Over 200 works of an older woman artist were analyzed on 240 variables to assess structural and symbolic relationships to the artist's influences and intentions. Three themes emerged: the need to tell one's own unique story; the desire to share with others through the creative process; and the use of the arts for personal healing and problem…

Used recent technology for assessment of creativity to examine association between problem solving and suicide ideation among 81 college students who completed three kinds of problem-finding and problem-solving tasks. Found that problem generation scores were significantly correlated with suicide ideation, even after stress was statistically…

A review of research on the correlation between the intake of alcohol and creativity hypothesizes that modest alcohol consumption inhibits aspects of creativity based mainly on the secondary process (preparation, certain parts of illumination, and verification), and disinhibits those based mainly on the primary process (incubation, certain parts…

Self Directed Learning Readiness Scale and a wellness measure were completed by 185 graduate students. Creativity significantly correlated with wellness; intellectual wellness and spirituality/values correlated with self-directed learning. Self-directed learners appear to feel strongly about creative expression, and creative pursuits have the…

Presents an interview with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who specializes in the study of "flow experiences" and their relationship to creativity and talented performance. Topics addressed include "flow" in everyday life, the role of early family life, and ways to incorporate the idea of "flow" into educational practices.…

Organizations are using story telling to communicate values, adapt to change, define their culture, develop communication skills, and refine employee relationships. Examples include the anecdotal or biographical story, creative characterization, and story as metaphor. (SK)

Top-down processes for institutionalizing ideas can stifle creativity. Xerox researchers learned how to combine process-based and practice-based methods in order to disseminate best practices from a community of repair technicians. (JOW)

Investigates the substance and conditions of collaborative learning in a specific drama course, using a case study approach to trace the individual experiences of six high school classmates. Suggests that collaborative creativity can only be conceptualized in fluid action. Describes factors related to students' specific working environment. (SG)

Two studies involving a total of 2149 writers and other eminent individuals found that female poets were significantly more likely to suffer from mental illness than female fiction writers, than male writers of any type, or than eminent individuals in other fields. This finding has been dubbed the "Sylvia Plath" effect. (Contains…

Considers how in the fantasy series "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "His Dark Materials," by C.S. Lewis and Philip Pullman respectively, the authors use symbols and themes from "Paradise Lost." Notes that each author's narrative choice uses his view of cosmic order to persuade readers that obedience should be…

Suggests that where authors and illustrators do not replicate the work that the other can portray more effectively, they are at their most creative and they make picture books to which readers are repeatedly drawn. Examines three picture books. Justifies the sharing of such picture books in terms of imaginative empowerment and lasting messages…

The relationship between playfulness and creativity was examined among preschoolers in Japan. Statistical data analysis indicated no relationship between playfulness and creativity. Because teachers described some non-playful children as playful because of an internal playfulness that manifested in one-on-one interaction, qualitative data analysis…

Technology educators must be familiar with the essential characteristics that define creativity and be able to identify the variables that contribute to a classroom environment that will support the development of creative abilities. Research demonstrates that organizational climate makes the crucial difference in creativity. (Contains 18…

Discusses the creation and popularity of Beatrix Potter's "Peter Rabbit." Concludes that today, Potter's quiet stories offer young children a glimpse into the naughtiness that innocence fosters within the security of a family's love, and show children an idyllic time when towns were small enough that friends knew each other well and…

The study of the creative personality has established itself as a major avenue of research on creativity and creative problem solving, other areas being creative process, product, and environment (or press). With respect to personality research, over the past 50-plus years, many studies have examined characteristics, attitudes, preferences,…