Week 6

Last Week:

I reflected on my first walk through the Creative Process, and Creativity as a whole and chose a more granular subject to pursue the Creative Process through.

This week:

This week I have been considering what Medium I might work through to express an Aspect of my Subject – Downy Woodpeckers. I’ve been trying to figure out which Aspect, and what Medium.

“There is a tension of timing between a Question and an Answer, you could start with either, or both – in this instance I’m starting with neither – which has been particularly challenging”

Considering the ‘Woodpecker and Egg’ of Creative Problem-Solving

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Learning Aspects of the Downy Woodpecker

As I’ve been looking at Downy Woodpeckers, a number of Aspects have caught my attention.

Downy Woodpeckers often flock with smaller birds in the winter such as Chickadees and Nuthatches. This means that the group of Birds that I’ve been seeing in the yard this season intentionally live in this same place together.

Downy Woodpeckers will respond to Chickadee and Nuthatch calls to swarm a predator and scare it off, but will not call out themselves during the encounter. This behavior is interesting because Downy Woodpeckers are the largest of the species flocking together, but are the smallest of local woodpeckers. This tendency suggests that they collaborate with similar smaller birds and provide ‘Silent Cover‘ when they encounter a predator.

I’ve also learned that Downy Woodpeckers form monogamous pairs late in winter. So far, I believe that I’ve seen 2 – 4 different Downy Woodpeckers so I am curious to see what happens in the breeding season.

Downy Woodpeckers also grow special feathers at the base of their beak designed to keep debris away from their face when excavating.

All of these Functional and Behavioral Aspects of Downy Woodpeckers are interesting to me and could be Expressed through a Creative Medium.

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Problem Solving & Intent

My first trip through the Creative Process led me to a Creation that I was generally happy with – a Painting of a Junco on a Canvas.

That said, I didn’t enter into the Process with a Problem in mind, nor a specific intent for Creative Outcome – just a Subject and a Medium (Birds & Paint).

When I first read about Creativity I took note of, but ultimately moved past a common prompt – “What Problem are you Solving“.

Problem comes from Middle English meaning “a question raised for inquiry, consideration, or solution“.

Creative Output is often driven by an Intention to Answer a Question.

Intent is also from Middle English meaning “having the mind, attention, or will concentrated on something or some end or purpose“

These additional Aspects to Creativity raise a conundrum, where you have to consider the Question (Problem) and then concentrate to find an Answer (Solution) at the same time.

There is challenge for harmony between the two, similar to my prior meditation on blending Aspects of a Subject with a Medium used to Express them.

There is also a tension of timing between a Question and an Answer, you could start with either, or both – in this instance I’m starting with neither – which has been particularly challenging.

The Problem with Downy Woodpeckers?

Frankly, I haven’t been able to reconcile the different Aspects of Downy Woodpeckers to Answer a Question through a Medium with Intent.

For example, I could explore the engineering applications of the Downy Woodpeckers feathers that protect it’s face from debris during excavation.

I could apply the acoustic elements of their territorial ‘drumming‘ to an auditory medium.

All of these applications of Aspect to Medium are intriguing, but they don’t incorporate Intent, or purpose for Creation.

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What Next?

Frankly, I’m a little disappointed with my progress in producing a Creation related to Downy Woodpeckers – I’ve been unable to commit to a Creative Output.

This week, I will engage in some Brainstorming sessions to try to better structure my approach to generating ideas and I will select a path forward from the options I’m able to come up with, regardless of my relative excitement.

Please share your thoughts on considering the Creative Process as “Answering a Question with Intent“.

Let me know if you think one of these Aspects of the Downy Woodpecker could be used to address a Question about something in a new way, or if you have an approach to Brainstorming that you think would be useful.

Otherwise, see you next week!