A Bricoleur: The Mind of the Tinker

Oh-oh. I just found a new word. It's  nice to learn something new everyday. "Bricolage". I think it's a fancy, french word for "hoarder" or "do-it-yourselfer (DIY)". So I researched it out. Low Brow Art and High Brow Craft?

Internet Fair Use - Bricolage

bri·co·lage /brēkōˈläZH,ˌbrikə-/ noun
: something constructed or created from a diverse range of available things.
: origin : French "to tinker, to do odd jobs"

This hits close to home. That would make me a "bricoleur". Sounds better than "hoarder". New TV shows looking for a sensational perspective have iconized the hoarding concept. I am potentially a social pariah. Could there be a mental illness lurking in my near future? See my house over there....some poor "white trash" must live there. My eight-year-old, Itsy Bit, is a little more brazen..."Hey Dad, can you clean up this mess over here? It looks better when it's organized." As they say, out of the mouths of babes...there is much innocence and straightforward wisdom.

Maybe I can even make up my own word around this....I make things in my garage-workshop-gallery-studio, the "bricolagerie". Oh, no, no no. I found this later upon investigation...."L'atelier du bricoleur". Oh, yes, yes, that's much better.

Favorite activity on Saturdays....yard sales.  Favorite activity on Sundays....dumpster diving. The best dumpsters. I know where they are. I am so good at it that I can't even disclose my superfund, superfind sites. That's like a proprietary, trade secret.  Favorite recurring retirement dream...drive around with a pickup truck, roam the city sidewalks and alleys for stuff, and make "found item art" in my garage-workshop-gallery-studio. Free. Perhaps I am a bum and hobo at heart.

The first step in any twelve-step recovery process is acknowledging that I have a problem. There is even a spiritual admonishment for this weakness of which I am aware:

The Parable of the Rich Fool 

13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 

16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 

20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

So if I am to make sense of my predeliction in an artistic sense.....

Q: What makes bricolage fine art?
A: Using formal elements of art-making and the intention of making the work.

Q: What is the approach and methodology for bricolage?
A: A seven-step outline as follows:

1. Examine contents
2. Investigate alternative ways materials could be used and/or transformed
3. Edit: Review, reject, select, rearrange
4. Prototype: Layout a provisional composition
5. Plan construction sequence: Decide the order and manner in which the elements should be assembled
6. Execute plan: you can improvise and change as you go.
7. Decide/ Learn when to stop

Q: What are some of the artistic organizing principles to be used in bricolage by the bricoleur?

A: Many of the basic principles of art including but not limited to:

• Line: Weight, direction, shape, type 
• Shape: Geometric areas defined 
• Color: Hue and intensity
• Texture: Surface qualities, tactile feel, illusion, shadow, depth
• Form and Volume: Three dimensional modeling
• Value: Shading, dark and light, chiascuro effect
• Space: Positive, negative, closed, open, illusions
• Contrast: Juxtaposition of values, colors, shapes 
• Pattern: Rhythm and repetition
• Simplification: Removing elements to their most essential minimal basic 
• Geometry and symmetry 
• Perspective
• Emphasis or focus 
• Harmony 
• Unity 
• Opposition 
• Balance 
• Variety 
• Depth 
• Meaning 
• Travel: The direction the eye takes or is led through the work

There is then a range of results that can be attained. Using some of the principles outlined above? Are these just collages of items? Or purposeful assemblies with meaning and intent? What does this tell us about each of the artists? How might each of these change or shape our view of the world? Is there enjoyment and satisfaction to be had by the artist? By the viewer? Where do each of these rest on a continuum? Is this collage, craft, art, or fine art? How would the reader rate each of these? Art? Not art?

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Aaaaah, me.

The Last Day: My Final Thoughts

Been at my current employ for two years. Put a courtesy call into the guy that hired me since he is at another location. He is the reason I came to work for this employer. On Thursday, I had indicated to management that I was not resigning at this time, did not have a new job lined up, when I found one I would give them at least a two week notice but I was giving them a heads-up that I had made the decision for myself that the company and I were no longer a good fit and I would start looking elsewhere. I was giving them time to perhaps place me aside on a lesser project and coordinate an orderly transition in a timely manner to their benefit. On Friday, after some discussion, we negotiated the end of my employ as of yesterday. I had a unique flash start. I had a unique flash stop.

