Limitations and Creativity

My grandfather grew up in the Great Depression and the innovations he used to survive stayed with him and influenced me. He was an entrepreneur and an artist but he grew up in a vastly different world. He came to the US from Mexico as a child and had to drop out of school in the 4^th grade to work for the family. He began by selling tamales and eventually the family opened their own restaurant. He was highly intelligent even without traditional schooling. We didn’t always get along and there were many attitudes of his that I did not agree with, but I watched and learned.

As a kid I was fascinated with his inventions and I adapted this skill to improvise, utilize and expand my resources. One thing I remember was how he made use of jars and cans. He didn’t need a recycling bin, he reused everything. He would screw the lids of baby food jars to the underside of a wood shelf. In them he kept assorted screws and small nails. You could easily see what was in the jar and you simply unscrewed it from the lid and took out what was needed and screwed it back on. He had old cooking pans that held brushes, cans that were put together to hold rolls of tape, paper or other mysterious objects that lived beyond my child height reach. Everything found a new purpose after it was worn out from its original intent. He could make his own tools from broken or old ones; he would simply go modify something to create what he needed. His grinder was constantly in use. My courage and creativity were both inherited from him. It served me well when I embarked on my life alone at 17. I knew I could survive.

I took his ideas to heart as I adapted them to the environmental causes that I supported. When I was in my teens, I traveled around the country often finding myself working in unusual jobs like driving a pre-WW2 tractor, picking fruit on farms, working in restaurants and making up jobs as I went along. I made a goat milking stand according to the directions I found in a book I checked out from the library of the village in Colorado where I lived. The book was published in the late 1800’s which was perfect because I didn’t have electricity for power tools and the simple instructions were all that I needed. I would make some of my own clothes, built a solar shower, created furniture from recycled objects and tools for art making. Today they are called "life hacks" but back then it was survival. I even used recycled cardboard and scarves to insulate and decorate the walls of a cabin I was living in. I like to improvise, reinvent and repurpose things.

Limitations opens the door to creativity, just like structure creates freedom. In my art school years, I didn’t have money and I tapped into the spirit I inherited from my grandfather to source art supplies. I became known around campus as the leader of the dumpster squadron. They were doing remodeling near the art building and the dumpsters were a treasure trove of wires, boards, nails, papers and such. My fellow artists and I adapted them into our art. Today I have plenty of supplies, but I use an exercise to boost my creativity. I limit my resources.

I have watched my students struggle with the question of what to do next. When so many colors, tools and resources are available, analysis paralysis can set in. Set yourself up for success. Determine beforehand what you may create. What surface, size, palette, tools, collage elements. I know, I can hear you, but I am intuitive and I don’t want to set restrictions. Trust me and try it once. You don’t have to use exactly the palette you begin with, of course you can improvise, but when you find yourself getting stuck, stop. Look at your tools and especially collage materials. Limit those and limit your time. You will find greater freedom within the limitations because your imagination and creativity will fly and not be hindered by all the choices. My grandfather was wise. How do you improvise?

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