Today is the
first day of classes, and as I sit here anticipating the first studio class of
the new academic year, I cannot help but reflect on my goals for this new group
of architectural design students that I am about to meet.
At the
beginning of the fall term, I often show a documentary video by Michael Apted
titled Inspirations. In this
documentary, Apted profiles 7 artists from various disciplines who each discuss
the creative process. At the end of film, each shares advice for creativity,
and one of my favorite quotes comes from David Bowie.
“If you feel safe in the
area you are working, then you are not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water
than you feel capable of. Go a little
bit out of your depth and when you don’t feel your feet quite touching the
bottom you’re just in the right place to do something exciting” David Bowie
I was thinking
about this quote recently as I completed a design competition entry at the end
of the summer. As I prepared an image
for the Chicago Architectural Club’s “Currencies of Architecture” competition,
I was reminded of the value of working outside of one’s comfort zone. This is not the type of design completion I
usually am attracted to. I prefer
competitions that have a limited scope, allowing me to design an architectural
object where I can get into the details and produce a well-developed,
conceptually sound, piece of architecture.
This particular competition is not that at all! Currencies of Architecture calls on
participants to produce a single image addressing the state of architecture today. What
does that even mean? This project is
highly conceptual and completely open ended in terms of the manner in which
participants can approach the design – which makes me a little bit more that
uncomfortable.
I was uneasy
about how to approach the work, and I am still creatively unsure about my own
submission. If you are interested, you can view the project here. The point of
this post, however, is not about my own work per se, but the value in
stretching limits. For me, this competition
was a reminder of the importance (and difficulty) of pushing our own creative
boundaries. There is incredible creative
value in stretching your own limits as a designer, but it is also REALLY hard
to do.
All of this
brings me back to the first day of studio, as I am about to assign a
conceptual, open ended project for my students to tackle. Part of my job, especially in a sophomore
studio, is to push students beyond their own preconceptions of what they think
Architecture is. I am supposed to encourage
my students to work outside of their own comfort zones. My job is to encourage my students to design ‘outside
of the box’, meaning that I want students to push themselves, explore, and
think about their own work as having new and exciting possibilities. And if / when
they struggle with this, I am newly reminded that this is also ok, as it is
just as difficult for me at times to push beyond my own comfort zone.
Most things
that are really worth pursuing in your creative career are difficult, and
therefore of value.
Good luck to
all who are beginning a new academic year…. and I am wearing my David Bowie
socks today for luck…
