Creativity as action: findings from five creative domains

Abstract

The present paper outlines an action theory of creativity and substantiates this approach by investigating creative expression in five different domains. We propose an action framework for the analysis of creative acts built on the assumption that creativity is a relational, inter-subjective phenomenon. This framework, drawing extensively from the work of Dewey (1934) on art as experience, is used to derive a coding frame for the analysis of interview material. The article reports findings from the analysis of 60 interviews with recognized French creators in five creative domains: art, design, science, scriptwriting, and music. Results point to complex models of action and inter-action specific for each domain and also to interesting patterns of similarity and differences between domains. These findings highlight the fact that creative action takes place not “inside” individual creators but “in between” actors and their environment. Implications for the field of educational psychology are discussed.

Multidisciplinary Contributions to the Science of Creative Thinking

“…Based on the work of Glaveanu et al (2013), who interviewed different experts in these three domains and also in music and script writing, a booklet was constructed. This booklet consisted of a structured self-report focused on stages of the creative process in which participants indicated their weekly progress.…”

“…This booklet consisted of a structured self-report focused on stages of the creative process in which participants indicated their weekly progress. Table 1 Description of the thirteen stages of the creative process used in the booklet material based on Glaveanu et al (2013) Stages Description All these stages were presented with a short definition (see Table 1) based on the interviews of Glaveanu et al (2013).…”

Cognitive psychology meets art: exploring creativity, language, and emotion through live musical improvisation in film and theatre

“…58 While Gero's model can explain how novelty evolves from preexisting forms, it does not explicitly consider integration of the important, and fundamentally inevitable, role ever-changing contexts (cultural, social, and personal) play in the evaluative and consequent implementation processes. 69,70 Explicitly bringing to the forefront both the creator's mind and physical state within their environment and the environment's acceptance of and response to the creator, Glaveanu and colleagues offer an even larger contextual perspective of the creative process within various artistic mediums and affirm that internal cognitive, emotional, and motivational elements of the creator are inseparable from and in constant dynamic feedback with external expectations, interpretations, and reactions from society. 69 As philosopher and psychologist John Dewey remarked in the 1930s, "the external object, the product of art, is the connecting link between artist and audience.…”

“…69,70 Explicitly bringing to the forefront both the creator's mind and physical state within their environment and the environment's acceptance of and response to the creator, Glaveanu and colleagues offer an even larger contextual perspective of the creative process within various artistic mediums and affirm that internal cognitive, emotional, and motivational elements of the creator are inseparable from and in constant dynamic feedback with external expectations, interpretations, and reactions from society. 69 As philosopher and psychologist John Dewey remarked in the 1930s, "the external object, the product of art, is the connecting link between artist and audience. Even when the artist works in solitude all three terms are present.…”

Impact of project-oriented educational methods on creative design

“…More specifically in educational contexts, as pointed out by Glaveanu et al [16], despite the general consensus that more creativity is needed in the educational system [21], scholars are far from designing highly effective programs for enhancing creative expression (see [14]). Therefore, creativity has been a subject of debate in educational psychology [29].…”