Benefits of communal creativity : experiences of expressive art methods and forming an art collective

Abstract

The aim of this thesis was to explain the principles of expressive art methods and art collectives and discussed how they are conceptionally similar and how they can be utilised for personal and communal development. The study discussed how working in a project environment and simultaneously forming a creative collective are related and can affect each other.

In the first part of the thesis, base theories and methods are explained. Research and discussions were used to examine if and how the author’s personal experiences relate to others working in the creative field. Many similarities in how creative communities are established and how they function regardless of location were found. Arguments were made for the benefits of these collective ways of thinking and working.

The second part contains art works the author exhibited during the process of forming the Collective Sandbox. There are seven personal works that related in some capacity to the communal conversations that were had at the time of working on said exhibitions. These works as well as the process of forming a community were relevant for the artist’s development in creative thinking. The thesis argues that collective creativity would benefit humans both as individuals and as communities.