Instant Creativity

             Traditional Living Room by Thousand Oaks Interior Designers & Decorators The Old Painted Cottage

Have you noticed most of the popular design and food shows have become high stakes competitions? My husband and I have been watching Bravo's Top Chef recently, which is fascinating and frustrating at the same time. The show, and all the others like it, definitely says something about what we value in terms of artistry. If you can come up with something amazing really quickly under extreme pressure, you win. If you take your time, sorry-you lose. Please pack your knives and go. Take off your jacket, your show is cancelled. You will not be the next Master Chef, Design Star, American Idol, Food Network Star, Chopped Champion.  


God took seven days to create the world, but you better make an award winning plate of veal cheeks and sweetbreads in seven minutes. On an open campfire in the middle of the desert. 

Now don't get me wrong, I like those shows for entertainment purposes, and the people who win typically are very talented. But they lead us to believe that creativity and art are only good if they are produced instantly, or under pressure in high stakes situations.  It's no wonder so many people end up emotional wrecks on those shows as they make it farther and farther into the competition. It's just not natural. 

The reality is that even good chefs, painters, designers, architects, and musicians have to try, fail, edit, redo. They have to futz and mess until they get it the way they want. A potter making a pot on a wheel goes through a process of pounding, molding, shaping, cutting, removing, adding, smoothing, and refining. On TV, those "edits" will cost you the competition. 

Sometimes the creative process is easy, sometimes hard, and sometimes you just get stuck and need to take a break and come back to it later. Sometimes you try something, fail, and have to start again.

To my husband's dismay, my creative process involves moving furniture (and other things) around until I get it just the way I want. I plan my rooms on Pinterest and on the furniture store room planner. Then I set it up in real life and I hate it. So I change it. Then I move it again. Eventually though I get it the way I want. Sometimes I take a risk and it pays off, like the curtains I painted in my guest room. Sometimes I pick a paint color and put it on the wall only to realize it looks like the color of poop. When we move, I have to to try new combinations, sell some stuff, buy some new stuff. Put some stuff away till I figure out where to put it. Wait to save some money. 

TV shows give the impression that art should be instant. For most of us, we have to take risks, make some mistakes, and take our time. We may not be the next Design Star or Top Chef, but we'll eventually create something great!