Constraints

My self-diagnosis led me to a psychological phenomenon called "Overchoice."  Specifically, the revelation came when I read this line:

"...too many approximately equally good options is mentally draining because each option must be weighed against alternatives to select the best one."

It's a top contender for my epitaph along with "Raisins: Why?"  This syndrome has plagued me for as long as I can remember, in art and in life.  It's the most obvious explanation for why I'm comforted by constraints and especially why I embrace them in my creative process. I don't want to understate it.  Imposing constraints is not a "fun" thing I do to challenge myself, it's NECESSARY to stop what could be endless decision loops and a lot of wasted time. 

At the risk of cracking opening a window and letting the neurosis out, I'll share a practical example.  Of the many sequential processes required to create my final work, one of them is working with CAD software.  If you're unfamiliar, where programs like Illustrator translate freeform shapes using a stylus or mouse to emulate traditional drawing, CAD programs are typically more engineering-focused and, as such, every line and shape can be created and manipulated by data alone.  In other words, if I want to create a line, instead of drawing it, I might simply direct the application to place the beginning of the line at a particular coordinate with a particular length, and at a particular angle.  All of this can be done by providing the numeric data and doesn't require drawing the line in a traditional sense with a stylus or a mouse.  Because properties like length, angle, and scale are so easily modified with just a change of numeric value, it takes very little time to explore different options. 

The ease is the curse.

Sure I wanted a three inch line, but I can't just leave it without exploring what it might look like a little shorter or a little longer.  Is that really the best angle?  Let's try ALL the angles to make sure.  Five holes?  Seven might look better.  Better try all variations of holes divisible by three.  It won't take long and then I'll be sure(narrator voice: "He'll never be sure.").  Maybe a quick check with no holes at all? 

Overchoice.

Acknowledging the problem is half the battle, but it's definitely the easier half.  To remedy runaway brain, I have to set self-imposed constraints in the form of numeric limits to the iterations I'll allow myself.  Three changes, choose the best, and move on.  At first, I really wanted just one more choice, but in time, what starts as is a deliberate constraint becomes a habit and eventually a mental "rule" that is just part of the process. 

These constraints are imposed in almost every aspect of my process, from initial sketching, to rivet patterns, to reworking finishes.  Without them there are just too many places I am vulnerable to creative idling for indefinite amounts of time exploring iteration after iteration. 

Deciding when a piece is finished is arguably one of the most difficult aspects of creating, but in my opinion, also the most critical.  It's certainly more important than whether a single feature was rotated 32 or 36 degrees.  Ultimately, imposing constraints are my way of maintaining a creative pace that gets me to the end of every project and on to new, raisin-free pursuits. 

​-K.L.