thinking about the box
reconsidering creativity
What we typically teach in art courses
elements and principlesdisciplinary studio skillsproblem solvingcreativitywork ethicstudio citizenshipperception/acuitycritical self reflectionsocial production/collaborationaesthetic theorycommunication skillsart historical contextsocial context/ visual culture
predictors of student success
work ethic
predictors of student success
curiosity
creativity
predictors of student success
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.
two primary approaches
In order to make students more creative, instructors can use two approaches:
Teach cognitive Use adaptivestrategies strategies
creativity
behaviorstechniquestacticsstrategiesmental habits
permissionsafetyencouragementmodelingexpectations
Adaptive strategies
I will provide & you should take advantage of a learning environment that promotes creative thinking.
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
Cognative stratagies
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
creativity
mental habits
conventional thinking
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.
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
Be Receptive
• try new things• welcome the unfamiliar• ask a lot of questions• learn to listen
Ask the question:“Why?”
Foster a Wide Range of Interests
• make connections between backgrounds• collaborate and learn• feed your hobbies
Be Curious
• research the unknown• explore somewhere new• seek out information• be a “lifelong learner”
How often are you taking pictures with that cell camera?
• make art with your music • make art with your clothes• make art out of your apartment• make your hair a work of art• make art out of your trash• make art with friends• make art with your video games• make art with out of sports• make art with food• make art with your phone• make art online• make art you can smell• make art
Be Attentive
• realize the value in every experience• see past the superficial• seek out new possibilities
Make Connections
• find similarities between disparate parts
Conviction
• never be satisfied with the same old answers• innovate!• start a revolution
Investigate New Levels of Complexity
• play• experiment• use your intuition
creativity blocks
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.
egoOne 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
behaviors
think with process
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. delayeven 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 cognitionmalcolm 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
behaviorsrapid cognition500 ms. delay
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
think with process
creativity
behaviors I hear: I forget.I see: I remember.I do: I understand.
Chinese proverb
rapid cognition500 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"
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
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
communication model
machine model
mapping model
catalyst model
diagnostic model
force/field model
pointing model
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
communication model
what does the artwork say?what do I want to say?
standard model
meaning meaning artist
viewer
artwork
encode decode transmissio
nmedium
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
communication model
what does the artwork say?what do I want to say?
corrected communication model
meaningmeaningmeaningmeaning artist
viewer
artwork
encode decode transmissio
nmedium “noise”
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
communication model
what does the artwork say?what do I want to say?
deconstruction/feminist communication model
meaningmeaningmeaningmeaning artist
viewer
artwork
transmissio
nmedium “noise” “noise” “noise”
shift paradigms
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
artist viewe
r
artwork
machine inventor
effects
consumer
shift paradigms
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
artist viewe
r
artwork
“tool”
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
mapping model
What relationships does the artwork show?what do I want to show?
artist viewe
r
artwork
representation
filter
scaleimportant features
level of detailstyle
territory &
terrain
mode ofInvesti-gation
key
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
mapping model
What is the territory?How do I know what to look for?
What are the landmarks?How are they related?
artist viewe
r
artwork
representation
filter
scaleimportant features
level of detailstyle
territory &
terrain
mode ofInvesti-gation
key
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
mapping model
What style of representation is appropriate?At what level of detail (resolution)?
Have I provided a key?
artist viewe
r
artwork
representation
filter
scaleimportant features
level of detailstyle
territory &
terrain
mode ofInvesti-gation
key
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
catalyst model
What reactions does the artwork create?What reactions do I want?
artist
view
er
view
er
viewe
r
viewer
artwork
effect
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
catalyst model
focus on creating social change or interactionrather than communicating meaning
artist
view
er
view
er
viewe
r
viewer
artwork
effect
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
catalyst model
The artwork can be an object or design but often it is performative or an event
artist
view
er
view
er
viewe
r
viewer
artwork
effect
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
force/field model
What forces & fields are displayed?Upon what influences, powers & spheres should I draw?
