Thinking Outside and On the Box: Creativity and Inquiry in Art Practice
Main Idea/Summary:
Wallas’ Creativity Theory is highlighted throughout this article and provides the center point for which the main example is based. A key point about the theory is that it describes a general process that artists go through when they create. Wallas’ four-step model is preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification. This article goes on to elaborate beyond the four-step model, including further steps in between the four steps proposed by Wallas. This was highlighted by the experiment conducted at the Lincoln School, where it outlined the steps of student projects and particular choices students chose to make.
Supporting Key Concepts:
Example and Assessment:
An example I think that exemplified what the author was trying to get across was how the author demonstrated Wallas’ Creativity Theory through the Lincoln School project. This project not only utilized the four points made by Wallas but also expanded upon those points, even adding precursors to the first point. It also adds a significant point, which is reflection. Students were able to reflect on their pieces and their problem-solving abilities, which inherently allow a student to understand what they learned.
Personal Response:
My personal response to reading this article was overall positive. I thought it was interesting reading about Wallas’ Creativity theory. When I initially think about the concept of creativity, I don’t always think about it being broken down into different parts and stages. However, after reading how Wallas broke creativity down into four stages, preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification, I plan on reflecting on these stages whenever I engage in my own creative process.
Questions:
Some questions I had throughout reading this article were: Does each and every piece that an artist creates have to go through the four stages in Wallas’ Creativity theory? Can each artist have their own individual and unique take on their preferred creative process?
Wallas’ Creativity Theory is highlighted throughout this article and provides the center point for which the main example is based. A key point about the theory is that it describes a general process that artists go through when they create. Wallas’ four-step model is preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification. This article goes on to elaborate beyond the four-step model, including further steps in between the four steps proposed by Wallas. This was highlighted by the experiment conducted at the Lincoln School, where it outlined the steps of student projects and particular choices students chose to make.
Supporting Key Concepts:
- Wallas’ Creativity theory
- Four stage process - preparation, or garnering of information; incubation, or organization and elaboration of material gathered; illumination, or when the idea emerges; verification, or where the idea is made into complete form.
- Four stage process - preparation, or garnering of information; incubation, or organization and elaboration of material gathered; illumination, or when the idea emerges; verification, or where the idea is made into complete form.
- Types of critical thinking
- Analytical thinking, associative thinking, and transformative thinking.
- Analytical thinking, associative thinking, and transformative thinking.
- Distillation
- Allows for students to focus on the problem and garner the true essence of it, allowing them to create more meaningful art.
- Allows for students to focus on the problem and garner the true essence of it, allowing them to create more meaningful art.
- Mine and Extract
- Analyzing data and images from what students have gathered.
- Analyzing data and images from what students have gathered.
- Connect and synthesize
- Related to connective thinking, allows students to think through their ideas and connect them to further questions.
- Related to connective thinking, allows students to think through their ideas and connect them to further questions.
- How did you learn?
- A question that relates to metacognition when students finish their projects, allows them to assess what they learned through creating their piece and solving their initial problem.
- A question that relates to metacognition when students finish their projects, allows them to assess what they learned through creating their piece and solving their initial problem.
Example and Assessment:
An example I think that exemplified what the author was trying to get across was how the author demonstrated Wallas’ Creativity Theory through the Lincoln School project. This project not only utilized the four points made by Wallas but also expanded upon those points, even adding precursors to the first point. It also adds a significant point, which is reflection. Students were able to reflect on their pieces and their problem-solving abilities, which inherently allow a student to understand what they learned.
Personal Response:
My personal response to reading this article was overall positive. I thought it was interesting reading about Wallas’ Creativity theory. When I initially think about the concept of creativity, I don’t always think about it being broken down into different parts and stages. However, after reading how Wallas broke creativity down into four stages, preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification, I plan on reflecting on these stages whenever I engage in my own creative process.
Questions:
Some questions I had throughout reading this article were: Does each and every piece that an artist creates have to go through the four stages in Wallas’ Creativity theory? Can each artist have their own individual and unique take on their preferred creative process?
Concept Map