It is, to say the least, bittersweet. Good people. A novel enterprise. A noble purpose. Some innovations on how to build a business. But it is probably past the time to move on for many reasons. From the perspective of both sides, I think.  I pray the Exit meeting on Monday executes smoothly.

I know this employ was God-given. For many reasons along the way. Right from the start, I was provided for in a unique way. To some degree, it was really just a contract consultative position. Worked in a multidisciplinary manner on many things. Saw and experienced some amazing things. Gained some additional insights. Met some amazing folks. Stellar, in fact. Early on with the advice of, let's call him, my Action-Oriented Mentor, I was able to identify my next best role and responsibility in my career. My best fit. My dream job. The role I have been preparing for most of my life. It didn't have a name until he spoke it. I was able to see the future when it was spoken and discussed. But the door wasn't open at the time. It never opened over the last two years. I had ample opportunity to practice my necessary skill set throughout this employ with that objective in mind.  I was able to add some tools to my toolkit. But in an environment that was almost always blocked and impeded.  It was wonderful.

But I have the sense that something else is being prepared for me. Perhaps to practice these things again but in an environment that is not as frequently impeded. With an Executive Sponsor who has the known Demand for what I am willing and capable and motivated to Supply. Simple economics. It's just business.  I anticipate. I will seek. Perhaps with Providence, I will find. Lord, enlighten and enable the Chiascaro Path.

This also is part of my Artistic Endeavor and Creative Pursuit. These observations influence my art and my expression. Is this Symbolism? Is this Outsider Art? Today's entry is left brain-right brain-whole brain stuff. Lots of neural activity in the corpus callosum today. I am a Journeyman in a strange land.

I have been a program or project manager for many years. Those endeavors have been either strategic or tactical. I have worked at all levels of the organization at different times or at the same time to accomplish the goals or objectives of my executive sponsors. Many different businesses. Many different styles. Many different disciplines of focus. Generally, I have been successful in those project completions. Not perfect, though. Not always. Enough to feel good about. I made a difference along the way.

When I came to this company, there were many project managers doing many different things. I wanted to characterize and evaluate what I was seeing. As a program-project engineering manager early in my career and with my background as a classically trained industrial engineering-psychologist and human factors engineer analyzing the interactions of people with the objects in their environment to perform a mission, I had leveraged an organizational process model for what I will call in today's context: Project Manager C3E2.

Competency: Knowledge, Ability, Skill, Experience (KASE) of the individual contributor
Capability: The combined Competencies of the team to deliver on an objective function, team purpose, or enterprise Core Competency such as a Project or Program Management Office (PMO)
Capacity: The total throughput or flow of the Capability
Effectiveness: The degree of focus and aim of the Capability and Capacity on the target objective or mission
Efficiency: The productivity of the Effectiveness over time and the amount of Waste incurred

But what are the essential elements or Core Competencies to be measured in Project Management? There are many views and perspectives on this on the www and in the professional societies.  Some in vehement diatribes about best practices. Based on my many years of prior practice, and then at this company based on the immediate need, I quickly formulated the following mental model for the Value Flow of the project management process to evaluate what was going on around me. The plus signs denote a spigot, so to say, for Value Flow that when turned on, is a Maximize/Optimize function.  For instance, for the parameters below, let's add more Connectedness. The minus sign denotes a Value Flow spigot for a Minimize/Optimize function. For instance, when turned on, let's decrease blockers, impediments, and risks. The equal sign denotes a Target Objective function with the intent to maximize or optimize Managed Results: based on the relative contributions of the inputs.

+Connectedness
+Commitments
+Communications
+Coordination
+Collaboration
-Blockers, Impediments, Risks
+Capture Opportunities
+Closure
= +Managed Results

What does this model connote? This is a flow model. We turn the spigots, as Sources and Drains, to increase or decrease certain inputs to the model to achieve the maximum or optimized Value Flow out of the pipeline. In order to achieve maximized or optimized Managed Results, project management should adjust the faucets, the Sources and Drains, as follows:

(1) Maximize/optimize Connectedness of the Stakeholders in the organizational framework
(2) Identify, negotiate, strengthen, and holdfast to Commitments among the Stakeholders
(3) Enhance Communications among the Stakeholders in the network
(4) Increase Coordination among the Stakeholders (getting things into alignment with others)
(5) Increase Collaboration among the Stakeholders (working together)
(6) Decrease and remove Blockers, Impediments and mitigate Risks
(7) Increase the Capture of Opportunities
(8) Increase Closure. Finish. Get to Done done. Get feedback in a Retrospective. Use Lessons Learned.

