Overcoming Mindsets...

We have to think outside the box in order to be original. Sometimes we need to deliberately think of ideas not actually linked to our projects, allowing us to think of new possibilities and approach our work from a different angle. If an artist approached their work in a similar way every time they started a new project, they would start to produce similar work also; this is known as habitual thinking. It is easy for a person to become stuck in this mindset, it is a safe way of producing average, predictable work that can be seen as restricting the artist's true capabilities. It is overcoming these mindsets that is the key to breaking out of such a mindset. An artist should challenge and take risk's in their work, and free themselves from assumptions. conventions and predictions. In order to free yourself from habitual thinking, we need to break our own rules. 

A perfect example of such an artist is the illustrator Nick Dewer. 

His humorous and almost ironic pieces of art are original, innovating and inspiring. He has clearly sat back and reviewed his options on how to make his work more interesting, and challenged the rules and regulations of art in today's society. By breaking such rules he has also free himself from conventions, assumptions, and developed a refreshing and creative way of looking at work with a new attitude. 

A part of overcoming ones mindset is sometimes about breaking rules and pushing boundaries, not just are own but social and moral boundaries. Pieces of work that do such things attract and crave attention. Controversial as they can be, work like this remains in everyone's mind. A prime example of an artist that takes risks is Francis Bacon. His painting of the 'screaming pope' as it is famously known has become a very controversial, religious topic still to this present day. Not only has he took a risk in the medium and style of the painting, he has took risk in what the painting means and the religious topic it is tackling. Because of this, it has become one of his most famous pieces of art. Standing out  is not such a bad thing.



Since studying Visual Communication I have myself tried to overcoming mindsets that I have developed throughout my education and tried to overcome my own assumptions and make that essential jump to a university standard of work. I like to use specific techniques to try and improve  my way of thinking; for example I like use mind maps. In doing so I reflect on my ideas already, which the majority of will be predictable  assumptions, and actually contract these ideas and use juxtapositions. Say I was to create an image of a dog playing with a ball, I would reverse these roles and have the ball playing with the dog. I also use this technique in my speciality, photography. I like to break the rules of photography, using interesting vantage points, breaking 'the rule of thirds' and taking risks on how my subject matter is perceived to an audience.