One of the best books I've ever read about the creative process is "The Creative Habit" by Twyla Tharp. She is a professional dancer, yet the information she shares applies to all disciplines, and is truly inspiring. An element she says is essential to a creative work is its spine. Driven by the idea, the spine is both the starting point of a piece, as well as the North Star that guides it along its journey. Creative works branch out as they unfold, taking unexpected twists and turns. If those shifts, changes, and infinite possibilities cause the piece to fall entirely off course, getting back to the spine allows the work to become cohesive again. And it is a relief to the viewer, who wants to be taken to unexpected places, but by a guide who has not lost her own way.
I've had my eye on this model of the spine at the medical library for a few weeks now, and finally had a chance to sketch it.
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