What Can Graffiti Tell Us About Emotions and Motivation? Some Key Points for Learning

Abstract

This paper presents an ethnographic study on the Pamplona graffiti community and analyzes the emotions and motivation necessary for successful learning. The research methods are interviews and observations of graffiti-writing practice in the community. According to the writers, although the technical elements of graffiti can be learned, there is also an innate element that makes a person become a graffiti writer. The belief in that innate element generates a series of emotions that motivate the writer to continue painting. The article concludes that belief in one’s potential is of key importance for motivating learning, and that this insight can be used to create better conditions for teaching and learning.