Creativity Series

Over the years, I’ve been developing my own mental model for conceptualizing creative work and how to analyze them. Similar to how Aristotle’s four causes attempt to provide a mental model for a deeper understanding of some thing, this model for thinking about creative ventures strives to better understand creativity by describing it more clearly.

More posts will follow in explaining and challenging the ideas I’ll propose here. For now, an explanation of my mental model.

A Tripartite Model of Creativity

Three terms are commonly use to describe various creative works: art, craft, and design. I’ve never liked the ambiguity between “arts and crafts” or “art and design.” In my undergrad, where I focused on digital arts as fine art, I worked near and with designers a lot, as well as artists. When one of my artist peers claimed abstract are was more design than art to him, it got me thinking.

What do I think “art” is? What is “design?” What is a craft, or what does it mean to craft something?

Craft

Beginning with “craft,” in this model, the craft of a creative work is the technical “how-to” in making the work. In drawing, this means choosing the right material, e.g. graphite, charcoal, conte crayon, colored pencils, etc. That can also include shading techniques like blending, hatching, cross-hatching, pointillism, etc.

These are hands-on skills that anyone can learn technically.

This is not limited to 2d work like painting and drawing. It can describe 3d art like pottery or sculpting. How is clay shaped or scored to be combined? How is a mold made to cast into other materials? These are hands-on skills that anyone can learn technically.

Stretch the idea further. How do couples dance the Tango or salsa? How does an entrepreneur set up and start a new company? How do writers put words to paper (digital or analog)?

A creative work’s craft is all about how something is made.

Design

The “design” part of this model is about aesthetics. What makes a painting look good? What is it about a great logo that makes it so iconic? How is a musical piece composed to illicit an emotional response in the listener? What flavors of a culinary dish combine in just the right way to maximize each food’s flavor?

If craft answers, “how’s it made?”, then design answers, “what makes it appealing?”

Design should engage at least one, but ideally more, of the five senses. It is empirical in nature. People tend to use “design” to refer to visuals, but there’s no reason for such a restriction.

Art

Now the big one filled with the most contention. What is “art” in this model? Art is made when a creative work is imbued with meaning.

Art answers, “why was it made?” Alternatively, art enters the equation when nuances are added for very particular reasons. Art is the purpose behind a work that offers purpose and meaning.

Da Vinci’s Virtuvian Man is simply an anatomical study drawing done in pen and ink on water color paper (craft). Add to that the careful proportions and interesting placement of the overlapping arms and legs within the square and circle, and you have an interesting composition (design). However, once you consider the symbolism of circles and squares, you start to find deeper meaning (art).

This also means there are many creative works that would not qualify as art. The Hobby Lobby paint by numbers are excellent examples of crafts, because it instructs the painter on how to paint and what colors to use. There’s an inherent design to the original creator of the stencil, but the consumer who paints at home and hangs a nice, homemade painting in her kitchen has done neither art nor design.

Interestingly, this also means there may be a lot of art without a great focus on masterful craftsmanship. More examples of each will be explored in future posts exploring the merits and shortcomings.

Conclusion

I’ve been testing this tripartite model of creativity for a number of years on-and-off. So far, it’s held up to the passing scrutiny raised. With more serious investigation, I may find weaknesses or caveats that need addressed, but for now, it holds up.

tl:dr; in creative works, the “craft” is how something is made technically, the “design” is what makes it aesthetically appealing, and the “art” is why something was made.

What do you think? What variations of creativity can you think of that this model describes well? What examples fail? Let me know on social media.

Keep thinkin’, folks.