Lecture 8 / Creative Rhetorics

Crea%ve  Rhetorics  talking  about  crea/vity  

Janine  Sykes  

Year  Tutor  BA  Crea/ve  Adver/sing    

Aim  To  gain  knowledge  of  the  

historicism  and  complexity  of  crea/vity,  in  order  to  be@er  understand  and  ar/culate    your  crea%ve  prac%ce  

Objec%ves;  It’s  good  to  talk  

•  Clarify  how  crea/vity  is  talked  about  •  Enable  us  to  talk  with  precision  about  crea/vity  •  Develop  prac/ce;  techniques/defini/ons  •  Poten/ally  expand  discipline          

Threads  

•  Introduc%on  The  blank  sheet  project  •  Genealogy  a  history  of  the  term  crea3vity  •  Aesthe%cs  philosophy  of  crea/vity    •  Educa%on  facilita/ng  crea/vity    •  Contemporary  global  discourses  and  prac/ces    

   ‘Different  ar/sts  oLen  have  quite  divergent  concep/ons  of  what  they  are  doing’  

Harrison-­‐Barbet,  1990,  p287  

 Illustrated;  The  Blank  Sheet  Project  

 •  Rutger  Hauer  •  Sir  John  Hegarty  •  Renzo  Rosso    •  Neville  Brody  •  Ka/  Howe  28/11/12    

Introducing  crea/ve  flow  

Blade  Runner  (1982)  Ridley  &  Rutger    

Renzo  Rosso's  Crea/ve  Rhetoric    

How  Rosso  talks  about  crea/vity  •  Prac%ce-­‐based  beginning  (School  of  Fashion)  studio-­‐

pedagogy  (supports  crea/vity)  Arts  &  CraLs/Bauhaus      •  Best  idea  –  always  next  crea%vity  'dynamic'    George  Dickie  

(1971)  art  is  beyond  defini/on  constantly  changing  (history  of  aesthe/cs)  

•  Be  Stupid  –  using  heart  not  head    expressionist  theory  –  linked  to  Roman/cism  idea  that  crea/vity  is  a  knowledge-­‐obtaining  ac/vity  opposi/on  to  ra/onal  sciences  

•  Rosso    Roman/c  Genius?      •  Work  in  teams  –  crea/ve  process  Diesel  –  collabora/ve    

A genealogy of creativity

A couple of thousand years & a bit more

Mimesis    

•  Plato’s    (427  BC  -­‐  346  BC  )  problem  with  crea/vity    •  Republic  –  ideal  society  (cri/que  of  democracy)    •  Metaphysics  –  forms  •  Physical  world  mimics  the  real  •  Art  imitates  an  imita/on  •  Art  mimics  the  sensory  world    •  Crea/vity  merely  a  technical  skill  -­‐  techne    (GK)  •  Denied  crea%vity's  knowledge-­‐producing  capability  •  Dichotomy  physical  not  mental  ac%vity    

Why start with Europe and Ancient GKs?

•  Gombrich (1950) The popular view is that Western civilization begins Ancient Greeks

•  Bernal (1991) argues Classical civilization has deep roots in Afroasiatic cultures - history suppressed since 18c.

•  Classical Greeks, did not see their philosophy, as original, but derived from the East and Egypt.

Evidence  classifica/on  of    GK  Art  

•  Striving  to  imitate  nature  be@er:  •  Archaic      •  Classical  • Hellenis/c           Marbel kouros from

Attica 530 B.C. life size The Victory from

Samothrace 190 BC Height 2.4m

   Classicism  • Roman Art (315 AD) Constantine • Republic period realism (after Gks) Imperial period stylized • Art followed spirit of Gks • Suggesting Greeks reached some sort of apex. • Sentiment found in histories of art Gombrich

Academics talk about Creativity as…

•  Complex and dynamic concept •  Subjects of history of art and aesthetics •  Evidenced in Banaji et al (2006) Nine ‘rhetorics of creativity' contemporary review of the literature

•  Theoretical framework of lecture

Banaji et al (2006) Nine ‘rhetorics of creativity’

(1)  Creative genius (2)  Democratic &

political creativity (3)  Ubiquitous creativity (4)  Creativity for social

good (5)  Creativity as

economic imperative

(6) Play and creativity (7) Creativity and cognition (8) The creative affordances of technology (9) The creative classroom

(1) Romantic Genius • Found in aesthetics • Area of philosophy • Term originates in mid 18c • Derived from the aesthesis (perception) • Involves looking at how judgements about art and creativity are made.