What agencies, authorities & domains are in play?
viewe
r
artwork
“flow chart”
filter
scopeimportant featureslevel of complexity
style
perceptionanalysis
domain
forces
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
force/field model
In the “weak” force/field model the artist perceives,processes and encodes domains for display to the viewer
viewe
r
artwork
“flow chart”
filter
scopeimportant featureslevel of complexity
style
perceptionanalysis
domain
forces
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
force/field model
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
forces
forces
forces forces
forces
forces
forces artwork
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
diagnostic model
What is the artwork a symptom of?What does the artwork indicate or reveal?
intendedmeaning
unintended meanings
symptoms
decodesymptoms
artwork
viewer
artis
t
meanings
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
diagnostic model
intendedmeaning
unintended meanings
symptoms
decodesymptoms
artwork
viewer
artis
t
meanings
in this model the artist’s intended meanings are the primaryfocus during creation, but are only of secondary importance
In the reception
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
diagnostic model
intendedmeaning
unintended meanings
symptoms
decodesymptoms
artwork
viewer
artis
t
meanings
artworks are” read” for clues or evidence of of underlyingforces or conditions at work in the the artist or in society
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
pointing model
artist viewe
r artwork
what discovery, experience or concept does the artwork share?
how do I present my interest so that the viewer shares my experience?
shift paradigms
creativity
strategies
pointing model
artist viewe
r artwork
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
creativity
strategies
pointing model
artist viewe
r artwork
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
synaesthesia
creativity
strategies
medically: involuntary linking of 2 or more sensesartistically: translation of one sense into another
synaesthesia
creativity
strategies
hearing
arous
al
taste
balance
tensiontouch
smell There are the “traditional”5 senses, but also otherbodily sensations such asbalance, tension, arousal,hunger, etc.
becoming consciously aware of our physical responses & tapping into sense memoriesprovide important resourcesfor generating creative solutions to visual problemsthat are less prone to bebased on cliché symbols...
synaesthesia
creativity teach:
strategies
Symbolic approaches to depict “death”
black
coffin
skeleton
grim reaper
blood
ghost
black roseclich
é
synaesthesia
creativity
strategies
synaesthetic approaches to depict “death”
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?
creativity
tactics
creativity
tactics• externalize your thinking: keep a journal
creativity
tactics• research: the easiest way to get out of your own
head is to get into somebody else’s
creativity
tactics• game 1: always assume that you are wrong…
this will test your thinking and push you on to alternative solutions, conceptions & perceptions.
creativity
tactics• game 2: habitually play “could be…what if…”
look at things not just as they are, but what they could be
airplaneMccroskey (showing map): what do you make out of this? Eugene: This? I can make a hat, or a broach, or a teradactyl!mccroskey: gimme that!
creativity
tactics• develop x-ray vision
as metaphor
frame 1 (surface):: 1950’s stock photo image of girls gossiping or sharing a secret.
frame 2 (depth): “encountering the double” (doppelganger; evil twin; ka; subconscious; id/ego;
inner voice, inspiration)
creativity
tactics
the key concept is to hold two frames of reference simultaneously
• develop x-ray vision
as metaphor
creativity
tactics• develop x-ray vision
literally
creativity
tactics
a common example of x-ray vision occurs in figure drawing classes. typically students learn anatomy, especially bones, major muscle groups and insertions (where and how muscles connect to the bones). students use surface clues on the model such as boney landmarks to trigger projections of the internal anatomy which help them to draw the figure more accurately
• develop x-ray vision
literally
creativity
tactics
other common examples of projective vision (what we are calling x-ray vision) include rorschach tests, kuleshov effects in film, constellations and, of course, “undressing with the eyes”
• develop x-ray vision
literally
creativity
tacticsmany will argue that x-ray vision is as described here is not literal–that it’s not “real”. it is a point well taken, but real or not x-ray vision is a useful creativity tactic.
a final thought for doubters: are your dreams real? the vision that you experience in dreams IS real (in the sense that it really happens & can be verified with eeg and pet scans) even though it only simulates external events & is not caused by them.
• develop x-ray vision
literally
creativity
summerymental habits
behaviors
techniques
strategies
tactics
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