As an artist, designer and cultural historian, my work is concerned with integrating thought with material creativity. By relating science to methodology and learning strategies, somatic, experiential awareness comes to the fore. New scientific evidence about our neural network enables us to return to the body of experience we already have; learning to respect the understanding that physical actions engender in the mind, fulfilling our potential by acknowledging the sensory, emotional and rational parts of ourselves. The apparent chaos of the senses, avoided for so long in the rational sciences, is essential for growth, creativity and knowledge. The overarching dependence on analytic thought over felt experience denies its essential relationship to growth, creativity and knowledge, with profound implications for our society. By taking the vessel or container as a research tool and merging David Kolb’s experiential learning diagram with neuron development, the importance of valuing all routes to knowledge can be demonstrated.