Wendell Castle / RIP
Wendell Castle passed away on January 20th.
He was a pioneer artist as craftsman -- or vice versa.
In 1996, Castle published “Adopted Rules of Thumb,” his personal guide to creativity, which quickly caught on among other artists; he updated it on the occasion of his 80th birthday in 2012.
THE ORIGINAL 10 ADOPTED RULES OF THUMB
- If you are in love with an idea, you are no judge of its beauty or value.
- It is difficult to see the whole picture when you are inside the frame.
- After learning the tricks of the trade, don’t think you know the trade.
- We hear and apprehend what we already know.
- The dog that stays on the porch will find no bones.
- Never state a problem to yourself in the same terms it was brought to you.
- If it’s offbeat or surprising it’s probably useful.
- If you do not expect the unexpected, you will not find it.
- Don’t get too serious.
- If you hit the bull’s-eye every time, the target is too near.
NEW ADOPTED RULES OF THUMB
- Distrust what comes easily.
- You have to stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything.
- Bring conflicting attitudes to bear on the same problem.
- We should never know for whom you’re designing.
- Always listen to the voice of eccentricity.
- The whole secret to designing a chair is applying the seat of your pants to the seat of the chair.
- The problem with taking life in your own hands is you have no one else to blame.
- If your mind is not baffled, your mind is not fully employed.
- Imagination, not reason, creates what is novel.
- Jumping to conclusions is not exercise.
- Keep knocking – eventually someone will look down to see who’s there.
Source: Craftsman Council