A Manifesto for Creativity

I was intrigued to learn of the recent publication of a creativity manifesto. Published as a commentary in the Journal of Creative Behaviour, this manifesto is the product of a collaboration of twenty scholars, many of whom are familiar names in the field of creativity research (Glăveanu et al., 2019). Their aim is to build common ground and invite the community of creativity researchers and practitioners to reflect upon, study and cultivate creativity as a socio-cultural phenomenon. The authors remind us that a manifesto is a written statement of beliefs and aims intended to mark a conceptual shift within a field.

There is something confident and bold about writing and publishing a manifesto. I'm reminded of the surrealist poet André Breton who produced his first Manifesto of Surrealism in 1924. In this short pamphlet Breton tried to define surrealism. He provided examples of surrealist poetry and literature as well as attempting to place the movement in its artistic and cultural context. Being a surrealist, of course, Breton also included a certain amount of absurdist humour in his manifesto.

The authors of the new creativity manifesto offer their document in the spirit not of an exclusive list but as something to generate fruitful conversations. They warn readers against agreeing blindly with the manifesto's points or using them as a box-ticking exercise.

The paper, titled Advancing Creativity Theory and Research: A Socio-cultural Manifesto, is only five pages long and so it is admirably concise. One of the key points for me is the proposition that Creative action is, at all times, relational.  The authors explain:

"There is no form of human creativity that does not rely on direct, mediated, or implicit social interaction or exchanges. Even when working in solitude, we implicitly build on and respond to the views, knowledge, and expectations of other people. While creating, the person can recurrently become his or her own “audience” by standing back and evaluating his or her process and its outcome as others would. It is important to note here that we do not imply that people will always be more creative when working together in explicit collaborations. The social element should not be romanticized; personal conflicts, incompatible styles, and other issues may decrease collaborative creative efforts. However, the lifelong development of creativity cannot be conceived outside of self–other relations" (Glăveanu et al., 2019: 2).

While the manifesto makes no explicit reference to wellbeing or mental health, it seems to me that, apart from the above suggestion that creativity depends upon connecting with others, another assertion - that Creativity is meaningful - is highly relevant here. As the authors elaborate:

"Creative outcomes are not only new and appropriate for a certain task; they can give meaning and even joy to our existence and, as such, represent a key marker of our humanity. Creative acts – at all levels of expression and eminence – offer a legacy that can soften our impending mortality (...) it is imperative to reflect on how creativity can contribute to the development and cultivation of those values and virtues that lead to living meaningful, peaceful, sustainable, and wise lives." (Glăveanu et al., 2019: 3).

Meaning, sustainability, peace and wisdom. These are surely important elements of wellbeing and mental health and any manifesto that highlights them gets my vote.

References

Breton, André, (1972). Manifestoes of surrealism. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Glăveanu, Vlad Petre & Hanchett Hanson, Michael & Baer, John & Barbot, Baptiste & Clapp, Edward & Corazza, Giovanni & Hennessey, Beth & Kaufman, James & Lebuda, Izabela & Lubart, Todd & Montuori, Alfonso & Ness, Ingunn & Plucker, Jonathan & Reiter-Palmon, Roni & Sierra, Zayda & Simonton, Dean Keith & Souza Neves-Pereira, Monica & J. Sternberg, Robert. (2019). Advancing Creativity Theory and Research: A Socio-cultural Manifesto. The Journal of Creative Behavior. 10.1002/jocb.395. Available at:  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330606484_Advancing_Creativity_Theory_and_Research_A_Socio-cultural_Manifesto