"Inspiration in Science may have to do with ideas, but not in Art. In art it is in the senses that are instinctively responsive to the medium of expression"

Arthur Erickson, a celebrated Canadian designer, provides an intriguing point of view on the nature of motivation in both science and art, revealing how these two domains of human creativity and intellect function differently. At the core of his statement is the differentiation in between the mental processes associated with scientific and artistic pursuits.

In science, inspiration is thoroughly connected to ideas. This suggests a domain where abstract thinking, logic, and organized questions dominate. Scientists frequently engage with theoretical constructs and structures, employing empirical evidence to confirm hypotheses. Inspiration in science may stem from the intellectual challenge of solving complex problems, comprehending natural laws, or seeing connections in between disparate phenomena. It is an inspiration bound within the realm of idea, rationality, and concept.

Conversely, Erickson posits that in art, inspiration is not about intellectual ideas but rather about the sensory experience and instinctive response to a medium. Art is deeply rooted in the senses-- it engages sight, sound, touch, and even feelings directly. Artists typically find motivation in the tactile quality of materials, the interaction of colors, the rhythm of sounds, or the dynamic expression of human feelings. The artistic procedure relies less on formalized logic and more on an user-friendly understanding and emotional engagement with the world. Erickson recommends that creative motivation is more visceral and elemental-- a response to the stimuli conveyed through a creative medium, whether it be paint, music, dance, or other forms.

Through this lens, art is an instinctual dialogue with the world and its materials, possibly reacting to the immediacy and the sensory details of the environment. Erickson's quote thus emphasizes the contrast between the cerebral and the sensory: science seeks to understand and describe, while art seeks to stimulate and express. Each field cultivates its kind of motivation, crucial to human creativity's broad tapestry, highlighting the abundant diversity in how we communicate with and translate our world.