Dancing with stones: critical creativity as methodology for human flourishing

Abstract

Heavy feet of stone

Seeking transformation

Dancing rocks and flows

Critical creativity is a paradigmatic synthesis linking critical social science with creative and ancient traditions. Our haiku summarises the essence of this three part paper. Heavy feet of stone describes the rationale for our creation of critical creativity. Seeking transformation sets out the background and methodology for our inductive, methodological development. Dancing rocks and flows unfolds a new methodological framework for action‐oriented, transformational practice development and research that is concerned with human flourishing for those who engage in such work, as well as those for whom the work is intended. Through interplay of story, metaphor, poetry and critical dialogue, we present our methodological development approach for critical creativity and the evolving methodological framework. Within the framework, we focus on conditions and principles that enable our worldview of critical creativity to be used in action research and practice development.

Keywords:

• practice development
• professional artistry
• praxis
• embodiment
• creative arts
• ancient wisdom

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Helen Simons, Jan Dewing, Theo Niessen, Annette Solman and Jonathon Webster for their thoughtful and insightful critiques of an earlier version of this paper. They also dedicate this paper to Emma Coats in memory of her contribution to bringing creative imagination and expression into health and social care.

Notes

1. In the theoretical framework for critical creativity (Titchen and McCormack 2008), we substantially elaborate Fay’s sub‐Theory 10 with reference to his Theory 4 (Transformative action – identifies those ‘crisis elements’ that need to be changed and a plan of action for doing so). We re‐name the sub‐theory, Creativity. In addition, we propose and articulate the new central relationship of Fay’s theories of The body (Theory 5 – understanding of how we inherit roles and how these limit our freedom) and Reflexivity (Theory 8 – explains the past, accounts for the present and plans for liberation whilst paying attention to context and limits). We have broadened Fay’s ontological notion of The body beyond embodied knowing of roles that limit us. We include the wisdom of the body and the body’s capacity to attune to a situation and pick up significance, before Reflexivity, through critical consciousness, has seen this significance (cf. Gendlin 1993). Trusting this wisdom, without having a rationale, paying attention to it and going with it are central to transformational development and research. This is a positive, expanding view of the body, whereas Fay’s view is more negative with its focus on how the body often holds us back. Our emphasis is that our bodies have the potential to set us free from inner and outer obstacles to transformation! This pre‐requisite relationship of The body with Reflexivity and their subsequent interplay enable us to deal, for example, with False consciousness (Theory 1 – shows how our understandings are false, how these came about and potential alternatives) and Crisis (Theory 2 – spells out what a ‘crisis’ is and why it exists) and move towards Transformative action.

2. These inquiries were: critical and creative becoming in professional practice in health, education and the creative arts (Higgs and Titchen 2001); creativity and the use of creative imagination and expression in practice development, education and research in health and social care (Seizing the Fire 2002); and Nuffield Trust‐sponsored inquiry into use of creative arts and humanities in health and healthcare practice, practice development, education and research (Coats et al. 2004).

3. We use children’s poster paint, which is formed of natural substances and is harmless to the environment.

4. Tradition (Fay’s Theory 6 – identifies which parts of a particular tradition are changeable/not changeable).

5. For example, the recurring spirals of planning, action, observation, reflection, in relation to emancipatory praxis, and the spiral of reflexivity and increasing understanding, in relation to hermeneutic praxis.