Chandelier Project
This is an artist page by Brianna Jackson. Brianna was a resident during the CATS+ Spring 2025 cohort.
During my CATS+ residency, I implemented the following creative process to bring me to my final Chandelier Project. Chandelier Project is an ongoing online archive of documentary film and interviews intended to compile lineages of work in various industries essential to the global economy.
Finding Creative Inspiration IRL
Get into character
When entering a creative mind-state, remove yourself from your comfort zone. To be creative is to experience something new. Therefore, if it feels familiar, go the other way. Some things that can assist with this are metaphorically or literally donning a mask or costume, experimenting with props, etc. Whatever the method, the best first step to having new ideas is breaking your routine thought process.
Choose a structure, then decide how closely you follow it
A body without bones is just a meat puppet. You do not want your work to flop lifelessly without direction (or maybe you do). To avoid this, it helps to build up ideas around something, anything, so long as it’s something. Here are some easy ways to give your ideas volume and definition:
Ask “Why?” 5 times
In the 5 Whys method, you identify a problem or something worth questioning, ask “Why?”, answer, and continue to ask “Why?” based on each preceding answer, at least five times. By the end of it, you will either be down an informational rabbit hole, or you may have discovered something else to ask “Why?” five times about.
Draw a map
Mind maps are a way to sift through overwhelming introspective chatter. Begin with the first thought that comes to mind, then create a web of key points and their associations.
Freytag’s Pyramid
Freytag’s pyramid is an old but reliable method to construct a cohesive story. Adhering to or manipulating the points within this structure can ensure that you hit the critical components for your audience to take something away from your work.
Rip off the proverbial band-aid
It’s time to create, and the first step is getting started. At some point, you must exit the contemplative planning stage. It is more valuable to remain adaptable throughout your creative process than it is to be the perfect planner. Once you get started, you have momentum, and you should harness this momentum until you hit an indestructible obstacle.
Know when to quit
We are often taught that quitting is indicative of failure, but quitting can be allowing yourself to step back and reassess. Quitting can be acknowledging that you’ve reached a dead end. Does the project need to be abandoned, salvaged, or simply scaled down? You will benefit from the opportunity to pick up where you left off with a fresh set of eyes. Rinse and Repeat.
Conclusion
Now that I have a solid foundation for my project, I have entered the content collection phase. I am seeking interviewees and introductions to industries that I may not have considered. To access the growing archive for this work and the content suggestion submission form, go to https://scraplight.neocities.org/.
