Chaos in Creativity and the Power of Anarchy in Life

by Simon Brushfield 5 Comments

This article has power

It could improve your life dramatically
By changing the way you think
Because India has changed me
Here we go
Creating original art, there are times when order quickly turns to chaos
When an imbalance occurs, anarchy reigns
Chaos breaks out regularly when creating an original painting
For an abstract artist, disorder is a familiar scenario, just like Asia
In fact, since living in India, I have grown comfortable in confusion
Point 1. Chaos is confusing, but its vital for creativity

Chaos reins in Simons art studio during 2007 in Sydney, Australia

The creative process is wildly unstable

So is India
Paint drips, colours smudge, paint splatters on walls, the floor, it gets in your hair and everything gets very messy
In the middle of a painting, I often lose myself
Chaos breaks out
The direction of an original abstract painting is unpredictable
So is living in India
Point 2. Chaos is important because it instigates change
And healthy change signals progress
Like creating an original painting, we can lose direction very easily
People become confused and overwhelmed
Especially for foreigners in a crazy country like India
Not knowing what to do next
Crowded by mental or physical disorder
Chaos
People get stuck in messy situations, just like an artists studio
But from the wilderness, we eventually find a new and exciting direction
Amidst an unpredictable mess, the best artists find an intriguing mystery

A divine attraction
Random beauty
Point 3. Top original art promotes order arising from disorder
An original painting follows a direction of its own
Especially abstract art
The artist is simply a facilitator
1n 2004, the Sydney Opera House painting below, appeared from the chaos of a messy art studio
Creativity travels through confusion into clarity
Hopefully, achieving a perfect natural order
A mysterious balance, where logic and rationality become largely irrelevant
Beauty paramount

Sydney Harbour Sunrise by Simon Brushfield (2004) Acrylic & Oil on canvas 1m x 1m (Sold: Private Acquisition)

Living in India feels entirely chaotic

Sometimes lacking in meaning and purpose
But a little creative thinking, some patience and playfulness things can quickly turn around
A beautiful picture forms amidst the anarchy
Heres what Ive learnt
Point 4. Chaos is a natural part of life
Throughout the history of man, civilisations have endeavoured to control nature
But nature finds its own unique way to exert authority
Often by natural disasters
Chaos erupts
Flood. Volcano. Tsunami. Typhoon. Earthquake. Bushfire. They all create disorder
Highlighting the fragility of human beings established order over the untamed elements of life

Chaos by Simon Brushfield (2001) Acrylic & Mixed media on canvas 1.4m x 1.8m (Sold: Private Acquisition)

Miracles are born from chaos

New opportunities arise from the messiness of life
For example, after severe bushfires in Australia, new plant life appears incredibly quickly
New ways of thinking and creative expression are discovered amidst anarchy
RocknRoll is a perfect example
Point 5. Innovation often arises from initial confusion and uncertainty
Nature illustrates the point perfectly
This is amazing
Chaos theory is a mathematic principle discovered by Edward Lorenz in 1960
In simple terms, it explains that complex unpredictable results will have powerful creative effects elsewhere
A famous example is a butterfly flapping its wings in China, can effect weather patterns in New York
Below is one example of chaos theory, in visual terms, using fractals
Its beautiful
Natures original art

Fractals creative commons image from BloggS74.com

The mathematical computations that create these fractal images are endless
Point 6. Ironically, chaos is incredibly important to an orderly universe
Fractals contain a chaotic mathematical complexity beyond what the human mind can conceive
The fractal images above clearly illustrate one thing
Within chaos, there also exists an infinitely beautiful unexplainable natural mathematic order
Chaos is unavoidable
We need to embrace uncertainty
Particularly in a foreign country like India
Because heres the importance of the matter for artists