Planning paintings

I feel like I am doing exercises like in Basic Design 101. My random cut-outs are on display on my bulletin board where I make small changes in their contours.How many of the most precious values we have can be expressed in the gestural shapes of vases? How much space outside of them could be filled with arrangements? How much do little changes in curves and angles change my response to them? After thinking about them, I add labels of what they suggest to me. I rearrange them to compare similarities and contrasts. All of this is rather academic, but hopefully my paper cut outs will work out some feelings for my real paintings in the precious vase series.