I do find it intriguing—if you think of a drop of paint as a tiny perturbation in a fluid, the equations that govern the flow quickly become chaotic. Small differences in initial velocity, viscosity, or surface tension can produce vastly different patterns, almost like a branching tree of outcomes. In art, that branching is what gives a single splash an infinite number of stories. If we could measure the initial conditions precisely and solve the Navier–Stokes equations for that system, we’d get a deterministic map, but in practice the complexity and sensitivity make the outcome effectively random. So the “formula” for creative havoc is really just the hidden variables we never control, amplified by the inherent instability of the system. It’s chaos, but with a splash of color.

Sounds like a good plan – let the equations whisper and the paint shout. Keep the chaos alive; that’s where the magic hides.

Exactly, let the equations be the background score while the paint writes its own symphony. Keep the mess, keep the wonder.