Jasper Johns helping me sort it out

One of my pet labels in my work at Play is "lenses". How does adding a lens
to what we observe in the world either focus our attention to the relevant
stimuli (think deBono and the "yellow car" example) or does having a
preconceived notion of what we're looking for limit our observation. It's a
question of "liberation versus limitations" (thanks boy Barry for
reinforcing the language that resonates with you).
I ran across a quotation by the painter Jasper Johns (of the spaghetti
stains on the canvas spoofs) in Scientific American:
* "Sometimes I see it and then paint it. Other times I paint it and
then see it. Both are impure situations, and I prefer neither."
It is refreshing to know he had the same struggle with this aspect of
creativity. As I sought out this quotation, I found many others that relate
to our brand of creativity:
* When something is new to us, we treat it as an experience. We feel
that our senses are awake and clear. We are alive.
* When something is new to us, we treat it as an experience. We feel
that our senses are awake and clear. We are alive.
* One's range [of ideas] is limited by one's interests and imagination
and by one's passion.
When is a lens a help, and when is it a hindrance? When is limiting the
focus of observations effective, and when is liberation of focus the most
productive approach?