Everyday creativity: A personal and universal rollercoaster ride
Better understanding and harnessing human creativity is vital for wellbeing, economic growth, leadership and thinking skills. However, qualitative research on the everyday non-professional, non-elite, human experience of creativity from the perspective of everyday creators, is a relatively new focus...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences and Humanities Open |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291125000300 |
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| author | Ursula Capell Ruth Hughes |
| author_facet | Ursula Capell Ruth Hughes |
| author_sort | Ursula Capell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Better understanding and harnessing human creativity is vital for wellbeing, economic growth, leadership and thinking skills. However, qualitative research on the everyday non-professional, non-elite, human experience of creativity from the perspective of everyday creators, is a relatively new focus for creativity research. This qualitative study, utilising thematic analysis, aims to answer the question, “What is participants' lived experience of everyday creativity as a way of being?” In exploring the experiences of 12 western, non-elite, participants engaging in a creative process, independent of professional domain, the research contributes new insight into this vital aspect of being human. Data collected through semi-structured interviews were coded and analysed using a reflexive constructivist approach from which two main themes emerged. Firstly, experiencing creativity was expressed using the metaphor of a ‘Rollercoaster ride’ of emotions, with sub themes: ‘On the level’ or space to be curious; ‘The killer climb’, or challenging times when pushing through self-doubt; and ‘The big whoosh’, or expressing the joyful energy of realising ideas. The second theme, ‘Creativity is personal, collective and universal’ brackets sub-themes: ‘Commitment to authentic and loving expression of self’; ‘Impact and creating connections’; and ‘Connection to something bigger than ourselves.’ Findings provide new insight into the emotional connection between the everyday creator and their creative process, highlighting the non-linearity of its ups and downs in three stages, and capturing a paradoxical simultaneity of personal, collective and transcendent awareness. Understanding of everyday creativity for organisations supporting creative endeavour, creative educators and individuals seeking creativity or researching interconnectedness is thus illuminated. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-033604343dc448b7b1d00cc35060f8ef |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2590-2911 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Sciences and Humanities Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-033604343dc448b7b1d00cc35060f8ef2025-08-20T02:10:02ZengElsevierSocial Sciences and Humanities Open2590-29112025-01-011110130310.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101303Everyday creativity: A personal and universal rollercoaster rideUrsula Capell0Ruth Hughes1Corresponding author.; University of East London, UKUniversity of East London, UKBetter understanding and harnessing human creativity is vital for wellbeing, economic growth, leadership and thinking skills. However, qualitative research on the everyday non-professional, non-elite, human experience of creativity from the perspective of everyday creators, is a relatively new focus for creativity research. This qualitative study, utilising thematic analysis, aims to answer the question, “What is participants' lived experience of everyday creativity as a way of being?” In exploring the experiences of 12 western, non-elite, participants engaging in a creative process, independent of professional domain, the research contributes new insight into this vital aspect of being human. Data collected through semi-structured interviews were coded and analysed using a reflexive constructivist approach from which two main themes emerged. Firstly, experiencing creativity was expressed using the metaphor of a ‘Rollercoaster ride’ of emotions, with sub themes: ‘On the level’ or space to be curious; ‘The killer climb’, or challenging times when pushing through self-doubt; and ‘The big whoosh’, or expressing the joyful energy of realising ideas. The second theme, ‘Creativity is personal, collective and universal’ brackets sub-themes: ‘Commitment to authentic and loving expression of self’; ‘Impact and creating connections’; and ‘Connection to something bigger than ourselves.’ Findings provide new insight into the emotional connection between the everyday creator and their creative process, highlighting the non-linearity of its ups and downs in three stages, and capturing a paradoxical simultaneity of personal, collective and transcendent awareness. Understanding of everyday creativity for organisations supporting creative endeavour, creative educators and individuals seeking creativity or researching interconnectedness is thus illuminated.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291125000300Everyday creativityEmotionsConnectionsUniversalitySynchronicity |
| spellingShingle | Ursula Capell Ruth Hughes Everyday creativity: A personal and universal rollercoaster ride Social Sciences and Humanities Open Everyday creativity Emotions Connections Universality Synchronicity |
| title | Everyday creativity: A personal and universal rollercoaster ride |
| title_full | Everyday creativity: A personal and universal rollercoaster ride |
| title_fullStr | Everyday creativity: A personal and universal rollercoaster ride |
| title_full_unstemmed | Everyday creativity: A personal and universal rollercoaster ride |
| title_short | Everyday creativity: A personal and universal rollercoaster ride |
| title_sort | everyday creativity a personal and universal rollercoaster ride |
| topic | Everyday creativity Emotions Connections Universality Synchronicity |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291125000300 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ursulacapell everydaycreativityapersonalanduniversalrollercoasterride AT ruthhughes everydaycreativityapersonalanduniversalrollercoasterride |