Two weeks ago, I had a wonderful comment from Liz in response to my post about using a ViewCatcher.

One Pear      ©2015 Elizabeth Fram

She said:

I used to do exactly this (use a view finder) with students, only we were writing. We’d tape the frame to the window (our cafeteria had the most spectacular view and room for the whole class) and describe what we each saw.. then share to see what came up. Usually very poetic.. a different type of “sketch”.

3 Pears    ©2015 Elizabeth Fram

What a great idea! It reminded me that, while perhaps counterintuitive, self-imposed limitations often lead to the best solutions by providing a fertile ground for creativity.  It’s a pretty wide world out there and we are constantly faced with an overload of choices as we decide what to make and how to make it. That sense of boundless options can be a huge stumbling block; lack of structure frequently makes it hard to know where to begin. Self-constraints, on the other hand, are a portal to moving above and beyond — toward what seemed impossible without them.

Single Shadow      ©2015 Elizabeth Fram

Lately I have been restricting my subject to Bosc pears (such expressive stems!), white foam core and strong light, leading to the discovery that those three elements provide endless possibilities!

Two Pears      ©2015 Elizabeth Fram

For some excellent examples of varying artforms supporting this theory of limitation, take a look at this great article from Buffer … and become inspired!

Thanks Liz!