Notes on Work to Come

I’m excited-to-the-point-of-exploding to be working on a series of new projects that explore perception, specifically how the five senses link memory with creativity. The hypothesis is that our human senses allow us to connect involuntary memory with creativity.

The primary point of departure of my process is synesthesia, the condition where different senses intermingle, leading to people “seeing a sound” or “hearing a smell.” I was fascinated by how synesthetes such as Billy Joel, Vladimir Nabokov, Douglas Coupland, and Pharrell Williams seem to be able to channel their creativity a lot more easily than other individuals. I think that a reason for this is that the barrier to create metaphors is lower for them, and over time they are able to easily access their involuntary memory which is the resource of these metaphors. As a result, they are able to make creativity almost second nature.

More posts to come, but here is a general brief of what I want them to do:

What. Installations, books, media, toys, illustrations, speculative designs that involve playing, creating, and experiencing. These will mainly cover (1) what we remember, (2) how we perceive, and (3) what we can make or do.

Why. To look at the world with wonder, so that life will be more meaningful and joyful.

Who for. Everyone, but I would always try to look at them from the POV of two types of people I’ve found myself to enjoy talking to: children and strangers.

When/where. Projects may be site-specific, or, if they are objects, to be experienced in certain contexts. All outcomes are to be recorded online.

Who by. I will begin through personal explorations, then analyzing what they can mean. These will then be expanded to allow everyone to participate.

How. Projects will enhance a sense, subtract a sense, embody a sense, and get people to experience these.