Arranging as a Subtractive Process
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Arranging as a Subtractive Process
With the extra layers removed, you may stand back and notice that the work is successful as it is, in its simplest form. Or you may feel that you want to restore certain elements. As long as you’re maintaining the integrity of the work, it’s a matter of personal preference.
Rick Rubin • The Creative Act: A Way of Being
Tharp calls her approach “the box.” Every time she begins a new project, she takes out a foldable file box and labels it with the name of the project,
Tiago Forte • Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential
Nietzsche burned early drafts. Michelangelo destroyed sketches. Leonardo left thousands of pages unfinished. The act of deletion is not a failure of recordkeeping. It is a reassertion of agency.
In design, we speak of subtraction as refinement. A sculptor chips away everything that is not the figure. A musician cuts a line that clutters the melody.... See more
In design, we speak of subtraction as refinement. A sculptor chips away everything that is not the figure. A musician cuts a line that clutters the melody.... See more
Joan Westenberg • I Deleted My Second Brain
If there’s any question as to whether an element serves the piece, it’s probably a good idea to let it go. Some artists get superstitious about removing aspects of a work, as if it will make the project evaporate before their eyes. So it’s worth remembering that anything taken away can always be put back later, if needed.
Rick Rubin • The Creative Act: A Way of Being
Pro tip: the Now + Would Like To bucket should be empty.