Editorial Is it possible to learn how to be more creative? By encouraging people to loosen up and calm down can you increase the number of ideas that they come up with? It’s to do with the state of mind some people need to be in to allow ideas to flow.

In the cognitive science of consciousness, there is a lot of inter-

est in what people call the ‘fringe of the mind’, an idea started

by William James, the father of psychology, who in 1890

wrote about the ‘reinstatement of the vague’ - the ability to be

interested in ideas that are not yet fully formed. Creative people

have a more intimate relationship with the fringes of their mind,

and consequently are able to catch the gleam of an idea as it

flashes across the corner of their consciousness.*

Empathy is not a word that leaps out and grabs you, it’s not a domineering word, or demanding

of a particular methodology. According to the dictionary definition empathy is; the ability to identify

with and understand another person’s feelings or difficulties, or more particular to this article, the

transfer of your own feelings and emotions to an object such as a painting, or a piece of design.

But what possible role can empathy have in your creative process? Sometimes you can spend

ages trying to put your finger on an idea, or possibly the question which will pinpoint the exact

answer to a creative problem. Empathy at some level and with some aspect of the product or

service needs to be entered into. There comes a point at which you have to enter a phase of

openness about the subject before you can put ideas down on paper.

For some designers this comes at the research stage where

entering into a phase of collecting and collating information

opens your eyes and mind to new information and visual

experience. During brainstorming there needs to be a level of

detachment and vagueness for exiting and innovative connec-

tions to be made. And then during the finished artwork stage

you have to be leave room for ambiguity, just enough to take

risks with your technique in order to give life to an idea.

And while the more creative people couldn’t do this to order

during tests, they intuitively knew when it was right to be

relaxed and open-minded and when it was time to be focused

and concentrated.

At some level we all empathise with something and find ourselves drawn towards types of

visual, and for that matter written language. We all have an innate starting point for our own

creative process and a sympathy with an approach, inherent to our particular background, and

nurture as artists, or designers.

Source magazine wants to help create that atmosphere, and provide a relaxed platform for

ideas to be consumed. A stress-free format, and no agenda, except for the joy of the visual. Sometimes good ideas are like that. They arrive when you least expect them.

*Guy Claxton - The Observer Sunday 22/09/2002

In a sense it is a bit elusive.

Steve Wilkin

Source: mpathy

cut enough corners and there you have it.

the wheel was the ultimate lazy idea

Empathy:re-instate the vague!

Is it

pos

sibl

e to

lear

n ho

w to

be

mor

e cr

eativ

e? B

y en

cour

agin

g pe

ople

to lo

osen

up

and

calm

do

wn

can

you

incr

ease

the

num

ber o

f ide

as th

at th

ey c

ome

up w

ith?

Itʼs t

o do

with

the

stat

e of

m

ind

som

e pe

ople

nee

d to

be

in to

allo

w id

eas t

o flo

w.

In th

e co

gniti

ve sc

ienc

e of

con

scio

usne

ss, t

here

is a

lot o

f int

eres

t in

wha

t peo

ple

call

the

ʻfrin

ge o

f the

min

dʼ, a

n id

ea st

arte

d by

Will

iam

Jam

es, t

he fa

ther

of p

sych

olog

y, w

ho in

189

0 w

rote

abo

ut th

e ʻr

eins

tate

men

t of t

he v

ague

- th

e ab

ility

to b

e in

tere

sted

in id

eas t

hat a

re n

ot

yet f

ully

form

ed. C

reat

ive

peop

le h

ave

a m

ore

intim

ate

rela

tions

hip

with

the

frin

ges o

f the

ir m

ind,

and

con

sequ

ently

are

abl

e to

cat

ch th

e gl

eam

of a

n id

ea a

s it fl

ashe

s acr

oss t

he c

orne

r of

thei

r con

scio

usne

ss.*

Empa

thy

is n

ot a

wor

d th

at le

aps o

ut a

nd g

rabs

you

, itʼs

not

a d

omin

eerin

g w

ord,

or d

eman

d-in

g of

a p

artic

ular

met

hodo

logy

. A

ccor

ding

to th

e di

ctio

nary

defi

nitio

n em

path

y is

; the

abi

lity

to id

entif

y w

ith a

nd u

nder

stan

d an

othe

r per

sonʼ

s fee

lings

or d

ifficu

lties

, or m

ore

parti

cula

r to

this

arti

cle,

the

trans

fer o

f you

r ow

n fe

elin

gs a

nd e

mot

ions

to a

n ob

ject

such

as a

pai

ntin

g, o

r a p

iece

of d

esig

n. In

a se

nse

it is

a

bit e

lusi

ve.

