Creativity & Abstraction: Can Less Be More?
Lose the restraints and go wild! (Then wind it back in!)
Creativity isn’t only about adding – it’s also about removing. Many of the greatest designs, artworks, and stories are refined by taking away what isn’t necessary. In other words:
Knowing what to leave out is just as important as knowing what to put in.
Think about it:
Authors go through multiple rounds of edits - taking unnecessary words out, removing entire paragraphs. Everything is refined to provide the point in the most efficient way (of course, beautiful descriptive language is something that in my opinion should never be refined if it means losing anything of its beauty!)
Photographers decide what to keep in their shot and what to exclude at the time the shutter clicks (and software is available to be able to do this after the photo has been taken too of course!)
Graphic Designers work tirelessly to refine a design to what is truly essential, going through many iterations in the process.
Interior Designers will often add ‘more’ into a space, only to reassess and remove things if they don’t balance or add to the feel of the room. (Even Maximalists have an eye for what to add and what to take away - it’s a tricky balance to achieve.)
Artists who produce paintings often paint over the top of what they’ve previously done - drastically changing the painting in the process. This adds layers to the artwork and hands the control of what is ultimately viewed by the viewer to the artist - they decide what to keep in and what to take away.
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Go all in
When thinking of your own creativity, instead of starting simple, decide to go all in. Add everything – then start removing.
What is superfluous?
What is essential?
What remains?
Asking yourself these questions can result in something far from what you expected, but can really challenge your creativity in a positive way.
This Week’s Task:
Create without restraint - go wild. Go all in. No limits.
Then strip it back. Remove piece by piece until you find the essence.
Think of it as a time to play, experiment, and be free of restraints - both physically and mentally.
Enjoy it and see where it leads!
