Merry mistakes

For the last few weeks I have been working on a college design project to create a light - right from the very start I had a strong vision of using yarn in the project and what the final product would look like....but through the process of making the light, I uncovered several design issues that I just could not resolve. I didn't want to just give-up on this idea because I would somehow feel like I had failed, but I just could not see my way out. Chatting to my tutor, I realised that it's actually okay to come-up with ideas that don't work, but not to be knocked back by them and to keep going. "Creativity requires activity" (The Artists Way, Julia Cameron)...and sooner or later I will come-up with something that's pretty special. It's all part of the design process and being a designer.

So with this in mind, I'm going back to the drawing board to consider other ideas....this time with using paper as my main material. My tutor had suggested I take a look at the work of Lu Shengzhong, and boy am I glad she did....what a visual treat!

What I love most about his art, is that craft sits at the very core of it. From the ancient craft of paper-cutting - a small, delicate paper cut is transformed into incredibly elaborate and stunning sculptures and scenes. I think he's fast becoming a favourite of mine...

Another fabulous artist whose work I admire is Heath Nash, a South African whose innovative use of paper and other recycled products is truly inspirational. I love how he started exploring his creativity with just the most basic of materials: paper, glue, tape and staples, and was then able apply what he learnt through this process onto other materials. My favourite of all his work is his flower ball light.

The wire structure and every flower (all 240!) is entirely handcrafted...now that's what I call a labour of love! The results are simply stunning and I want one!

Reading his website, I was very encouraged by what he wrote: "Every ‘mistake’ I have made in the past was not a mistake at all, but rather a way to understand the making of things better. Through this understanding of creativity, I acknowledge the importance of my work-process as being almost more important than the end product itself in many ways". With this knowledge I'm more that happy to keep making mistakes if it means that I can use what I've learned to become a better designer one day!