But

wha

t pos

sibl

e ro

le c

an e

mpa

thy

have

in y

our c

reat

ive

proc

ess?

Som

etim

es y

ou c

an sp

end

ages

tryi

ng to

put

you

r fing

er o

n an

idea

, or p

ossi

bly

the

ques

tion

whi

ch w

ill p

inpo

int t

he e

xact

an

swer

to a

cre

ativ

e pr

oble

m.

Empa

thy

at so

me

leve

l and

with

som

e as

pect

of t

he p

rodu

ct o

r ser

vice

nee

ds to

be

ente

red

into

. Th

ere

com

es a

poi

nt a

t whi

ch y

ou h

ave

to e

nter

a p

hase

of o

penn

ess a

bout

the

subj

ect b

efor

e yo

u ca

n pu

t ide

as d

own

on p

aper

.Fo

r som

e de

sign

ers t

his c

omes

at t

he re

sear

ch st

age

whe

re e

nter

ing

into

a p

hase

of c

olle

ctin

g an

d co

llatin

g in

form

atio

n op

ens y

our e

yes a

nd m

ind

to n

ew in

form

atio

n an

d vi

sual

exp

erie

nce.

D

urin

g br

ains

torm

ing

ther

e ne

eds t

o be

a le

vel o

f det

achm

ent a

nd v

ague

ness

for e

xitin

g an

d in

nova

tive

conn

ectio

ns to

be

mad

e. A

nd th

en d

urin

g th

e fin

ishe

d ar

twor

k st

age

you

have

to b

e le

ave

room

for a

mbi

guity

, jus

t eno

ugh

to ta

ke ri

sks w

ith y

our t

echn

ique

in o

rder

to g

ive

life

to

an id

ea.

And

whi

le th

e m

ore

crea

tive

peop

le c

ould

nʼt d

o th

is to

ord

er d

urin

g te

sts,

they

intu

itive

ly

knew

whe

n it

was

righ

t to

be re

laxe

d an

d op

en-m

inde

d an

d w

hen

it w

as ti

me

to b

e fo

cuse

d an

d co

ncen

trate

d.

At s

ome

leve

l we

all e

mpa

this

e w

ith so

met

hing

and

find

our

selv

es d

raw

n to

war

ds ty

pes o

f vi

sual

, and

for t

hat m

atte

r writ

ten

lang

uage

. We

all h

ave

an in

nate

star

ting

poin

t for

our

ow

n cr

eativ

e pr

oces

s and

a sy

mpa

thy

with

an

appr

oach

, inh

eren

t to

our p

artic

ular

bac

kgro

und,

and

nu

rture

as a

rtist

s, or

des

igne

rs.

Gra

phic

Des

igne

r Vau

ghn

Oliv

er o

f des

ign

com

pany

V23

is m

ost f

amou

s for

his

wor

k w

ith

4AD

reco

rd c

ompa

ny is

a m

aste

r of t

he v

ague

. His

col

labo

ratio

ns w

ith a

rtist

s, ph

otog

raph

ers,

and

calli

grap

her C

hris

Big

g ar

e w

orks

of a

mbi

guou

s gen

ius w

hich

are

abs

olut

ely

right

for

muc

h of

4A

D ʻs

eso

teric

cat

alog

ue. (

Imag

e)

He

ofte

n as

ks b

and

mem

bers

to b

ring

in o

bjec

ts to

wor

k fr

om –

the

plac

emen

t of t

hese

thin

gs

in th

e fin

al p

acka

ge is

nev

er e

xpla

ined

, the

y ar

e ju

st m

eant

to b

e th

ere.

The

vie

wer

is th

en

aske

d to

em

path

ise

with

the

imag

e of

cou

rse.

Sou

rce

mag

azin

e w

ants

to h

elp

crea

te th

at a

tmos

pher

e, a

nd p

rovi

de a

rela

xed

plat

form

for i

deas

to b

e co

nsum

ed. A

stre

ss-f

ree

form

at, a

nd n

o ag

enda

, exc

ept f

or th

e jo

y of

th

e vi

sual

.

Som

etim

es g

ood

idea

s are

like

that

. The

y ar

rive

whe

n yo

u le

ast e

xpec

t the

m.