• Immanuel Kant • Critique of Judgement (1790) is still hailed as the most influential writings on aesthetics.

Romanticism

• Kant wrote about artistic movement • 18c literary and visual • Redefined the role of the artist • Creative genius

Transformed

• Movement changed ideas and language about art & creativity • Rejecting Platonic theory, Nietzsche and Schopenhauer (German philosophers) posited art as the most important knowledge-generating discipline.

The Creative

• Romanticism redefined the status of the artist • Valued the originality of work, in terms of reflecting a subjective vision of artist • Artist a creator – not imitator • Artist should stand aside from rules • The artist is rule breaker & definer  

Crea/vity  

• Through creating, artists create new rules • Own master & owner of the discipline • Romantic model of the artist empowers the artist and creativity • Through creativity the borders and boundaries of art itself are visualised and transcended • Expanding the discipline • Dynamic

Hegarty talks about Creativity...6.20

Facilita/ng  crea/vity    

(9) The creative classroom

•  The Survival of Creativity (2000) •  Traces history of state-funded Art & Design

Education. •  First Academies of Art in Italy 14c •  Classical rules perspective, orders of

architecture etc. •  Scholarly activity ‘fine’ •  16c French Academy & Atelier •  19c British Art Schools, Arts & Craft: LCA

(2) Democratic & political creativity

empowering properties - groups

Creative Advertising and Online Collaborative Creativity

FutureEverything 2012

•  Abundance research new media profound change on creatives & citizens.

•  ‘people can collaborate…across networks to create…or participate in social revolutions’

Art and Design Education changed •  Brown (2012) digital

technology, event horizon •  Epistemological shift. •  Global community

created the cloud single body of knowledge.

•  Ownership of content has changed implications A & D Education

•  One- to –many outmoded •  Inverted many-to-one •  eStudio

eStudio •  Online extension studio •  Mimics the professional studio in its online form and

creative collaborations •  Year tutor; curriculum development

Abstract •  Art & copy teams (collaborative) concurrent practice-based

orthodox UK Art Schools 50s. •  For some, new media prompting changes at the heart of

the discipline; models of creativity -evidence teams are expanding in volume & online

•  Facilitating students working online and collaboratively facilitates a type of creativity of value to industry Bennett (2003)

•  Empowers learner online flattening/equalising effect traditional f2f roles tutor/learner Master/apprentice.

•  Study explores such claims

Primary sources

•  49 completed/valid questionnaires •  32 learners and 1 tutor – ascertain impact •  16 Professionals - 7 top ten UK agencies  

Findings

•  75% (P) agreed that that new media has given rise to a new type of collaborative creativity.

•  81% (P) agreed that discussion forums and chat rooms are supportive to idea generation.

•  87% (L) and 93% (P) agreed that working online in teams was a valuable skill for undergraduate creatives to practice.

Further findings

•  Majority of learners value practising OCC early stages of the creative cycle (PA & R ) and less in the active (I).

•  When asked Do you agree that the discussion forums and chat rooms are appropriate spaces for supporting ideation? 49% (L) agreed 81% (P).

•  32% discrepancy between how OCC is valued among (L) and (P) significant.

•  65% (L) agreed there was a link between online conversation and flow compared 100% (P).

(3) Ubiquitous creativity Communities of Practice

Little c Creativity Banaji (2006) • Creativity as a basic skill to find solutions to problems in 21st life, being resourceful, flexible – contributing to society. •  Society (crowd) made up of online Communities of Practice VCOP Group(s) of people, which have an interest in the same topic and are engaged in an activity of sharing their opinions on this topic (creating the cloud).

Website Wiki

Blogs Social Networks Microblogging

VCOP life-cycle /creative cycle 1.  Potential finding people with interests forming

online relations 2.  Coalescing forming identity & discussing values

loose network to common sense of purpose. Start engaging .

3.  Active dynamic engaging generation of new knowledge takes place.

4.  Dispersed members at periphery & then core loose interest in the topic. Influx of knowledge reduced. Less attractive.

