Towards understanding creativity : a hypothesis about the creative process and the education in architecture

Abstract

This thesis presents a hypothetical vision of creativity as an integrative process allowed by the organic human nature; by the way the human being is organized in aspects and systems from whose interaction six creative abilities would emerge: questioning, understanding, intuition, idea, fantasy, and imagination. The first chapter is a sort of brainstorming that leads to an understanding of how poorly the culture presents it concept ion of man, and how necessary it is to conceive man in his whole complexity, in order to comprehend, not only his behavior, but also his making. The second chapter is a hypothetical proposal for a more complex vision of human nature. A vision elaborated by the association of elements that although being known , are not commonly recognized as being related . The third chapter presents the six creative abilities as a result of the functioning of two systems in man--the emotive and the sensitive--which are part of his organic... Creativity is explained as an integrative action that man has to allow to happen by throwing down obstacles that impair the integration of such abilities. Creativity is also presented here, from the point of view of the Arts and the Sciences, concluding that processes are similar in both, only their approaches being different. The fourth chapter is oriented towards Architecture and education in relationship to creativity. Analyzing first, how the practice in Architecture demands the approach of both the Arts and the Sciences. Presenting then, how civilization and culture evolve by reinforcing the aspects of the organic human nature; and how, in an analogous way the educational process needs to reinforce other aspects. The education in Architecture also needs to accompany this cycle, in which the rule is not "how to develop creativity," but instead "how to adapt to the steps that creativity follows," in order to let. it happen. The issue is not then "creative process within architectural education," instead it is "Architectural education within the creative process." The conclusion emphasizes some points from the previous chapters, and also presents other relationships that emerge when looking at the four chapters together.