Why I shred: The creative power of destruction
- Text by Rudy O'Brien
Cara Mills was staring down a deadline when a flash of inspiration struck. With her art degree at London’s Central Saint Martin’s coming to an end, pressure was building to let people see her work – the first significant opportunity for any young artist.
The only problem was that Cara’s imagination teemed with ideas. She’d dart between creative avenues: getting excited by some, growing bored with others, but never quite sure which one to pursue and which one to leave behind.
So instead of committing to one idea half-heartedly, she decided to make a work of art about the entire process: an artist’s journey between thinking and making.
After documenting every idea she had, Cara fed them all into a giant machine which methodically rated and then shredded each one – spitting them out like a shower of snowflakes.
The five-foot pile of plans that amassed at her feet effectively democratised Cara’s creativity. Reduced to little pieces, all ideas had become equal: the good and the bad, the practical and the unfeasible, the polished and the incomplete.
“I feel like I’ve created an ecosystem where I’ve turned my digital ideas into something tangible, which are then put back onto the online platform for other artists to be inspired by,” says Cara.
The shredding machine is a form of auto-destructive art: drawing from the concept that something can be destructive as well as creative.
At a time when our attention spans are being bombarded, when even a fertile imagination can feel overwhelmed or stumped, Cara’s work serves as a reminder that there are endless opportunities to hit the creative ‘reset’ button and start again.
Watch part 1 of Heightened Senses.
Canvas is a channel funded by the Arts Council dedicated to inspire young people through the arts. Find out more.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
The London passport picture studio that became an unexpected repository of 20th century stars
Passport Photo Service — From Mick and Bianca Jagger to Muhammad Ali and Poly Styrene, the unassuming Oxford Street store was frequented by hundreds of musicians, actors, artists and more over its 70 years of operation.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Sophie Green’s maximalist, technicolour vision of Britain’s fringes
Tangerine Dreams — The photographer has spent over a decade documenting the rituals, subcultures and social gatherings that form the collaged fabric of the UK’s society. A new exhibition at the Martin Parr Foundation celebrates her work and the communities she captures.
Written by: Roxana Diba
When the Chelsea Hotel was New York’s countercultural epicentre
Closed doors, open minds — Albert Scopin’s new photobook collects photographs that were once thought to be lost, documenting the city’s creative scene that gathered during the building’s 1969 to 1971 heyday.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Glasgow’s Calabash is the restaurant the African diaspora call home
Home Cooking — Having been open in the heart of the city for 15 years, the Kenyan rooted eatery has become a community staple for migrants and Scottish-born locals alike.
Written by: Lisa Maru
Andrea Modica’s 40 year long Italian Story
Storia — The Italian American photographer first ventured to her ancestral country in 1987, beginning a decades long exploration and documentation of it.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Exploring Bucovina, the last wild place in Europe
Noroc! — 70% of Romania’s northern provinces are covered in ancient woodland, with its people cultivating a close relationship with the land that stretches back millennia. Jack Burke forages, eats and drinks his way around the region.
Written by: Jack Burke
