From the course: Creative Exercises to Spark Original Thinking

Enhance everyday tasks

From the course: Creative Exercises to Spark Original Thinking

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Enhance everyday tasks

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- We're so busy all the time. It's natural to look for shortcuts. Quicker, more efficient ways to get things done. We opt to use a leaf blower instead of a rake, a food processor instead of a knife, or an electric pencil sharpener instead of an old-fashioned X-ACTO blade. We want our lives to be easier, to do things faster with seemingly less effort. I totally get it. I lean on these devices too. But, maybe in completing tasks like these so quickly, something is lost. I remember raking leaves as a kid into big piles. The sound of the rake on the grass and the smell of the sweet, wet, autumn leaves. Now, I hear the buzz of leaf blowers all over my neighborhood in the fall. No more rakes and very few piles to jump in. Just the smell of gasoline and bits of dirt and leaves blown into the air. (cat meowing) Sometimes, the beauty of a simple act is lost in our speed to accomplish it. For instance, lots of people use electric pencil sharpeners in the office or the studio. You stick a pencil in, and presto. It comes out nice and sharp. The same predictable tip every time. (sharpener grinding) I've got to admit. I'm not a big fan of the electric pencil sharpener. It may sound old-fashioned, but when I was in graduate school in New York, I learned to use a knife to sharpen my pencils. To do this, you have to pay attention. (gentle music) As soon as I start shaving tendrils of wood off a drawing pencil with a knife, I immediately smell the wood. I feel the texture of the lead. I hear the knife shape the tip in a way that intensifies my connection to my drawing tool. This heightens my inspiration. (gentle music) When I draw with an organic pencil tip like this, I feel like I have crafted my experience from the start. Even though it takes longer, connecting in this way to the tools of your trade will only elevate your outcomes.

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