5.  Memorable tales and anecdotes live on. People still associate with part of their identity.

Successful VCOP • Experts / facilitation plays important role • Stimulus when discussions cooling off • Provide meaningful dialogue to sum up debate • Presence of experts doesn’t = success • Level of engagement e.g. story telling important aspect (enjoyable, entertaining) way of sharing knowledge  

SHOWstudio  ...a way of being creative Est: 2000 Inspired by the … verb 'to show‘...opens up the studio of designers and artists, allowing everyone to not only witness the creative process, but to respond and contribute creatively’ SHOWstudio blog (2012)

• Interdisciplinary    • Need  to  update  the  blog  list  of  collaborators;  • John  Galliano,  Kate  Moss,  Rick  Owens,  Comme  des  Garçons  and  Alexander  McQueen...  SHOWstudio  has  also  worked  with  pop  culture  icons  and  crea/ves  from  the  world  of  art,  music  and  film  including  Tracey  Emin,  Björk,  Brad  Pi@  and  Lady  Gaga.  

SHOWstudio  Founder  Nick  Knight  (Fashion  photographer)  has  worked  with  the  world’s  most  sought-­‐aLer  filmmakers,  writers  and  cultural  figures  to  create  visionary  online  content,  exploring  every  facet  of  fashion  through  moving  image,  illustra/on,  photography  and  the  wri@en  word.  

(4) Creativity for social good Only The Brave Foundation

Brave Actions For A Better World (2008) ‘mission to fight social inequality and to contribute to the sustainable development of less advantaged areas and people throughout the world’ http://www.otbfoundation.org/about

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

•  Only The Brave Foundation can be seen as CSR •  David Jones CEO Havas (2012) Brands today find

creative ways to be socially responsible •  In this sense CSR fits with the Rhetoric of creativity as a

social good; •  ‘involving co-operative activity and as socially and

personally empowering’ (Banaji et al, 2006 p25) •  Why? What society wants and demands. •  D&AD Student Awards: Unilever open brief link

campaign of brand to a social or environmental issue

(5) Creativity as economic imperative

•  Digital Britain (2009) Report •  Creative skills particularly important to UK economy •  Facilitating creative skills particularly important to

economy •  Today’s most innovative companies... succeed by

designing their organisations to maximize collaboration’ (Sawyer, 2008 xiii)

•  Google & Ideo (dominant creative models) •  Creative teams practice improvisation (on & offline) •  Good improv involves deep listening skills – working as

one, idea goes places wouldn’t as an individual

(6) Play and creativity •  Divergent thinking activities •  Image surfing •  Brainstorming •  Improvisational theatre •  100 –mile-an-hour thinking •  Free- thinking •  Creativity as a type of thinking

(7) Creativity and cognition

•  Csikzentmihayli (1990) Flow •  Psycho-cultural perspective of creativity: •  Refers to psychological condition of being creative. •  Enjoyment changes perception of time ‘loose-one’s-

self’ •  Occurs when challenges & skills are high •  Sawyer (2008) posits flow essential ingredient to

creativity •  Most common place flow experienced is when one is in

conversation. •  Creativity is (and always has been) collaborative

Flow illustrated by working methods Studio Ghibli Director Hayao Miyazaki talking about how narrative award

winning film Spirited Away (2001) collaboratively & incrementally

…a principle that I adhere to when directing is that I make good use of

everything my staff creates... animation is a fundamentally

developmental process for Miyazaki, it is also, no less crucially, an

eminently collaborative effort” (Cavallaro, 2006, p134)

(8) The creative affordances of technology

•  Covered •  OCC new model of creativity (industry) •  Influenced creative curriculum (9) Creative classroom •  Flattening social hierarchies, empowering and

connecting creatives. •  Communities of practice across disciplines & geography

asynchronously or synchronously •  New initiative launched next summer ‘connect’ D&AD

community ‘richer deeper engagement education and industry’

•  New and exciting opportunities for creatives

CHI  expands  global  network  with  Bates  Asia  joint  venture  (2012)  

   • Article about ad agency merger, a new structure • Links to Rhetoric (5) Creativity as economic imperative • Johnny Hornby global executive chairman (CHI) ‘new model network with deep roots in Asia and world class creative credentials".

