After I had so much fun arranging my 3 items (matches, forks, paperclips), I left them out for my husband with a note saying “make an arrangement with these three items.” It didn’t take long for his creation to appear. I found it so interesting how he went right to the 3d arrangement where mine were all flat and it didn’t even cross my mind to work 3 dimensionally! So cool!

Ok! So I literally just surprised myself... I had no idea how fun it would be to play around with just 3 found objects around the house--really--especially after being accustomed to working with 10-12 different types of materials at a time. I didn't think too much about my material selection. For me, I just wanted multiples of what ever it was. So I found 4 forks, a paperclip box with a handful of paperclips, and a matchbox full of matchsticks. And then some poster board that I could use as a white backdrop. Once I started, I could have just kept going! The more I tried, the more ideas I had-- or the more I just wanted to just try and see. So so fun! Can't wait to see what others come up with :) I named one design "Needle in the Haystack." 🤣 Do you know which one?!

Some things I found in my workroom.

There are many reasons to arrange materials. Here are some that keep coming to mind for me... ✦ You don't need a particular skill set. No drawing, painting, crafting, or artistic experience is required. ✦ You don't need step-by-step directions. There's no sequence to follow and no example you're trying to reproduce. ✦ You don't need a master plan. You don't have to know what you're making before you begin. One choice can simply lead the next. ✦ Nothing has to be permanent. Create something, photograph it if you'd like, then take it apart and begin again. ✦ There's no right or wrong. Move something. Remove it. Turn it over. Change your mind. Try something else. ✦ You can create without making a finished product. The experience of arranging can be enough. ✦ Meaning can come afterwards--if it comes at all. You don't have to begin with an intention or know what something represents. Arrange first. Meaning may emerge as you work or afterward--or it may simply remain an arrangement you enjoyed making. ✦ The same materials can evoke something different in each person. A material might bring up a thought, feeling, memory, association, or idea for one person--and something completely different for someone else. Meaning doesn't have to be built into the materials ahead of time. ✦ You get to work with your hands. Touching, placing, moving, stacking, layering, grouping, and rearranging are all a part of the experience. ✦ You can follow what interests you. A color, texture, shape, object, or unexpected combination can determine what happens next. ✦ You can discover something you didn't plan. An idea, a pattern, a new possibility--or simply a combination you enjoy. ✦ You can just play. Not everything needs a purpose or an outcome. Sometimes its interesting to just see what happens. What draws you to arranging materials? What would you add to the list?