The Intuitive Adaptation Loop
Start before the full picture exists, adapt each move, and step back for perspective.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 94%
The Intuitive Adaptation Loop begins with a move rather than a complete answer. That first action creates information, which guides the next adjustment as the creator gradually solves a puzzle that did not previously exist. Work alternates between close execution and deliberate distance: while focused effort builds the piece, stepping back reveals composition, coherence, and overworked areas that are invisible at close range. Preparation—collecting materials, sewing canvases, researching composition, maintaining tools, or arranging constraints—is treated as part of the process because it makes productive moves possible. When the creator no longer understands what an action is doing, the correct response is not automatic persistence but a pause for perspective. The cycle then resumes with a better-informed move.
Origin
Extracted from The Jasmine Star Show as Jonni Cheatwood described how his abstract painting practice begins with intuition, develops through adaptation, and improves when he steps away from an overworked canvas.
Core principles
- 01Clarity can emerge through action rather than precede it.
- 02Each move changes the problem and creates new information.
- 03Preparation is part of creation, not time stolen from it.
- 04Distance prevents determined effort from becoming destructive overwork.
How to run it
- 1
Prepare the Field
Arrange the materials, references, tools, and constraints that will let you work without repeatedly breaking concentration.
Pro tip Count maintenance and setup as real creative labor.
Watch out Preparation becomes avoidance when it never produces a first move.
- 2
Make an Opening Move
Choose a small action that gives the project something concrete to respond to. The goal is not immediate perfection but new information.
Pro tip Favor a move that can be revised, layered, or redirected.
Watch out Waiting for a complete mental picture can preserve the blank canvas indefinitely.
- 3
Observe the New State
Inspect what the action created, including unexpected relationships, constraints, and problems.
Pro tip Ask what the work now appears to require rather than forcing the original idea.
Watch out Do not judge an unfinished state as though it were the final output.
- 4
Adapt the Next Move
Respond to the evidence with another adjustment, then repeat the observation-and-adaptation cycle.
Pro tip Treat the project as a changing puzzle rather than a linear checklist.
Watch out Blind repetition adds effort without necessarily adding coherence.
- 5
Step Back
Pause when proximity or overwork makes the whole difficult to see. Create enough physical, temporal, or emotional distance to regain perspective.
Pro tip A brief step back may be sufficient; the pause does not always need to be long.
Watch out Continuing while disoriented can damage work that needs observation rather than more input.
- 6
Resume with a Specific Correction
Return only after identifying the next problem or opportunity clearly enough to make a purposeful move.
Pro tip Name the adjustment before acting on it.
Watch out Do not restart at full intensity without using the perspective the pause created.
In the wild
A painter begins an abstract canvas without a fixed final image. The first mark suggests a visual relationship, the next layer exposes an imbalance, and several adaptations create a composition. When close work makes the painting unreadable, the artist crosses the room, notices that one area dominates, and returns to rebalance it.
→ The finished composition emerges through responsive moves rather than a predetermined blueprint.
A founder creates a narrow prototype instead of specifying an entire platform. User behavior reveals which workflow matters, so the founder adjusts the next version. After several rapid changes, the team pauses to review the complete journey and removes features that obscure the core value.
→ A coherent product emerges from evidence-guided iteration without uncontrolled feature accumulation.
Common mistakes
Waiting for Certainty
The missing information may only appear after action changes the state of the work. Begin with a bounded move instead of demanding a complete solution.
Mistaking Preparation for Nonwork
Materials, references, maintenance, and setup enable the visible creative act. Ignoring them creates friction and unrealistic schedules.
Working Past Perspective
Persistence becomes counterproductive when you can no longer perceive the whole. Step back before additional effort turns into overworking.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for artists, founders, writers, and problem-solvers working through ambiguous, evolving projects.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for tightly regulated work that requires a fully specified procedure before execution.
From the transcript
“you kind of have to, like, start somewhere and then make a move, adapt, you know, it's you're putting more or less you're kind of…”
“I spend all my time preparing to paint, you know?”
“sometimes taking a step back is so much better.”
From the episode
Patience, Uncertainty, and Dish Washing: How Jonni Cheatwood Became a Renowned Artist and Built a Business Along the Way
Jonni Cheatwood