‘Ideas into Practice and Words into Objects’: a research method in art

by Gil Dekel, PhD.

Download PDF Template of the method.

How to write essays, or come up with ideas for art projects?

All true knowledge exists inside people in the form of intuitive insight, but since there is too much ‘external’ noise many people stop listening to themselves. The following method utilises the inner knowledge in writing articles and essays, developing ideas for art works, and also constructing PhD theses. The first step is to come up with a topic to write about, or develop it into art work.

Once people are connected to their inner knowledge, the topic that they will come up with will be relevant to them – it will be what interests them most. By creating categories (key words) people become very specific about their chosen topic – and can use those key words to conduct literature research, which can bring up relevant results. This is useful when trying to by-pass the ‘information pollution’ problem where too much irrelevant, redundant, and low-value info (mostly online) makes it hard for people to find what they are looking for.

There are seven steps, which I divide into two:

- The first 3 steps are useful for writing short essays or creating artworks (I title it ‘Words into Objects’ process).

- The total 7-steps are useful for writing an academic article, or structuring a PhD thesis (titled ‘Ideas into Practice’ process).

Empty template PDF download, with samples.

‘Words into Object’ 3-steps process example:

‘Ideas into Practice’ 7-steps process example:

The 7-steps process:

1. Topic:

What to do? Name your topic with one to three words. This is the topic you will write about, or produce your art work.
How to do? Focus on one thing only: ‘what interests me?’ and write it down. Do not think on anyone else or what they suggest.
Time to spend? Spend 3 minutes or less to decide on the topic.

2. Definition:

What to do? Define your topic using one line.
How to do? Think of what you are specifically interested in your topic, and how would you explain it to someone who knows nothing about it.
Time to spend? 3 minutes.

3. Three categories:

What to do? Write three categories for your definition.
How to do? Three words that make the ‘ingredients’ of your topic and which derive from the definition
Time to spend? 3 minutes.

4. Three sub-categories:

What to do? For each category, write 3 sub-categories.
How to do? Three words that make the ‘ingredients’ of your categories.
Time to spend? 3 minutes.

5. Three sub-sub-categories:

What to do? For each sub-category write three sub-sub-categories.
How to do? Three words that make the ‘ingredients’ of each sub-category
Time to spend? 3 minutes.

6. Conclusions:

What to do? Write a conclusion for each category.
How to do? Read each of the nine sub-sub-categories, and see what links them together.
Time to spend? 3 minutes.

7. Overall conclusion:

What to do? Write overall conclusion in one short sentence.
How to do? Read the three conclusions and see what links them together.
Time to spend? 3 minutes.

The logic of the process:

You need to come up with a specific topic so you can focus your work. The topic needs to come from you, not from other people. This is why we give students 3 minutes only to come up with the topic. If the answers are immediate then they come from you. On the other hand, if you will have too much time to think things over, you may start considering ‘external’ factors that may influence you, and stop your inward listening. If you don’t listen to yourself, you cannot listen to other people…

Once you come up with a topic, you need to define it in one short line. A definition is saying the same thing using different words. This will provide you with a reference point to observe your topic, and see if that really was what you meant to say. Sometimes people say one thing, but they mean something else. A definition of the topic will allow you to compare and reflect. If you notice that your definition refers to something you did not mean, then simply go back and come up with the new topic, and a new definition.

Now, three categories are required. These are the ingredients of the definition. We ask for three categories, not two, because two categories can clash or compete with each other (like Ping-Pong game). The work may end up being 2-dimentional, whereas three categories will create a 3-dimentional work.

For short essays, you can stop here. You will now use your categories as key words to conduct a search for books online and in the library. You need now to read about your topic and use references in your essay.

For art works, you also stop here. You now can start thinking on creating your artefact – which will consists (be made of, or expresses) all the key words you came up with. These are the ‘ingredients’ for your artefact.

If you structure a PhD thesis, then you want to continue and write 3 subcategories, 3 sub-subcategories, conclusions, and overall conclusion. You do this before you start your literature research. These steps are coming from your own intuitive knowledge about what you know and interested in your chosen topic. At this point, your overall conclusion is only an assumption, a hypothesis, as it came from your own knowledge, not from the literature. After you completed these steps, you can go to the library and start your literature research.

The process of literature review and writing theses is beyond the scope of this article, so I will only give a short description:

Highlight each category using one specific colour (so you need three highlight pens). You now start your library research using the keywords with the name of your topic, in your search. You will come up with many articles and books. Look for statements from the articles/books which relate to your categories. You do not need to read the full articles/books at this point – only to skim through. When you come across a statement that relates to one of your categories – print it and highlight it using the correct colour. You will end up with many statements, highlighted in the different colours. Organize them in groups by their colour/category.

Next you will start to ‘assemble’ all statements under the categories on the computer, by simply typing them into your document, remembering to note the source reference.

You will have three headings (categories), under each many statements from the literature that you have assembled. These statements are laid one after the other, but they are not connected to each other at this point. The next step will be to start link them, adding your own ideas to connect the statements. This involves a fair amount of creativity, and again – listening to yourself.

I have conduced my PhD in art (both the theory and practice) using this method, and I recommend it. The method was developed by Dr. Amikam Marbach and outlined fully in his book ‘The Process of the Academic Thinking’. The book was not translated into English yet. I spoke to Dr. Marbach and was told that there are plans to publish the book or summary in English at one point.

© Gil Dekel.
7 March 2012. Updated 17 March 2012.