1 research outputs found
Creativity and the working artist/teacher : the relationships
The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the
relationships between creativity and the working artist/teacher
employed by an art college. The topic emerged from my job as an
instructor at The Ontario College of Art which was used as the
primary data resource and provided the highest caliber of
professionals to chose from.
Existent data were used to facilitate the study generated by
the research of Cawelti, Rappaport, and Wood (1992). The data were
generated by a group of 5 faculty members from The University of
Northern Iowa, recognized for their expertise in the arts (a painter,
a poet, a sculptor, a novelist, and a photographer). They were asked
to respond to the following statement: "In as much detail as you like,
list the things that you did, thought, or felt the last time you
created an artistic product. II
Cawelti, Rappaport, and Wood (1992) produced three models of
the creative process, each building on the previous, with the
resultant third,being in my opinion, an excellent illustration
(text/visual) of the creative process. Model three (Appendix D)
presented a "multi-dimensional view of the creative process: time,
space, observatility, and consciousnessll (p. 90).
Model three utilized a visual mapping device along the bottom
of the page linked to text segments above. Both the visual and the
text were interrelated so that they harmonized into a comprehensive
"picture." The parti'cipants of this qualitative study were asked to consider model three from their professional perspective as
artist/teachers.
The interpretive sciences directed the methodology. The
hermeneutic circle of continuous reflection from the whole to the
part and back to the whole was an important aspect of the data
analyses. Four members of the Foundation Department at The
Ontario College of Art were the key participants.
A series of conversational interviews was the primary source
of data collection, this was augmented by observation, fie,ldnotes,
and follow up telephone interviews. Transcripts of interviews were
returned to participants for reflection and the telephone was used to
discuss any additional -points raised.
Analysis consisted of coding and organizing data according to
emerging themes. These themes formed the basis for the narrative
stories. The text of the narrative stories were given back to each
participant for further comment. Revisions were made until both
the researcher and the participants felt that the stories reflected
reality. The resultant whole was critiqued from the researcher's
perspective.
The significance of this study was discussed as it pertains to
the working artist/teacher and areas in need of further study are
pointed out