Evolving Design

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.
o 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.
o Eventually the subject(s) of the overall pattern emerges and can be seen. Seeing also
takes an open and playful mind.
o 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 kind 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.
o Indeed, sometimes the drawings that take the most faith and the longer time and
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, the shorter and less steep climbs.
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 revolution 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.