Artichoke Night School
At the recent Artichoke Night School held in Brisbane, four creatives reflected on their personal approach to the creative process.
There is something profoundly mysterious about the creative process. The source of inspiration continues to capture the attention of artists, corporations and scientists alike; what is it that allows people to create, and what defines the individual creative process? How can creativity be fostered daily in response to a brief, budget and timeframe?
Held in Brisbane, a recent Artichoke Night School session saw four creatives reflect on their personal approach to the creative process. The discussion spanned daily routines, inspiration, idea generation and problem solving.
Emma James and David Twohill co-direct the Brisbane architecture firm Twohill and James. Their creative partnership sees them leading projects independently, yet an informal collaborative process allows shared contribution and a common trajectory for the design process. Throughout all stages of the design, their process foregrounds what they call the “currency of architecture:” ideas.
From the first interaction with a client and site, Twohill and James seeks out project-defining ideas. These early project reflections are then given time to evolve, focus or drop away. James notes that the creative timeline is unpredictable, in so far as a good idea cannot be programmed. The process requires time for their subconscious to grapple with the problem, occasionally requiring the introduction of new parameters or perspectives to coerce an idea into being. With the establishment of an overarching design intent, Twohill and James adopt a “hierarchy of concern” to inform design decisions across subsequent project stages.
The outdoor dining room at their project Harvey’s Bar and Bistro, where pre-existing green space is not removed but rather displaced to elevated planters, is a potent example of a clearly defined idea manifesting in spatial planning and careful detailing alike.
Adele Winteridge, founder and director of interdisciplinary design practice Foolscap Studio, described a highly refined creative process, which places collaboration, research and analysis at its core. During early project establishment, Foolscap Studio often draws on the insights of client stakeholders and specialist collaborators to understand brand, positioning and brief. “Primary” and “sub” concepts are developed as a means to communicate the design intent and to subsequently shepherd the project through design, detailing and construction. The recently completed Foolscap Studio workspace both embodies and enables the studio’s creative process. The primary concept for the project, The Cloud, set an agenda for an agile workplace, an experimental social space and an environment for idea generation. Sub concepts promoted ideas of homeliness, hospitality and greenery. The resultant design positions work zones and meeting rooms around a generous kitchen and a flexible event space. A materials library and layout space promotes “making” during the design process, supporting the studio’s focus on technical innovation and collaboration with local suppliers and makers.
Brisbane-based architecture and interiors photographer Toby Scott offered an insight into the influences that shape his creative practice on a daily basis. Scott’s work is largely undertaken independently and it is this ability to influence a commission through to the edited end product that he cites as a source of great personal satisfaction. Of course, Scott’s process is not purely autonomous; scheduling and client briefing is critical in establishing site opportunities and limitations, while the site itself presents a stimulus for response. The success of Scott’s images lies in a self-evident ability to read and respond to architectural spaces, to grasp and represent an atmosphere and to imply modes of occupation.
In discussing his creative process, however, he identifies neither brief nor site as primary creative influences. Of most value to Scott are the indirect sources of inspiration, which offer a fresh perspective or renewed motivation: travel, cycling, food, coffee and podcasts.
A refreshing takeaway from the evening was the encouragement from all speakers to eschew comparison of creative output in favour of embracing the creative cultural context, drawing inspiration from both direct and indirect sources and pursuing disparate fields of interest and enquiry to prompt new perspectives. a
The Artichoke Night School series is presented by Artichoke magazine in partnership with Space Furniture. This Night School session was held at Space’s Brisbane showroom. Want to know about future Artichoke Night School events? Sign up at designspeaks.com.au