Creativity: On Harnessing Randomness

Open Thoughts after speaking with Mosh Balogun, Founder and Creative @ SOFT

Introduction:

The connection between Art and ideas is as old as time. Paintings and sculptures are not mere impersonations of objects. Instead, there’s a deep philosophical undertone confined in each work of Art.

After speaking with Mosh Balogun, Contemporary Creator @ SOFT, about his creative processes, I thought it would help me better understand his world by exploring the relationships and mechanisms that turn ideas into “Art”.

Why are ideas beautiful?

To many, it is because of our connection to them. When you think about a concept, you form a personal interpretation.

Your interpretation is built from your life experience, a meaningful association of other ideas, emotions, music, images. These possess the essence of the idea, which is now capable of evolving, as associations are tested and shared.

Your interpretation is a type of impression that is fleshed out by your subconscious and is a manifestation of you.

In a way, an idea can represent a prism to one’s self. Any idea is really a window to memories, aspirations, or a fantasy world confined only by our imagination.

These elements make us who we are. In the same way, you are a product of everything you experienced in your life so far; an idea is a set of snippets from the same experiences.

Ideas are intimate in this sense, a personal reflection of one’s ego.

But there is more to an idea than a mere reflection of the self.

Compressionism:

An idea is a collection of other ideas and personal experiences that can be shared.

When another person associates an idea with an experience that you identify with, there is a connection between them. Through this arbitrary event, you may discover a closeness to this person that strengthens your interactions. In other words, ideas can be a bridge to other people and other minds.

Mosh from SOFT explained his creative process and shared his thoughts on ‘Compressionism’, capturing a vast number of ideas and associations under an umbrella motif, unified by their narrative.

This complex web of ideas is the experience that he wants to offer to his audience. He wants to describe how the final motif came to be and what lies beneath. Films and shows like Dragon Ball Z, Star Wars, or Game of Thrones have a vast number of characters with backstories and subplots, but all “ideas” (characters, themes, plots etc.) point towards an underlying network through the main story.

Compressionism does this using a Triadic Formula:

The Formula:

Action — Reaction — Transcription

Action — refers to the initial trigger of the idea — the starting point of uncovering the general motif. It also acts as a guideline for the reaction.

Reaction — the response of the mind to the initial stimulus. It is the core brainstorming part of the process, with multiple layers of thoughts.

Transcription — to translate this development to the audience. This is where all the puzzle pieces come together.

Capturing these events and reproducing them is the core of SOFT’s brand. Of course, imperfections arise, like in every form of Art, and the transcription may not contain the power and nuances of the experience. But what matters, in this case, is keeping the essence alive.

This is a compelling artistic process. Mental associations are often involuntary, springing unclothed thoughts from the deep subconscious. Free from some social conditioning.

Executing Compressionism takes courage. In reality, being ourselves leaves us open to criticism and social ridicule, so stripping away the bias’ and norms we use to clothe our ideas is easier said than done. That being said, life beyond the illusion reveals a glimmer of hope through the Art we experience by those brave souls who dare to create.

SOFT’s and Mosh adopt this philosophy and aim to redefine what we mean by rediscovering a genuine experience. Devoid of anxiety, judgement, or standardization. Consequently, that ought to remind us of what is essential to artistic experiences.

Admittedly, I don’t know the answer to this one, but I feel it is close to Character(s).

Mosh uses this word to refer to the people working on clothes, props, and sets for the expositions, giving their personality, skills and minds to the creative process.

He wants them to be as close to the spotlight as possible since they give themselves to create the piece of Art.

If the people that transforming your ideas into Art aren’t engaging with you or the project, has the essence of creativity gone?

We know for sure that the final product will have severe shortcomings so I agree with the idea of putting your team in the spotlight is a sign of trust, confidence, and pride in a family-like dynamic that is crucial to the arts.

I still need to learn more about Art before claiming that these form the essence of genuine experiences.

Closing Thoughts:

I think there’s a great deal to be learnt from Mosh and his process of Compressionism.

Creativity is about approaching your fears and being strong but vulnerable.

With the help of a trusted community or network, ideas can materialize and draw inspiration from life experiences across the board.

Though what essentially comprises those experiences is still unknown…