Creativity and Materiality: a creative practice in a Post-graduation Course

Abstract

The relationship between the material and the mind is complex and challenging. It is necessary to understand not only, the evidence of the mutual influence between them, but also to look for ways the mind operates through the body to have contact with the material. The objectives of this study were to understand creativity in action contexts, with a focus on materialities, from the perspective of Christopher Bardt, and to identify the potential influence of materials, in creative processes. Five members of a research group dedicated to the investigation of creativity from the University of Brasilia’s Graduate Program in Developmental and School Psychology took part in the study. For the discussion of the creative process, with base in the imagination or mental action on a material, we selected a practical activity during the class. The proposal foresaw two stages, a relaxation moment, and the creation of text and image based on an object chosen for each participant. The analysis was constructed from oral reports, written productions, and drawings produced by participants. Results indicated that relaxation may be a facilitating experience for the creative process. It was shown that the experience with the material activates memory, imagination and creativity. Materiality changes with affective mediation and the creative action is influenced by material imagination.