From Fashion Design to Curriculum Design: because creativity matters

Brauer, R., Ormiston, J., & Beausaert, S. (2024). Creativity-Fostering Teacher Behaviors in Higher Education: A Transdisciplinary Systematic Literature Review. Review of Educational Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543241258226

You know when you discover something that makes you feel validated as a creative and re-enforces your views and beliefs on why creativity matters? Well this Meta Creativity Model did it for me! (Now, stick with me here and try not to be put off by the word 'meta')

'Creativity drives learning, innovation, and economic growth, fuels the continual generation and development of solutions to wicked problems* and lies at the core of human fulfillment and engagement in meaningful work (Collard & Looney, 2014; Craft, 2003; Sawyer, 2015).

Creativity thus has the power to shape a more gratifying, socially responsible, economically stable, inclusive, peaceful, and environmentally sustainable future (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997; Jeffrey & Craft, 2001; Sandri, 2013).

...it's good, isn't it?

I discovered it while wearing my 'academic hat' and researching for my Fellowship but got a bit obsessed with it and have been banging on about it to my academic colleagues, ever since.

Why? because while describing behaviours for teaching creativity, it also defines what it is to be a designer and reminded me of how much of my own creative process in Fashion Design, I now use in designing curriculum; to foster creativity in my students.

...its all about methodology... (see what I did there?)

...how we think

...how we act

...how we feel

...how we see

...how we understand

...how we find meaning

...how we adapt and improvise

...helps with the imposter syndrome for sure....and for those who think art and design are easy disciplines, think again!

more on this later...

*what on earth are wicked problems? ( yes I had to look them up too)

'Wicked problems are problems with many interdependent factors making them seem impossible to solve. Because the factors are often incomplete, in flux, and difficult to define, solving wicked problems requires a deep understanding of the stakeholders involved, and an innovative approach provided by design thinking. Complex issues such as healthcare and education are examples of wicked problems.' ...thanks 'Interaction Design Foundation' (2016, June 4).

References and citations

Brauer, R., Ormiston, J., & Beausaert, S. (2024). Creativity-Fostering Teacher Behaviors in Higher Education: A Transdisciplinary Systematic Literature Review. Review of Educational Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543241258226

What are Wicked Problems?. Interaction Design Foundation - IxDF. https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/wicked-problems