'Creativity is a skill that everyone has': analysing creative workers' self-presentations. Issue 1 (2nd January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Eikhof, Doris Ruth; Chudzikowski, Katharina
• Is Part Of: Creative industries journal. Volume 12:Issue 1(2019)
• Page Start: 34
• Page End: 47
• Publication Date: 2019-01-02
• Subjects: Creative workers -- creative work -- creative industries -- product design -- self-presentation; 338.477005
• DOI: 10.1080/17510694.2018.1535731
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1751-0694

Abstract

Abstract: This paper discusses the research use of creative workers' publicly available self-presentations such as documentaries or social media posts. In so doing it contributes to our understanding of how creative workers might fruitfully be researched. The paper, firstly, argues that self-presentations can provide valuable and rich insights into creative workers' self-understanding, and thus can be of interest to creative industries researchers. Secondly, using the example of a film produced by Austrian product designers, the paper then demonstrates why researchers need to consider the processes through and contexts in which self-presentations are generated. The paper explains why self-presentations may not be treated in the same way as the first person accounts traditionally generated for social science research, and presents recommendations for how self-presentations might form parts of rigorous research designs.