*Guy Claxton The Observer Sunday September 22, 2002

anonimity

proximity

The

imag

e ab

ove

was

sen

t to

us fr

om A

ustra

lia b

y ex

-gra

duat

e - P

aul C

ritch

ley.

Cur

rent

ley

wor

king

in S

ydne

y, P

aul,

a G

raph

ic d

esig

ner i

nfor

ms

us th

at th

e pi

ctur

e “w

as ta

ken

by a

Gre

enpe

ace

phot

ogra

phy

who

’s fr

iend

s W

ill &

Dav

e ha

d pa

inte

d th

e ‘N

o W

ar’ s

loga

n on

the

Ope

ra H

ouse

.

Paul

don

ated

a s

mal

l am

ount

for t

his

copy

of t

he s

hot,

whi

ch w

ent t

o he

lp p

ay o

ff th

eir $

150,

000

fine.

The

pric

e of

free

dom

is in

deed

hig

h....

......

......

......

......

......

.. qu

ite li

tera

lly.

“You don’t get much for 2 megs these days”.

empathy & environment.

Graphic Lines 1977

Opposite and above are some examples from issue number 3 of Graphic Lines, published in 1977 by the then Graphics Division - Preston Polytechnic. Edited by Duncan Glen issue three was constructed along the theme of letterforms, with contributions from staff, students and perit wis nis amconum ent elisim duip ex el utatum veliqui essed dolut diat.Im voluptat alissequis nostrud do-lorer ipit aute dionse velit, commy nos dolore dio duis aut aliquation verat. Ut lore minci tet, consenibh ea faccummy nullaoreet nullaor alis adiat autpat lam ip exerost

1.

3.

2 . 4.

5 .

6 .

7 .

foot

not

es

1. Front Cover Issue No.3 - designed by Brian Becker2. Designed by David Hockney3.4. ʻBlackmail themed brief - designed by Brian Becker5. Designed by George Hollingsworth6. Designed by Ben Casey7. Designed by Brett Leefe

Cause: “Empathy?”

Process:Serendipidity

ImaginationShamanistic divination

Conscious analysisSelection

Notebook extractsFound materialsVarious brushes

PensPencils

MarkersBlu tack

StreamlineIllustrator

PhotoshopIndesign

Digital CameraScanner

Art Spiegelman: In the shadow of no towers:Reviews:Asymmetrical warfare

foot

not

es

Senim nim at laortie tat dolum vel irit nonse vullaorero esenim ipsustie conum dolor suscili qua-metum nullum doloreetum iuscilis elenisit lore euisim zzriustrud et, consequi etue dolesto dEr iriusti-sim doloreet iriusto dolore min ute molorer ostincidunt lorpero dolore dolorperit auguera esequam ex eugait vullam, volore conse

d tat nonsecte tie corperit nis nostincIrilit praessi bla feuisit, consendio commy nulput alit er ad euipsus tionum iure minci blandre commodo consequatem iriliquis-Senim nim at laortie tat dolum vel irit nonse vullaorero esenim ipsustie conum dolor suscili qua-metum nullum doloreetum iuscilis elenisit lore euisim zzriustrud et, consequi etue dolesto dEr iriusti-sim doloreet iriusto dolore min ute molorer ostincidunt lorpero dolore dolorperit auguera esequam ex feuisit, cer ad euipsus tionum iure minci blandre quatem iriliquis.

Senim nim at laortie tat dolum vel irit nonse vullaorero esenim ipsustie conum dolor suscili qua-metum nullum doloreetum iuscilis elenisit lore euisim zzriustrud et, consequi etue dolesto dEr iriusti-sim doloreet iriusto dolore min ute molorer ostincidunt lorpero dolore dolorperit auguera esequam ex eugait vullam, volore consed tat nonsecte tie corperit nis nos-tincIrilit praessi bla feuisit, con-sendio comnulputmy nulput alit er ad euipsus tionum iure minci blandre commodo consequatem iriliquislore euisim zzriustrud et, consequi etue dolesto dEr iriusti

sim doloreet iriusto dolore min ute molorer ostincidunt lorpero dolore dolorperit auguenulputiriliquislore euisim zzriustrud et, consequi etue dolesto dEr iriustisim doloreet iriusto dolore min ute molorer ostincid.dol etue dolesto dorperit auguenulputiriliquislore euisim zzriustrud et, consequi etue dolesto d

nostincIrilit praessi bla feuisit, consendio commy nulput alit er ad euipsus tionum iure minci blandre commodo consequatem iriliquis-Senim nim at laortie tat dolum vel irit nonse vullaorero esenim ipsus-tie conum dolor suscili quametum nullum doloreetum iuscilis elenisit lore euisim zzriustrud et, consequi etue dolesto dEr iriusti

The free postcard featured below was picked up in Preston, Lan-cashire on 11.09.01, only hours after the momentous events in New York. Titled ʻcome fly with meʼ. The im-age of a jet plane on the New York skyline and the apparent abstract of twin towers in the background take on a certain portentous sig-nificance to the veiwer.

