In the excerpt from “The Creative Habit” by Twyla Tharp, Tharp goes into detail into describing scratching.  As she describes it, scratching can appear to be appropriating at first, but upon looking closer, it is a vital part of our creative process. Tharp brings up a lot of ways that we already, and unknowingly, utilize scratching in creating our work now.  I especially appreciate the  idea that inspiration comes from everywhere around us. Personally, I am constantly using my surroundings, conversations, and experiences, both past and present, in my art-making and consider those influences to be vital.

Also in the article, Tharp begins to explain how we must utilize small ideas to create big ideas.  This issue itself confused me a little bit, particularly as she went on to describe big ideas as being “meaningless” and ultimately all consuming of what she is doing. However, I  find big ideas to be not so meaningless. While I do agree with Tharp that little ideas play a large part in the existence of big ideas, I do not necessarily means that you have to only focus on the little ideas when scratching.  We should not focus on only thinking about little ideas, but allow ourselves the exploration of making connects between big ideas and little ideas. To limit ourselves in a way of thinking in which big ideas themselves are meaningless, we do not allow for opportunity to learn and make such connections. Whether it is through putting little ideas together to create a big idea, or having a big idea and recognizing the little ideas that come to play in it, both actions are vitally important.

Furthermore, Tharp claims that we should never scratch at the same place.  While this idea may seem helpful in terms of trying to expand our ideas, I ultimately disagree with it.  Again, this brings up the ideas of limitations.  To take away something that has inspired us before ultimately limits our inspiration.  Growth is the key to continuing to create new ideas and if we prevent ourselves from going back to something to continue to learn and re-adjust our knowledge, we cannot really grow our own knowledge but rather can be stuck on one idea.