Through Us

The gift of our creativity is poured through us. It does not come from us. We are not its source in any sense. This is the main point about creativity. Whether, for instance, it comes to us in a flash or over a period of time through the skill developed through practice is quite beside the point.

I have experienced flashes, but most of my work is developed through the mounting steps of one thing morphing into another. Like Thomas Jefferson, I have found that my luck is better when I work hard. I can have a period of gestation, but my designs don’t get off the ground until I actually put my hands on the wood. That’s when I find out how silly my ideas are in the language of the materials.

In my view, it is a mistake to see how deeply designs impact us (or are impacted by us) and decide that that indicates these designs come from us. Also, how active or passive our role is in the processing of these designs means nothing as to their source.

Design finds its beginning in a relationship that unites mind, body and spirit. This is the deepest blessing of creativity. The piece you are seeing today is a simple, scaled down version of a coffee table.

I substituted the maple legs and bottom shelf for cherry ones.

The leg design was from another one.

The table is 20”x30”x16”

and sells for $350.00.

It features a cherry rose inlay.

Joe