Transcript Creative Pathways of Everyday Life

CREATIVE PATHWAYS OF EVERYDAY LIFE
P R O F E S S O R , L E N E TA N G G A A R D
A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y, D E N M A R K
Introduction
• Studying the creativity involved in
accomplishing mundane life in itself is
seldom highlighted by researchers
focusing explicitly on creativity
Train creativity
Pathways as a term
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Aim: To sheed light on the process dimensions of creativity
• The idea of studying pathways is based on
the notion that creativity is the particular
dimension of potentiality in everyday life
which is ‘not yet there’ and which cannot
always be imagined beforehand.
Pathways
• My own pathways are
created along
• Institutional pathways
and
• Societal pathways
• As part of distributed
social practices
Drawing on inspiration from two concepts:
Trajectories of participation (Lave & Wenger, 1991) and Affordances
Gibson (1979)
But why would we need such
a concept?
1) IT URGES US TO LOOK AT THE IDEA OF THE
CREATIVE PERSON AND
2)IT ADRESSES CREATIVITY AS BEING ABOUT MUCH
MORE THAN DIVERGENT THINKING OR NOVEL
PRODUCTS
1) What is a creative person – do we restrict ourselves by
the emphasis on the extra-ordinary?
• We now know that creative persons have a distinctive
profile of personality traits. For instance, creativity is
highly correlated with openness to experience (as
defined in the 5-factor model of personality; Carson,
Peterson, & Higgins,2005; Harris, 2004; McCrae, 1987),
a personality dimension that also correlates with reduced
latent inhibition (Peterson & Carson, 2000; Peterson,
Smith, & Carson, 2002) (Simonton, 2013, p. 218).
2) The problems related to a one-sided focus on divergent
thinking
• Choosing pathways as a central concept, the
intention is to focus explicitly on creativity, not as
isolated, divergent thinking, but as concrete
movements and ways of making in everyday life.
• As such, I suggest that creativity research also
focuses its attention on ordinary life to find out
more about the phenomena of creativity.
Reflecting pathways – where to go?
• To conclude, I suggest that creativity research to a
higher extent than hitherto seen begins to
investigate the ordinary rather than only the
exceptional or the explicit creation of what is new.
• Furthermore, it is suggested that creative pathways
is a term that may guide researchers interested in
the simultaneous development of persons and
social practices.
Conclusion
• Pathways are created in ordinary life and the
formation of these may indeed involve creativity
and the improvisational co-creation of
opportunities for action.
• As such, studying pathways may direct creativity
researchers towards the potentials of creativity
in everyday life and my shed new light of the
processes of creativity itself.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
[email protected] OR MY WEB-PAGE:
HTTP://PERSONPROFIL.AAU.DK/101324