What is Creative Practice?

The question I am aiming to answer during this module is 'In what ways can subversion develop creativity in relation to practice?'. I have looked at both creativity and subversion but what about practice? As I am studying Graphic Design my assumption is that 'practice' in this case is creative practice.

There is no official definition in a dictionary for creative practice (as it is two terms) however I did come across a few articles on the subject.

Lee Anne White attempted to define creative practice in a blog post from 2019. Initially, she discussed how some practitioners may define their creative practice as the parts of creation that result in an outcome. For example, a photographer would see their creative practice as shooting and then editing to get their final results. White did notice, however, that some practitioners like to include 'thinking time' and other aspects building to the creation of work as part of their creative practice. For me, therefore, I would include all my research, brainstorming and ideation processes as part of my creative practice.

With regards to my question, the subversion can be throughout my practice and not just in the creation of outcome.

White made some key points she wanted to make the readers aware of. Creativity and creative practice are separate entities. Creative practice is more than practising creativity and everyday creativity, like everyday creative thinking that we all do, is not the same as creative practice. Creative practice is vocational work within creative fields and not any old spout of creativity in any random place or job. It is a craft involving a technical skillset. Designers, photographers, illustrators and animators are all creative practitioners.

White had some questions included in her post and I thought I would try to answer them based on my practice before I started this project. I thought maybe I could answer them again at the end. I chose not to use them all, just the ones that I thought might change at the end of the project.

Q. What skills are you working to master?

A. Technical skills in adobe creative suite.

Improve my drawing skills.

Q. Where do you find your inspiration?

A. In visual research.

Q. Do you use exercises to get you out of a rut or warm-up?

A. Sometimes I write a plan at the beginning of the day. If I get stuck I normally stop for a bit.

Q. When do your best ideas come to you?

A. Not sure.

Q. Do you have a routine?

A. Not really.

Q. Do you have a means of receiving feedback along the way?

A. Sessions with lecturers when we show work is when I get the majority of feedback.

I made some changes within my working practices earlier in the project as a way of improving my productivity and working environment. Initially, I just did it as to make some positive changes to my practice and to see if it would work for me. After reading this post about creative practice I'm starting to think that maybe the changes made could be considered a subversion of my practice. I think I will do a blog post today about these changes that I made.

Bibliography.

White, L A. (2019, January, 4). toward a definition of creative practice. Lee Anne White Fine Art Photographer. https://leeannewhite.com/blog/toward-a-definition-of-creative-practice