Where does it come from? Collaborative emergence in creative work practices. (December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Parolin, Laura Lucia; Pellegrinelli, Carmen
• Is Part Of: New ideas in psychology. Volume 59(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-12
• Subjects: Collaborative emergence -- Creative network of interactions -- Collective creative imagination -- Creative practices; Psychology -- Philosophy -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Methodology -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; Psychologie -- Philosophie -- Périodiques; Psychologie -- Méthodologie -- Périodiques; Psychology -- Methodology; Psychology -- Philosophy; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 150
• DOI: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2020.100800
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0732-118X

Abstract

Abstract: This article presents a case in which analytical tools coming from the tradition of distributed cognition are able to account for what has been defined collaborative emergence (Sawyer & DeZutter, 2009; Sawyer 2012) in creative practices. With this article, we aim to contribute to the debate of distributed creativity by discussing an empirical case of collaborative emergence and providing the analytical tools able to account for its analysis. Introducing the concept of a creative network of interactions, we stress the importance of selecting, describing, and analysing the interactions that give rise to the collaborative emergence in creative work. Introducing the concept of collective creative imagination, we account for the collective emergence of the scene. We suggest that collaborative emergence is the result of a process of collective coordination and improvisation, emerging from moment-to-moment contingency in collective cognition and imagination. The new unpredictable outcome does not emerge from a sudden singular intuition avulsed from the environment, but it is the result of several coordinated steps made by the participants. Highlights: The article proposes two analytical concepts to account for the collaborative process of emergence in distributed creativity. Creative network of interactions stresses the selecting, describing, and analysing of the interactions that give rise to the new outcome. Collective creative imagination stresses the emergence of the theatrical scene as object yet to arrive. Collaborative emergence arises from moment-to-moment contingency rooted in collective cognition and imagination. The new unpredictable outcome does not emerge from a sudden intuition avulsed from the context, but it is the result of this collaborative process.