Welcome to J.Merton Creative Lab!
Over the years, I've accumulated a variety of interests. I've been trying to distill these into some sort of creative business. The problem is that the ideas would never get going because they were never fully formed.
Then I thought, what if I started with a creative business where the very nature is developing ideas?: a sort of skunkworks. I would share the development process. I'm a believer that things tend to happen from the boldness of just moving forward with intention.
How it would work is I get up every day and ask myself, what should I do next? What am I interested in? What makes me curious? Then I'd share it. I work best when I have a collaborator, and by sharing with others, they become a part of that process.
Leonardo Da Vinci
I recently read Walter Isaacson's book on Leonardo da Vinci. I take inspiration from his depiction of da Vinci. He kept lots of Notebooks about his curiosities and discoveries. He would often start things and not finish them. His curiosity was insatiable. I'm using da Vinci's mindset as a basis for my process. Let curiosity be the guide!
The Boat Maker and the Sea
I heard a fitting parable about the creative process in the story of a boatmaker and the sea. Imagine back in human history when the first human looked out at the sea and wondered how to sail. They see a floating log and jump on and paddle out. It easily tips over, so they come back to the shore and hollow it out. Then try again. It's better but still wobbly. So, they return to the shore and make adjustments. With each cycle, they eventually add oars, rudders, and sails.
There are two creators of the boat. Who are they? The first is the boat maker, and the second is the sea. It's only through sailing that they know how best to design the boat. It would be difficult to imagine a fully formed boat just by staring out at the sea from the shore.
It's in that spirit that I move forward. You're welcome to come aboard!
Creative Approach and Site Structure
I divided the site into Areas of Interest. Within each area, there is an About page that gives an overview of that area, a Notebook (in the spirit of da Vinci), and an area where I share the current Work in progress.
