What I call “evolving design” is an approach to creating art that does not start with a subject or any specific intent.  Instead, as I describe below, I simply draw within my esthetic* and solve design problems as they come up, one after the other.  And I keep drawing; and I wait.  I wait for the subject(s) to emerge.  Once I see it, now I am a more deliberate partner with source to fully recognize the subject and resolve its best presentation.

One of the keys to my evolving design is the continuous problem solving I do in the moment.  And importantly I do it within a spirit of play.

• I accept that I do not need to know what the drawing will be – that it will evolve on its own from the collection of the evolving design the playful problem-solving accumulating to reveal a whole pattern. 
• Eventually the subject(s) of the overall pattern emerges and can be seen.  Seeing also takes an open and playful mind. 
• Sometimes what can be seen is readily available and comes early in the process.  Often the paper is in the original orientation (“right” side up).  However sometimes the emergence is late and takes more evolving design and problem solving.  In these instances, I get a little anxious and I start turning the paper changing the orientation – because I have learned the subject can be in a different orientation from which I have drawn (a “wrong” side up). 

Additionally in some cases the drawing moves off the drawing paper and I have to add paper to draw into the direction the drawing is headed.  The scale can be bigger than the original paper; or said differently, I started the subject off to a side of the paper and it needs more space to evolve.  Again adding paper is part of the esthetic of solving the problems in a new and playful way, a going with the flow.  There is a great element of trust involved – a fundamental belief that the subject will resolve and emerge; and so in that faith and trust you keep going.  You Stay in the Game. 

• Indeed, sometimes the drawings that take the most faith and the longer time drawing (adding paper to emerge) are the most rewarding.  Rewarding in the sense that through perseverance – faith and play, the overall solution – the subject emerges.  You have the triumph of solving and winning the evolving design game.  And more importantly fulfilling your side of the contract with source to bring something new, and hopefully beautiful and true into the world.

We do not always want long steep climbs to reach our goals and sometimes that is what comes up.  Fortunately, sometimes the subject emerges early, a shorter and less steep climb. This framework I have written in was inspired by the premise of game playing and solving each problem within a whole focus and taking each problem of evolving design separately.  Overtime they add up and accumulate to the game winning solution.  This frame was inspired by the YouTube video: “The Game You Did Not Know You Were Playing” / “Modern Intuitionist” channel.

And I have also written about this from the spiritual aspect, that of partnering with source and letting source flow through me to draw the subject.  It is something I have deep reverence for and a deep gratitude for the grace of it. 

Both perspectives are true about the drawing process, it is spiritual and it is evolving design (game like).  And it is about a mindset of staying playful and open and experimental in each rotation of solving the design problem that emerges.  Letting the rotations take on their own life and larger pattern. 

Keeping faith in a larger divine creative force working with and through you.

*Esthetic: having a sense of the beautiful; characterized by a love of beauty.

Credo: Proceeding in the Good; Maintaining in the True; Returning in the Beautiful