A personal exploration of the creative process

[摘要] In this thesis I concern myself with a rather particular process of makingjewellery – a creative process which epitomises repetitive, labour-intensive and timeconsumingactions, results in an 'optimal experience (Csikszentmihalyi 1990) andleads to meticulous and refined products. In dealing with this process I present itsconceptual framework which I understand as a sequence of physical, mental andemotional elements through which I move from fascination (the initiating factor of theprocess) to product (a concrete and legitimising by-product of the process). As Iprogress from fascination to product, I move through the distinct, yet interwovenstages of ideation, planning and preparation, production, meditation, incubation andinsight. These stages, together with fascination and product, constitute a continuous,three-dimensional spiralling form which characterizes the conceptual structure of myprocess.Within that conceptual structure, I differentiate between the phase of decisionmakingand the 'experiential phase (here signifying 'to experience). The formerphase comprises the stages of ideation, planning and preparation, and production;whereas the latter phase stretches over the stages of production, meditation,incubation and insight.I define decision-making as a sequential thought-process and distinguishbetween an open-ended and a highly restricted or defined type of decision-making.The open-ended type takes the form of free experimentation and dominates the stageof ideation, leading to those ideas which I choose to translate into concrete jewellerypieces.As I move from ideation to planning and preparation, and subsequently toproduction in developing and implementing my idea, I increasingly make use of therestricted type of decision-making in the form of relying on previously accumulatedknowledge and experience. Understanding decision-making as 'a logical processleading to a conclusion (Loy 1988:146), I interpret decision-making in general, andthe restricted type in particular, in terms of the philosophical notion of dual thoughtprocesses,based on the causally and sequentially linked elements of decision-making.As the stage of production progresses, the dual thought-processes of decisionmakingare increasingly relegated to my sub-conscious. Consequently, myconsciousness is free to engage in what I refer to as meditation, as a result of which I move into the experiential phase of my process. My meditative state of mind can beascribed to non-dual, spontaneous and random thought-processes which bring with anatmosphere of incubation out of which insights arise. As a result of my non-dualmind-set I experience both my thinking and my acting during meditation as non-dual,accumulating or resulting in an exhilarating, overtly positive, worthwhile andfulfilling experience.Even though this experience acts as a motivation for engaging in the processand is therefore of enormous significance, the tangible product of the process doesserve a legitimizing function as it endows my almost excessively time-consuming andlabour-intensive acts with purpose. However, as a result of the input of enormousamounts of personal energy over prolonged time-spans my process leads to anintimate relationship between my products and me, causing a dilemma and paradox asI struggle to let go of my jewellery-pieces.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University