Just the Right Amount!
The Moon Man’s Field Guide to Being a Happy Creative #005:
Here in the good ol’ U.S. of A., we abide by the adage that “he who buys the most stuff wins.” Take for instance my neighbor Jim. Jim has three gorgeous jet skis parked out on his lawn. Sometimes I stare out the window longingly and wonder, “Why can’t I be like Jim!? Surely, if I accumulated more motorized water vehicles I could finally find that peace of mind I’ve been so desperately searching for, right?” Wrong!
What if I were to tell you that when it comes to creativity and life often less is more? You’d probably yell “hearsay!” as you speed away on your jet ski. But it’s true and I’ll prove it.
The Swedes have what I assume is a famous saying: "Lagom är bäst," which roughly translates to “Enough is just as good as a feast.” I say these tiny nordic furniture makers are on to something!
You can make it your goal to strive for a little “lagom” in every creative pursuit by adding “just the right amount”!
If you’re cooking a meal, you start with your base ingredients and season as needed. Everyone loves a little spice, but add too much and you’ll have a table of dinner guests with their eyes bulging out of their heads, like that scene at the end of Total Recall where their space helmets break and they’re breathing in the oxygenless atmosphere of Mars.
This “less is more” idea is precisely the approach that renowned children’s book author and drawing instructor, Ed Emberly, has used in his teachings since the 1960’s.
The Ed Emberly drawing method involves beginning with the simplest of shapes as base ingredients, and then adding in “just the right amount” of details to make the drawing work. Take a gander!
It’s a magic concept, that proves you can draw anything, if you slow down, assess what basic shapes are necessary, and then stop before you add too many superfluous details.
Not only is this philosophy effective for drawing frogs, but works for just about every creative pursuit. I use this principle in video production, but this could easily apply to graphic design projects, music production, gardening, tiny Nordic furniture making… you name it!
It’s an approach so simple, Jim could do it, if he ever stopped doing majestic back flips on those beautiful jet skis of his.
Now that you understand the idea, you can begin to apply this principle of “lagom” or “just the right amount” to not only your creative endeavors, but to all aspects of your life! Just remember–start with your basic shapes, then only add in enough detail as necessary.
Here are three actions you can take today:
Declutter your creative work space by identifying what basic ingredients you need to do your job. What kind of excess details (tools, papers, food wrappers) are lying around at the periphery of your vision, stealing away bits of your attention. Use the power of subtractive thinking to eliminate those things from your visual field.
I believe it was Albert Einstein who said, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” I’m not a fan of nerdy brainiacs, but wow, that’s some great advice on home/office decor!
Take stock of what you own. Appreciate it. Max out it’s usefulness before you add that hot new item to your internet shopping cart. “But, gosh darnit, Jim’s so cool! and those jet skis are on sale!!!” Woah, easy there fella’. Take a breath. Relax. Your kids will think you’re cool, too, when you bust out those floaty noodle things from the dollar store the next time you’re at the lake.
Like a soulless accountant, audit which relationships in your life are important, and which are not. For instance, Mr. muffins, your pet hamster, is cute, but also very needy. Give Mr. muffins a little nuzzle and a “thank you” as you release him into the wild.
It’s clear that you can start using Ed Emberly’s “just the right amount” approach to life anywhere and everywhere.
Don’t be like Jim who keeps adding more and more jet skis to the front lawn. Jim will never be satisfied and is likely slowly dying inside as he carves awesome figure eights through the waves, sunlight beaming off his curly mane.
Take a look around at the people and things around you and you just might find you already have everything you need!
*A Note from Wild Moon Productions owner Ryan Taggart
How does applying the “Just the Right Amount” principle help you in your creative business?
This idea of finding the “sweet spot” in terms of detail is central to all creative pursuits. Sometimes creativity means adding additional ingredients to make your creative project work, but often it’s about subtracting things, and this is so often the avenue we disregard. Our brain’s natural inclination is to want more, more, more.
Wild Moon Productions’ focus is the moving image. Video is about storytelling and delivering a clear message directed towards a client’s customers. To do this I’m often working with the client to amass a lot of initial ideas, a lot of raw footage, and then distilling all that down in editing to find the core message.
If that “sweet spot” is hit, it means the message is delivered clearly to the client’s customer, deepening engagement and increasing the likelihood that the story sticks, and the customer takes action.
Storytelling needs to be simple and clear and this remains my aim with every client project.