Many years ago, I saw a performance in which one of my favorite dance companies Pilobolus choreographed and performed the entire first half of the program around the theme of baseball. In truth, it was not one of my favorite performances, but I couldn’t help think what an innovative approach it was to choreography… to let the topic determine the music and choreography, rather than the reverse.

When I’ve done stained glass, I usually design the piece, then purchase the glass to be used in its construction. On one occasion, I’d purchased a packet of glass and several of the pieces were so remarkable in their color mix, I wanted to create a piece that would  highlight the glass. The resulting piece was the image below, of a water lily.

You’ve no doubt had this experience when you’ve seen an item in a store and thought it would make a perfect gift, then determined later what recipient would most enjoy it.

It can be interesting when the tail wags the dog…when you take a different perspective and approach a challenge from an answer rather than from the question.

It may not work all the time, but when it does, it can be a mind-stretching experience and the results may surprise you.

What has been your experience when you’ve allow the tail to wag the dog?