thinking about the box reconsidering creativity

What we typically teach in art courses elements and principles disciplinary studio skills problem solving creativity work ethic studio citizenship perception/acuity critical self reflection social production/collaboration aesthetic theory communication skills art historical context social context/ visual culture

predictors of student success

predictors of student success work ethic curiosity

predictors of student success creativity critical self reflection work ethic curiosity

creativity is a complex No less than eleven creativity perspectives identified by Runco, 2006 Creativity is studied in several fields using numerous perspectives.

creativity is a complex

creativity is a complex

creativity is a complex

creativity is a complex

creativity is a complex

creativity is a complex

can creativity be learned? The degree to which an individual believes that creativity is learnable depends upon their perspective and understanding of creativity.

creativity Adaptive strategies: permission values experimentation & a variety of solutions safety freedom to fumble & fail & look “stupid” along the way encouragement supportive of real effort and accomplishment modeling instructor demonstrates creative values and techniques expectations sets & communicates clear and constant goals Adaptive strategies I will provide & you should take advantage of a learning environment that promotes creative thinking.

creativity Cognitive strategies: mental habits recognize conventional thinking, creativity blocks behaviors think with process strategies shift paradigms, synaesthesia tactics x-ternalize thinking, visual research, role play, x-ray vision techniques divergent, convergent Cognative stratagies

creativity mental habits

creativity mental habits age based on Piaget, 1970,1976; Kohlberg,1987; Johnson 1985 Numerous studies over the years have established a strong correlation between age and conventional thinking. Your cohort is currently near the bottom of the “creative valley”. Your thinking tends to be highly conventional. conventional thinking

creativity mental habits based on Piaget, 1970,1976; Kohlberg,1987; Johnson 1985 But take heart: The studies were randomized. As art students you have already “skewed” the sample” so this is less predictive for this group. also, there are, of course, individual variations. your results may vary. This is not meant to impugn your creativity, rather it is meant as a challenge and a check: Suspecting that your thinking is not as original as it may at first seem to you is key to unlocking your creativity. conventional thinking

Developing a Create Mind Works like…

“ The heart of all new ideas lies in the borrowing, adding, combining, or modifying of old ones. Do it by accident and people call you lucky. Do it by design and they’ll call you creative .” - Michael LeBoeuf

How often are you taking pictures with that cell camera?

creativity mental habits stress Stress is not only a distraction which drains energy which could otherwise be used creatively. It is bad for one's health. Creativity is Play! routines Routines have their uses, such as creating good study habits, but they can limit the range of responses available and can lead to the a hatred for creative endeavors, or the "bureaucratic mind”. "The will to a system is a lack of integrity." –Nietzsche goal directed behavior Overly focusing on goals rather than process limits perception and blinds us to possibility. A straight line is the scalpel with which we excise opportunity. beliefs Having a strong belief in something not only limits our response options, but causes us to limit the way in which we perceive and process information from the outside world. We may "filter out" information which contradicts our belief, and end up in our own "reality tunnel", blissfully unaware of much that occurs in front of our very eyes. ego One must be humble before one's subject. Having a strong ego identity with a particular belief exacerbates the realty tunnel. This is not to imply that one must have no beliefs, merely that one needs to be very aware of one's beliefs and consequent limitations. fear Fear of self expression and of the judgment of others can severely limit one's creativity. self criticism Negative thinking and self criticism are also limiting factors of an individual's creativity. creativity blocks

creativity behaviors

creativity behaviors I hear: I forget. I see: I remember. I do: I understand. Chinese proverb i hear: i forget. i see: i remember. i do: i understand. chinese proverb think with process

creativity behaviors I hear: I forget. I see: I remember. I do: I understand. Chinese proverb the 500ms. delay even for simple volitional acts consciousness lags half of a second behind readiness potential. we have made our decisions and have initiated our actions before we consciously decide to act. readiness potential 1 -1 s. conscious wish -0.2 s. readiness potential 2 -0.5 s. act based on Libet, 1979; Keller and Heckhausen, 1990 "the role of consciousness in our decisions is greatly overestimated" -tor norretranders think with process

creativity behaviors I hear: I forget. I see: I remember. I do: I understand. Chinese proverb rapid cognition malcolm gladwell's blink, ( 2005) makes the case for "thinking without thinking" citing numerous studies and examples that reveal how subconscious processes that he calls "thin slicing" allow us to make better decisions and more accurate predictions for problems involving several variables or multiple dimensions with little conscious decision making. think with process

creativity behaviors rapid cognition 500 ms. delay think with process Preconscious perceptivity & creativity are reactive. Try to put consciousness in charge of planning the strategy and evaluating progress. Allow the preconscious to react, readjust tactics and resolve the problem. thinking with process = preconscious "thinking" = visual thinking

creativity behaviors I hear: I forget. I see: I remember. I do: I understand. Chinese proverb rapid cognition 500 ms. delay When in doubt do something The point is not to think less, rather to think differently. Avoid a "plan and execute" division of process The journey is the destination. In creative works problem seeking is problem solving. Process is a collaborator – "our actions think louder than words" think with process

creativity techniques

creativity techniques attribute listing bug listing (seinfeld whine) problem reversal force-field analysis change perspective convergent thinking

