Structure and its role in creativity
Structure: something put together by arranging or connecting an array of parts.
: the arrangement of parts that give something its basic form.
One of the first principles in building a home is plumb, level, square. If these principles are followed throughout the building process, each step along the way will be easier and can be planned accordingly. If the individuals working on a construction site, follow a plan, understand mathematics, where to apply the correct formulas, the correct use of instruments to calculate said formulas, use the appropriate tools such as tape measures, levels, squares, and lasers, the building process will flow smoothly and results will be easily recognized in the output of the standing structure and the flow of the building timeline.
Every building structure rests on some form of foundation. Keeping with first principles in mind, one can surmise, as any good builder knows, the importance of a plumb, level, and square foundation. If any one of these axioms is out of whack, the builders will need to address the deficiency immediately or they will have to develop compensating strategies throughout the building process.
One example I remember vividly was a house I was building in Killington VT in the early 2000’s. The concrete company which poured the footings and foundation walls, arrived late in the afternoon towards the end of November. The weather in Vermont during the month of November can be unfavorable for pouring concrete especially when the sun sets. This particular evening there were bitter temperatures, strong winds and snow flurries. Needless to say the men struggled and the final pour was out of square, the walls were slightly out of level in spots and the top of the walls had gentle rolling waves like the wake created when rowing a canoe.
The first thing the framer checks before building is whether or not the foundation is plumb, level and square. This sets the groundwork for erecting the structure. In this example all three of the fundamentals were distorted. Aside from tearing all the concrete and starting over, a very costly proposition, the builder must develop a strategy for building the structure. For this situation the walls needed to be shaved level with a grinder, shims needed to be added to the walls, and in some areas the 2x6 wood plates needed to be hung over the edge of the concrete wall to maintain square corners. If done correctly the remainder of the structure can be constructed much easier. In effect we started over with a new structure. If the deficiency in the structure hadn’t been recognized, there would have to be compensating strategies all the way through the building process. This will slow down the process and has the potential to create frustrating and challenging conditions on the job site.
The bulk of society have no idea that there are structures operating in their lives that dictate how things occur for them. Most of these structures are unseen, but will often generate continual patterns. Observed from a greater perspective, one will notice two types of patterns: oscillating and advancing. An oscillating pattern is like a pendulum. Movement one way leads to movement another way. You can work hard to accomplish a goal, and may actually achieve it; only to have the story reversed, things head in the wrong direction, and you lose the success you created. While the particulars from tale to tale may differ, the common steps in the pattern are the same.
In the advancing pattern, once you accomplish a successful outcome, that success becomes the platform for future successes. Your success is maintainable, and forms the foundation for future successes.
In Robert Fritz book IDENTITY he states “The underlying structure of anything will determine its behavior.”
Looking at the example discussed previously regarding the house in Killington we can see that had we started building on a foundation which was out of plumb, level, and square, the existing structure would present challenges all the way to the rafters in the roof. We needed to start with a new structure. The same is true for our lives. If the underlying structures are in an oscillating, dysfunctional, pattern and you change the structure, you will be able to change the pattern. Becoming aware of the existing structures in our lives enables us to decide if a new structure needs to be built and the old structure abandoned.
What underlying structures in your life need realignment to create a stable foundation for growth?
