The Atmospherics of Creativity: Affective and spatial materiality in a designer’s studio

Encounters between materials and bodies matter throughout the creative process. This paper contends that creative work depends on these encounters generating and filling the atmosphere with affect. Based on an in-depth ethnography within a fashion design studio, the article empirically traces such a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inOrganization studies Vol. 44; no. 5; pp. 807 - 829
Main Author Leclair, Margot
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London, England SAGE Publications 01.05.2023
Sage Publications Ltd
Subjects
Business administration
Creativity
Ethnography
Gestures
Humanities and Social Sciences
Organization studies
atmosphere
creativity
affective atmosphere
affect
materiality
space
Creativity
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Encounters between materials and bodies matter throughout the creative process. This paper contends that creative work depends on these encounters generating and filling the atmosphere with affect. Based on an in-depth ethnography within a fashion design studio, the article empirically traces such affective encounters and corresponding atmospheres. In the studio, designing is performed through artefacts as well as experimental and collaborative gestures that inspire affective reactions and spark creative work. The creative body is part of a complex and atmospheric space where materials, bodies and external influences circulate via affective encounters and prompts. The analysis reveals the spatial and affective materiality of creativity and contributes to the recent interest in atmospheric organizational inquiry.
ISSN:0170-8406
1741-3044
DOI:10.1177/01708406221080141