Although hard to reconcile it is the meaning we as the veiwer place upon the image, coupled with the uncanny timing of events.

Well it is a simple case of connec-tions, no matter how disperate

A Coincidence, a chance occur-rence of events, remarkable either for being simultaneous or for ap-parently being connected. OED

stone

wall

Object analysis: outsider artwork:skrimshaw:Battersbyʼs the man.

foot

not

es

Welcome to the first evcer and probably last edition of at nulpu-tat, con ute et landrem nostie mincilit lamcomm odolorperos augiat veliqui smolor autpat. Ecte feugait nos nisl iriliquatin velit alis exero dolorer ostrud magna faci estie facip ea feu feui tate magna facidui eum vulla ad tie do odionsectet, sed dunt lorpera esequat.

Ut vulputat at am, commy non esto consequat, sendip et nisl irit at. Im vulluptatem zzrilis mol-oreetue modolore feummoloreet nim iusto odolore dolore mod er sequatue magnibh erit la commy nosting eugue dunt atie exeros nonsequatem volendrem volor sis nulluptatue modiam zzrit wisim eugiamcorem dit iure dunt aut ing exercillaore magniat. Iriusto consectet, se del ut ad tet, sequisci blan exero cortis adiam-commy nonsequi erostrud tisi.Min eraesse quiscilit ad tio odiam in utat. Andiamet lum am irilisl do-lorper adion ea augait vel utpat..

Pur

chas

ed a

t Rob

in H

ood

s b

ay -

Whi

tby

Nor

th Y

orks

hire

. Med

ium

Sen

ior

Ser

vice

Cig

aret

te p

acke

ts

Welcome to the first evcer and probably last edition of at nulpu-tat, con ute et landrem nostie mincilit lamcomm odolorperos augiat veliqui smolor autpat. Ecte feugait nos nisl iriliquatin velit alis exero dolorer ostrud magna faci estie facip ea feu feui tate magna facidui eum vulla ad tie do odionsectet, sed dunt lorpera esequat.

Ut vulputat at am, commy non esto consequat, sendip et nisl irit at. Im vulluptatem zzrilis mol-oreetue modolore feummoloreet nim iusto odolore dolore mod er sequatue magnibh erit la commy nosting eugue dunt atie exeros nonsequatem volendrem volor sis nulluptatue modiam zzrit wisim eugiamcorem dit iure dunt aut ing exercillaore magniat. Iriusto consectet, se del ut ad tet, sequisci blan exero cortis adiam-commy nonsequi erostrud tisi.Min eraesse quiscilit ad tio odiam in utat. Andiamet lum am irilisl do-lorper adion ea augait vel utpat..

Introduction to the article

to the first evcer and probably last edition of at nulputat, con ute et landrem nostie mincilit lam-comm odolorperos augiat veliqui smolor autpat. Ecte feugait nos nisl iriliquatin velit alis exero dolor-er ostrud magna faci estie facip ea feu feui tate magna facidui eum vulla ad tie do odionsectet, sed dunt lorpera esequat.

Ut vulputat at am, commy non esto consequat, sendip et nisl irit at. Im vulluptatem zzrilis mol-oreetue modolore feummoloreet nim iusto odolore dolore mod er sequatue magnibh erit la commy nosting eugue dunt atie exeros nonsequatem volendrem volor sis nulluptatue modiam zzrit wisim eugiamcorem dit iure dunt aut ing exercillaore magniat. Iriusto consectet, se del ut ad tet, sequisci blan exero cortis adiam-commy nonsequi erostrud tisi.Min eraesse quiscilit ad tio odiam in utat. Andiamet lum am irilisl do-lorper adion ea augait vel utpat..

Nostionsed dolortie ex elit vel et, core dionsequi tat adipsum at praesti onsequa mconum exerat wisl ullum vel euisl et acipsum nim eugait nullum nonsecte magnissenim acillaor sis augait aciduisim ilisl er sed eum irit dion vel iriure faccumsandit lan ut ipmet, veril ulla faccum volobore consequi tat.