Among the list of Pseudosciences are: astrology, palmistry, graphology, phrenology, spiritualism, ESP, UFOs, remote viewing, therapeutic touch, homeopathic remedies, precognition, numerology, fortune telling, psychic detectives, clairvoyance, kirlian photography, and physiognomy.
Often is the case where information is collected then transmitted in such a way as to cause the reading public to believe various falsifications. Artists have been doing this ever since the ability to record visual representation. In some of our oldest depictions of kings and other royalty, we see a commissioned portrait, a panting, of a Venetian sophisticate swathed in furs and toying with a statuette of Diane of Ephesus by a table strewn with antique gems and coins. This image represents cultivated self-indulgence and great wealth. We know this work by Lorenzo Lotto was commissioned by Andre Odoni (portrayed) with the aim of displaying Odoni's self worth.
Many photographers have received similar commissions with the aim of showing their subjects in the best of poses, under the most glorious circumstances, with the softest light possible. Perusing your local magazine rack you will discover exactly this case in point. While the cover of Esquire, Vogue, or Cosmopolitan reveals truly the perfect skin tone, and most glamorous attire, the cover of Star, The National Enquirer, and other tabloids displays quite the opposite.
Robert Maplethorp became famous after a gallery installation displaying his controversial installation was shut down. However, looking at much of the portraiture he did subsequent to the aforementioned controversy we see that many famous people commissioned him to take their portrait. His images, shot against a black backdrop, reveal smooth skin, glamorous poses and exceptional print quality. Each image highlights something of the character as portrayed through the gaze of Mapplethorpe's trained eye.
  
Science and Pseudoscience both attempt to communicate information to the society as a whole. While science has gained credibility for being absolute truth, who is to say that Pseudoscience has no place among our realities. Mass-media aims at garnering our attention, consider the levels of falsification at hand with any given image and set upon yourself the goal of discovering the context of each image; seeking greater clarification.
Physiognomy Defined: A picture is worth a thousand assumptions
there is surely a Physiognomy, which those experienced and Master Mendicants observe… For there are mystically in our faces certain Characters which carry in them the motto of our Souls, wherein he that cannot read A.B.C. may read our natures.
—Sir Thomas Browne (1605-1682) in Religio Medici.
Physiognomy is defined as the art of judging ones character through outward appearances, most notably the face. This form of character analysis has come in and out of favor since its inception prior to the middle ages. It makes claims that such traits as trustworthiness, social dominance and aggression can be determined and measured by the appearance of people's faces.
The ancient Greeks had realized this form of character analysis and heightened its popularity. Eventually though, physiognomy fell out of favor as a result of its misuse by vagabonds and swindlers looking to turn a profit.
However, it seems physiognomy has gaining popularity once again. In a recent study published by Justin Carré and Cheryl McCormic of Brock University in Ontario, Canada they found that by looking at a man's face one can determine his predisposition to aggression. Through their research they determined that aggressiveness is predictable from the ratio between the width of a person's face and it's height. They concluded that the cause of this seems to be exposure to testosterone, which is also known to make people aggressive.
A written portrait of Samuel Johnson, by James Boswell
Smokes tobacco; fears madness; benevolent; fond of dress: has suit of sea-green and sliver; another of scarlet and gold; makes toothpicks; fond of billiards but thinks them blackguard; given to matrimonial schemes; schemes; strong feeling of family; vain; likes to wash his feet in warm water; likes to sing; has a good ear; can't resist anything laughable' has an excellent memory; is a monarchist; treasures romantic associations' indolent; things he was badly educated; kind to servants; plays the flute; honest and good natured; fickle in love; fond of money; likes to sleep with his head high; given to whims of regularity; has great difficulty in rising' a man of strict probity; likes novelty only in matters of imagination' subject to low spirits; allows himself three hours each evening for amusement; eats too much; gloomy, peevish, splenetic; sits seven hours at cards; happier in vice than virtue; has sad dreams; represses thoughts of whoring; awakes thinking he is dying.
In the words of Ben Maddow the author of Faces, A Narrative History of the Portrait in Photography, "Just as two points determine a line, three a plane, and four a solid, so with five or more points of character we begin to imagine a human being."
We can ascertain a lot about Samuel Johnson and nearly as much about the author by reading the detailed description of his character. A portrait of the face reveals much the same insight. One way to think about how much value in recognition we place on our perception of the face is to think about someone you know but have not seen, whether in person or in picture. A radio talk-show host for example; when listening to their voice come over the radio we connect some visual qualities to this person that resemble a portrait in our minds. This helps to form a connection to the host. If we agree with the message they are transmitting to the masses, our tendency is to associate qualities we consider respectable, beautiful, and proper. If we disagree with their message, we will assign unfavorable visual qualities to their portrait, describing them as ugly, aggressive, and possibly grotesque.
Another example of our natural tendency to form a relationship through facial recognition are the countless and centuries old depictions of God, Christ and the angelic figures of Heaven. Due to our need for connection and therefore recognition we now associate Christ as a long-haired, youthful, fair-skinned, strong, slender, and handsome young man.
The portrait speaks volumes about the person it depicts, greater still are our assumption about that person. The color and texture of their skin, the shape of their smile (or the lack thereof), the color of their eyes, the clothes they wear, or the look on their face all communicate to the viewer various levels of connotative messages.
Many of these messages are shaped by our preconceived notions of race, gender, age, and beauty. Physiognomy aims at ascribing a scientific formula to each of the aforementioned qualities in such as way as to determine ones trustworthiness, aggressiveness, and social dominance.
. . . since through the eyes the heart is seen in the face . . .
—Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1533