creativity techniques lateral thinking associative thinking bisociation (forced analogy) divergent thinking

creativity strategies

creativity strategies shift paradigms communication model machine model mapping model catalyst model diagnostic model force/field model pointing model

creativity strategies what does the artwork say ? what do I want to say ? standard model encode decode transmission medium shift paradigms communication model meaning meaning artist viewer artwork

creativity strategies what does the artwork say ? what do I want to say ? corrected communication model encode decode transmission medium “ noise” shift paradigms communication model meaning meaning meaning meaning artist viewer artwork

creativity strategies what does the artwork say ? what do I want to say ? deconstruction/feminist communication model transmission medium “ noise” “ noise” “ noise” shift paradigms communication model meaning meaning meaning meaning artist viewer artwork

creativity strategies machine model what does the artwork do ? what do I want it to do ? In this model artworks do not create meaning, they create effects machine inventor effects consumer shift paradigms artist viewer artwork

creativity strategies machine model what does the artwork do ? what do I want it to do ? applied arts such as advertising, interior & product design most often use a machine model– the machine is a “tool” used to alter the viewer “ tool” shift paradigms artist viewer artwork

creativity strategies What relationships does the artwork show ? what do I want to show ? representation filter scale important features level of detail style territory & terrain mode of Investi- gation key shift paradigms mapping model artist viewer artwork

creativity strategies What is the territory? How do I know what to look for? What are the landmarks? How are they related? representation filter scale important features level of detail style territory & terrain mode of Investi- gation key shift paradigms mapping model artist viewer artwork

creativity strategies What style of representation is appropriate? At what level of detail (resolution)? Have I provided a key? representation filter scale important features level of detail style territory & terrain mode of Investi- gation key shift paradigms mapping model artist viewer artwork

creativity strategies catalyst model What reactions does the artwork create? What reactions do I want? shift paradigms artist viewer viewer viewer viewer artwork effect

creativity strategies catalyst model focus on creating social change or interaction rather than communicating meaning shift paradigms artist viewer viewer viewer viewer artwork effect

creativity strategies catalyst model The artwork can be an object or design but often it is performative or an event shift paradigms artist viewer viewer viewer viewer artwork effect

creativity strategies What forces & fields are displayed? Upon what influences, power s & spheres should I draw? What agencies, authorities & domains are in play? shift paradigms force/field model viewer artwork “ flow chart” filter scope important features level of complexity style perception analysis domain forces

creativity strategies In the “weak” force/field model the artist perceives, processes and encodes domains for display to the viewer shift paradigms force/field model viewer artwork “ flow chart” filter scope important features level of complexity style perception analysis domain forces

creativity strategies In the “strong” force/field model the artist is not an observer, The artwork is an effect of forces at work on the artist. The reception of the artwork is an effect of the forces at work on the viewers. domain shift paradigms force/field model forces forces forces forces forces forces forces artwork

creativity strategies diagnostic model What is the artwork a symptom of? What does the artwork indicate or reveal ? shift paradigms intended meaning unintended meanings symptoms decode symptoms artwork viewer artist meanings

creativity strategies diagnostic model in this model the artist’s intended meanings are the primary focus during creation, but are only of secondary importance In the reception shift paradigms intended meaning unintended meanings symptoms decode symptoms artwork viewer artist meanings

creativity strategies diagnostic model artworks are” read” for clues or evidence of of underlying forces or conditions at work in the the artist or in society shift paradigms intended meaning unintended meanings symptoms decode symptoms artwork viewer artist meanings

creativity strategies pointing model what discovery, experience or concept does the artwork share ? how do I present my interest so that the viewer shares my experience? shift paradigms artist viewer artwork

creativity strategies pointing model this model represents the fundamental function of all artworks: to redirect the attention of viewers. It is not so concerned with communication per say, rather it is an attempt to replicate the artist’s experience, curiosity, or enthusiasm in the viewer shift paradigms artist viewer artwork

creativity strategies pointing model Although all artworks “point” in this way, by focusing on the pointing model artists make an important shift from making work that is “about” a concept or experience to work that participates in the concept or experience as much as possible shift paradigms artist viewer artwork

creativity strategies medically: involuntary linking of 2 or more senses artistically: translation of one sense into another synaesthesia

creativity strategies hearing arousal taste balance tension touch smell There are the “traditional” 5 senses, but also other bodily sensations such as balance, tension, arousal, hunger, etc. becoming consciously aware of our physical responses & tapping into sense memories provide important resources for generating creative solutions to visual problems that are less prone to be based on cliché symbols... synaesthesia

Symbolic approaches to depict “death” creativity teach: strategies black coffin skeleton grim reaper blood ghost black rose synaesthesia cliché

synaesthetic approaches to depict “death” creativity strategies acrid, sweet stench of moldering flesh; the smooth, or serene aroma of lilies. what does death smell like? does death have the tension of rigor mortis or the repose of release? what does death feel like? is death as solid and weighty as packed earth, as open and airy as a picked carcass, or as ephemeral as a cold breath on your cheek? What is the tactile quality of death? does it sound like a hushed and empty silence or have the stretched, rounded sonority of a funeral dirge? What does death sound like? synaesthesia

creativity tactics

creativity summery mental habits behaviors techniques strategies tactics