At the art studio where my daughter goes on weekends, there is an impressive balance between order and messiness. I think that this combination is important for cultivating creativity, while at the same time developing skills that can be realistically applied in real life.
I haveve recently read about it in Steven Johnson’s “Where Good Ideas Come From”. One of his main points is that you need to be organized, but only up to a certain point: “…write everything down, but keep your folders messy;..”
The environment of the art studio is a perfect example of this – you can see that the tools and materials are treated with respect, yet making mess is not only tolerated, but even encouraged to a certain extent. Seeing this all around makes me want to create mess art of my own.
