Inspired and Inspiring Textile Designers Understanding Creativity Through Influence and Inspiration

• Published in: Clothing and textiles research journal Vol. 33; no. 3; pp. 213 - 228
• Main Authors: Strickfaden, Megan, Stafiniak, Lesley, Terzin, Tomislav
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.07.2015
• Subjects: innovation; development; visual analysis; textile art; design process; inspiration; aesthetics; theory
• ISSN: 0887-302X; 1940-2473
• DOI: 10.1177/0887302X15578263

This paper reports a study that investigated the synergies of influence (that which shapes the context for creative ideas) and inspiration (that which inspires the content) during the creation process of ten seasoned textile designers towards a better understanding of creativity. The behaviors and rhythm of textile designers were mapped using participant observation with multiple methods including field observation, capturing visual records using video equipment and photography, note taking, auditory records using mp3 recorders, and conducting informal dialogue during studio sessions. The results provide detailed interpretive information in the form of themes focused on understanding how they used and transformed inspirational sources towards the completion of their projects and how designers use their personal thesauruses through their sociocultural capital as influences. No two designers used and transformed inspirational sources in exactly the same way, yet each designer exhibited multiple methods of transformation by including an element of inspiration in their design process. Four separate themes emerged when we looked at how the designers used their personal thesauruses as influences. These themes were: (a) connections made to their sociocultural capital and through research, (b) narratives found or told to focus their projects, (c) emotions related to their attachments and reactions, and (d) design elements they referenced that aided in their decision making. Our rich descriptions of when and how often influence and inspirational sources play into the creative and problem-solving processes are a step toward a better understanding of creativity as a dynamic, complex, and diverse endeavor.