Creativity can be a fickle thing that ebbs and flows. I have a degree in fine arts yet I’ve barely put brush to canvas since graduating university more than a decade ago. Tisk, tisk. So it’s in the spirit of New Years that I’ve resolved to think more creatively in 2013. I’m calling it a resolution because even for the artistically inclined, it can take a conscious effort to think outside the box.
Take the rather exhaustive book, How to be More Creative by David D. Edwards. The one-time architecture student firmly believed that it’s a skill to be honed and despite a multitude of eyes-glazing-over suggestions there are a few solid ideas buried within its pages. One of my favorites is that creativity “requires both fluency and flexibility in your thinking.” There’s a saying along these lines in the editorial world: “never be married to your ideas.” Come up with lots and lots of them and then be open to where the tides may take you.
To point, I’ve had this image of Mariacarla Boscono in my inspiration file for ages. There’s something very 1960’s about her stance and the Afro print is clearly reminiscent of giant polka dots. How does one get from here to the bathroom? The oversized floor decals are a pretty direct translation but keep going and you might come to Anna French, who does the most delicate small-scale polka dot wallpapers; or to Les Indiennes, whose hand-blocked Dot fabric comes in natural dyes like Indigo and Olive and would make the loveliest roman shades. Or perhaps your bathroom is awash in white and suddenly it seems a black pendant lamp would perfectly punch up the space. The idea is to pay attention when something catches your eye and then explore all the possible parallels. I hope this little exercise inspires you to think creatively in the coming year!
Monika, Editor, Design Notes
Photographs © Pierre Yovanovitch, Mario Testino/Vogue Italia, Zenza