on creating...

[spacebug]

In general, do you find that your ideas come first, and then you figure out the tools to realize them, or do your ideas come out of the capabilities of your tools?

Is one way better than another?

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/i_heart_to_____/]

I am almost always idea first, and it's a problem for me, because it's rare that I can really find the media (this is how it goes with music, anyway).
Sometimes I stick to the idea and work towards getting my hands on the media. Other times I have to change bits and pieces of the idea to make it work, or just let it sit while other things fall into place. I'm still grappling with how to get that kind of stuff done.
On the other hand, whenever I have just worked with whatever was in front of me (for example, when you are just playing in a band and writing on the spot, or doing anything like that) unexpectedly good things come from it. Maybe that's coz I'm not trying to control it as much. Still I think the process of conceiving of something out of nothing, of having ideas that come from nowhere, is good mental practice in general. Sometimes bits of those ideas get recycled in weird ways when there *is some sort of available media, and that's ok with me--at least something is getting made in that case.
This question is making me think too hard.
I miss you. How are you?