Hornby also said "This new model network will use our big ideas process to put together bespoke multi-disciplined teams across geographies. It will be a nimbler, faster, more modern alternative to the big networks."

 Beattie (BMB) ECD

• Internet is the biggest idea since the wheel • Enables lots of small ideas to circulate • ‘that combination of a trillion little ideas is in itself the biggest idea there is...I think we are at the most interesting point of communications history ever...’ • Digital media enabled convergence on a scale not seen before opens up opportunities for creatives. • E.g Moon

Visualising Creativity •  Creative affordances/possibilities technology; •  Capturing creativity in real time SHOWstudio Carine

Gilson's Flora LiveStudio (5th Dec, 2012) •  Creativity is now massive, open and online •  The Blank Sheet project – objectives to expose creativity •  D&AD new initiative Making Your Mark similar thinking •  VC topic commission at Liverpool Biennial 2012 (largest

contemporary arts event in UK) The Source Doug Aiken •  Installation help to summarise the threads of the lecture

Talking about creativity • What is the source of a creative idea? • Installation collaboration with David Adjaye • Visitors enter a pavilion with screens projecting artists; Jack White, Tilda Winton (actress) and others discussing the roots of their creativity with Doug Aiken.

How do you talk about your Creativity?

•  Residues of Mimesis may remain. •  Contemporary literature suggests creativity is spoken

about by creatives as a thinking and knowledge-generating activity.

•  OCC sits in opposition to the Creative Genius rhetoric, where creativity is an innate aptitude for individuals.

•  The has led to a dualist perspective of real individual creativity against a communal other.

•  Consequences; any form of collaborative creativity is considered of inferior value to independent practice

•  Sawyer (2008) and others argue the opposite that collaborative creativity is a superior type that increases innovation and suits the contemporary networked economy.

You are not a gadget • Practicing OCC could potentially diffuse the dualisms that have existed in the rhetoric of creativity. • Creative practicing does not necessarily entail replacing a focus on the creative sovereignty of the individual. As Lanier explains, ‘You have to be somebody before you can share yourself’ (Lanier, 2010, p.1).

Bibliography  (see  handout)  •  Bennett, R. and Broadfoot, O. (2003) ‘Design Studios: Online? Comparing traditional face-to face Design Studio

education with modern internet-based design studios’. Apple University Consortium Academic and Developers Conference Proceedings 2003, pp 9-21 (online - http://omnium.net.au/assets/downloads/papers/2003_auc_designstudios.pdf accessed 2/03/2010).

•  Campaign (2012) ‘CHI expands global network with Bates Asia joint venture’ (Online- http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/bulletin/campaign_daily_fix/article/1162944/chi-expands-global-network-bates-asia-joint-venture/?DCMP=EMC-CONCampaignDailyFix – accessed 05/12/12

䰈  Great Britain. Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (2009) Digital Britain Final Report (online - http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm76/7650/7650.pdf - accessed 05/01/10).

•  D&AD The Blank Sheet Project

•  Banaji, S., Burn, A. and Buckingham, D. (2006) ‘The rhetorics of creativity: A review of the literature’ Creative Partnerships Arts Council England (online - http://www.creative-partnerships.com/literaturereviews -accessed: 03/03/10).

•  Bernal, M (1991) Black Athena Rutgers University Press   Gombrich, E. H. (1950; 16th rev. ed. 1995) The Story of Art London : Phaidon   Hafeez, K. and Alghatas, F. (2007) ‘Knowledge Management in a Virtual Community of Practice using Discourse

Analysis’ Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management Volume 5 Issue 1 pp. 29 – 42 (online - http://www.ejkm.com/volume-5/v5-i1/Hafeex_and_Alghatas.pdf- accessed 30/10/10).

  Only The Brave Foundation (online -http://www.otbfoundation.org/(accessed: 11/11/12)   Harrison-Barbet (1990) Philosophy an Introduction   Dickie (1971) Introduction to Aesthetics New York, Pegasus •  Sawyer, K (2008) Group Genuis The Creative Power of collaboration New York, Basic Books •  Csikszentmihalyi (1990) Flow, the psychology of optimal experience NY HarperCollins