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Thinking inside the box.  Let me back up. An art blogger recently wrote a series of articles entitled Lessons from the Gym. My thoughts about gyms are uncomfortable, so I didn’t even give it a chance.  Second, metaphors for life lessons often make me cringe. 

Yet, here I am thinking about what I have learned from Sudoku…the square puzzle where you fill in the numbers. Almost every morning I find an excuse not to go to the gym.  But nearly every morning I work on the daily Sudoku found in the newspaper. And, nearly every morning, I am forced to think inside the box. The puzzle has rules and parameters.  But within these constraints, one can approach the solution in a number of ways. Solving a problem is creative. 

In the past, the first words that came to my mind about creativity were original, imaginative, fantasy, abstract, inspired, etc.  However, Sudoku has given me permission to think of creativity also as a personal way of working within the box.  In painting, one may have a model, a photo reference, or a landscape. A rectangular canvas, a view finder, and discerning eyes define the task.

How an individual approaches the artistic problem within these parameters is a reflection of his creativity. Each time I go to a drawing / painting session with a model, I marvel at how different each of us interprets the pose. The design, medium, and marks reflect the ongoing creative decisions necessary to produce a piece of art.

I approach a puzzle and a new painting systematically. A process reduces errors and anxiety. In both a painting and a Sudoku, I begin by establishing a concrete foundation…a loose sketch, easily placed numbers.  I gradually work toward the specific and the challenge.

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But, even with a system, I have never done a painting without making adjustments. Frequently I reassess the proportions. Sometimes, no matter how hard I try, I struggle with the eyes.  Likewise, I noticed that, in spite of an inspired start, I usually get stuck on the morning puzzle.

Then I step away for a while and come back. It is remarkable how often, upon my return to my painting or Sudoku, there is a break through. I think that in both creating and problem solving the brain works in mysterious ways. New connections, intuitions, and observations become apparent. This is where the ideas, nuances, and risks occur. 

Thinking inside the box forces creativity, offers an opportunity to gain competence, and provides ah ha moments.