My two year tenure at this company allowed me to verify and validate the use of this simple model. I was also fortunate to find some academic literature and research to back up the component elements.

A failure to do these things, meant substandard project management performance and a reduced outcome for Managed Results. A reduction in Connectedness, Commitments, Communications, Coordination, Collaboration, Capture, and Closure, as well as an increase in Blockers, Impediments, and Risks, pretty much always resulted in a lesser outcome and degraded business performance. If I couldn't "move the dial" on the inputs by adjusting the Sources and Drains, then I couldn't impact the outcome either.  I could read individuals, teams, projects, group dynamics, and the enterprise quite effectively. I knew which buttons to push. It facilitated root cause analysis. I knew what was on my console and what was on someone else's control box. Pretty much always. The review of individuals, teams, projects, and the business fit the model. I could evaluate the down-streams impacts and effects. I found it quite useful. It is how I evaluated my endgame.

So I shared a lot along the way. Coached and mentored. Personally applied the model again and again. Demonstrated personally to myself that it works. I felt like a Journeyman in a strange land. This was like the great California Gold Rush. Hordes of inexperienced travelers of various experienced professions redirecting their efforts and endeavoring to find their fortunes. A measure of mania. Of occasional panic. Of enthusiasm. Of optimism. Of confidence. Of doubt. Exhilaration. Dismay. Optimism. Pessimism. The wild-eyed roller-coaster of manic depression. All of that wonderful diversity of the human drama.

Crossing the great western uncivilized frontier by land, by sea, by rail. The wide, open expanse by foot, by horse, by wagon, by ship, by any means possible. Across parched deserts, road-less mountains, precipitous valleys, and rushing un-fordable streams and rivers. Miles and miles of fortitude and persistence required. Spending what little we have to start the journey, outfitting the teams, and plotting the journey and the way-points to achieve the final destination. The Great Frontier. The Promised Land. Freedom. Financial security. A better future. The Goldfields. To get there first. And stake the claim.

But there are costs and prices and unseen adventures to this endeavor. By Serendipity, I enjoyed the reading of Precious Dust: The True Saga of the Western Gold Rushes by Paula Mitchell Marks (1994) which influences my current imagination. Dust. Dirt. Filth. Grime. Daily living. Leaving family behind. Wearing out equipment, clothes, and shoe leather. Long periods of isolation. Trudging forward. Waiting. Occasional and sometimes frequent emergencies. Where is the fresh water hole for sustenance and refreshing? Poisoned or parched wells. Cholera. Death, disability, and disease. Sickness and health. Carcasses of people and beasts of burden lost along the way. Lack of supplies. Lack of clear access. Lack of available resources. Dialogs and disagreements among the captains of the wagon trains. Indians. Robbers and thieves. Hawkers peddling their goods. Those who serve. Those who expect to be served. Exploiters. The exploited. Beggars. Preachers. Religionists. Atheists. Agnostics. Believers. Unbelievers. Gamblers. Gamers. Opportunists. Humorists. Roughnecks and cowboys. Renegades. Megalomaniacs. Followers. Neophytes. Self-professed experts. Visionaries. Optimists. Pessimists. Artists. Families. Folks of all vintage, country, cast, and hue. Some who turn back. Some who just quietly disappear. Those who go on. Errant signs of direction from those who went before us that can lead us down the wrong path. Ships that sink. Canoes that tip over. Vehicles lost in the torrents. Portage. Ferries and tolls to pay. Discarding the supplies and preparations along the way. Curiously meeting and negotiating with the different, quiet, devout, committed Mormons as they build their righteous, eschatalogical city and offer respite to the travelers in the name of service. Gold-seekers strewing the well-traveled trail of tears with detritus along the path because they no longer have the strength or will to carry the stuff with them any further. This is the Age of Progress in the new land. The new gold. The Boom or the Bust. Technology. The Original Idea. To get there first. And stake the claim.

Lots at stake.  You buying?