Chaos in Creativity and the Power of Anarchy in Life

Chaos in Creativity and the Power of Anarchy in Life

bySimon Brushfield5 Comments

This article has power

It could improve your life dramatically

By changing the way you think

Because India has changed me

Here we go

Creating original art, there are times when order quickly turns to chaos

When an imbalance occurs, anarchy reigns

Chaos breaks out regularly when creating an original painting

For an abstract artist, disorder is a familiar scenario, just like Asia

In fact, since living in India, I have grown comfortable in confusion

Point 1. Chaos is confusing, but its vital for creativity

Chaos reins in Simons art studio during 2007 in Sydney, Australia

The creative process is wildly unstable

So is India

Paint drips, colours smudge, paint splatters on walls, the floor, it gets in your hair and everything gets very messy

In the middle of a painting, I often lose myself

Chaos breaks out

The direction of an original abstract painting is unpredictable

So is living in India

Point 2. Chaos is important because it instigates change

And healthy change signals progress

Like creating an original painting, we can lose direction very easily

People become confused and overwhelmed

Especially for foreigners in a crazy country like India

Not knowing what to do next

Crowded by mental or physical disorder

Chaos

People get stuck in messy situations, just like an artists studio

But from the wilderness, we eventually find a new and exciting direction

Amidst an unpredictable mess, the best artists find an intriguing mystery

A divine attraction

Random beauty

Point 3. Top original art promotes order arising from disorder

An original painting follows a direction of its own

Especially abstract art

The artist is simply a facilitator

1n 2004, the Sydney Opera House painting below, appeared from the chaos of a messy art studio

Creativity travels through confusion into clarity

Hopefully, achieving a perfect natural order

A mysterious balance, where logic and rationality become largely irrelevant

Beauty paramount

Sydney Harbour Sunrise by Simon Brushfield (2004) Acrylic & Oil on canvas 1m x 1m (Sold: Private Acquisition)

Living in India feels entirely chaotic

Sometimes lacking in meaning and purpose

But a little creative thinking, some patience and playfulness things can quickly turn around

A beautiful picture forms amidst the anarchy

Heres what Ive learnt

Point 4. Chaos is a natural part of life

Throughout the history of man, civilisations have endeavoured to control nature

But nature finds its own unique way to exert authority

Often by natural disasters

Chaos erupts

Flood. Volcano. Tsunami. Typhoon. Earthquake. Bushfire. They all create disorder

Highlighting the fragility of human beings established order over the untamed elements of life

Chaos by Simon Brushfield (2001) Acrylic & Mixed media on canvas 1.4m x 1.8m (Sold: Private Acquisition)

Miracles are born from chaos

New opportunities arise from the messiness of life

For example, after severe bushfires in Australia, new plant life appears incredibly quickly

New ways of thinking and creative expression are discovered amidst anarchy

RocknRoll is a perfect example

Point 5. Innovation often arises from initial confusion and uncertainty

Nature illustrates the point perfectly

This is amazing

Chaos theory is a mathematic principle discovered by Edward Lorenz in 1960

In simple terms, it explains that complex unpredictable results will have powerful creative effects elsewhere

A famous example is a butterfly flapping its wings in China, can effect weather patterns in New York

Below is one example of chaos theory, in visual terms, using fractals

Its beautiful

Natures original art

Fractals creative commons image from BloggS74.com

The mathematical computations that create these fractal images are endless

Point 6. Ironically, chaos is incredibly important to an orderly universe

Fractals contain a chaotic mathematical complexity beyond what the human mind can conceive

The fractal images above clearly illustrate one thing

Within chaos, there also exists an infinitely beautiful unexplainable natural mathematic order

Chaos is unavoidable

We need to embrace uncertainty

Particularly in a foreign country like India

Because heres the importance of the matter for artists