Hi Dr. Schuyler!
I am trying to put together a session on creativity, and I would love for you to participate!
I attach the original note right below this one.
Cheers,
Tim


Request for Papers: Reconsidering Archaeologies of Creativity

Call for papers for the 46th Annual Conference on HIstorical and Underwater Archaeology, January 9-12, 2013, Leicester, Great Britain.

Human creativity is fundamental to understanding the transformations brought about by both globalization and immigration, the dual themes of the 2012 conference. People act and react creatively to these processes, in mundane and grand ways, individually and collectively. Thus, creativity intertwines and entangles it's processes with all human interactions. The process and contexts of creative action, as well as the concept of creativity itself, can be understood from psychological, behavioral, social, humanistic, and philosophical perspectives. Individual persons and groups derive creativity from the cultural improvisations of social interactions surrounding economic, religious, technological, recreational, and familial activities; movement through spaces and among places; rituals; and the shifting practices of daily life. While archaeologists have produced numerous studies of human's creative responses, we have given less attention to creativity itself, particularly in those archaeologies of the modern world. Scholars in the sciences and humanities have been able to describe some of the processes and contexts of creative action in the human experience, but those insights have not lead to creativity's rationalization or "corporate domestication."

I welcome archaeological studies that critically explore creativity from different perspectives, including:
- the social construction of creative process
- contexts of creative action, like work and play
- archaeological perspectives on creativity and the brain
- creativity and social change
- creativity and adaptation
- improvisation and creativity
- creativity and behavior
- creativity, capitalism, and entrepreneurial culture
- prehistory vs. history in understanding creativity
- detailed case studies of creative action, as critiques or assessment of creativity




On May 1, 2012, at 10:39 PM, Robert L. Schuyler wrote:

> Tim:
> 
> This message is too LONG and so confusing.
> 
> Are you trying to put together a session on the archaeology of creativity for SHA 2013?  Let me know since I could participate.
> 
> The community I am studying was created by one man and his signature is still powerfully present in the town, its settlement pattern, and nature.
> 
> Robert L. Schuyler
> 
> 
> 
> At 11:09 AM 4/26/2012, you wrote:
>> Hi all,
>> 
>> Some teasing thoughts to get creative juices flowing!
>> 
>> Cheers,
>> Tim Scarlett
>> -----
>> =93Creativity is what happens when the raw material of reality is =
>> filtered through a consciousness and transformed into a significant =
>> artistic vision. Creativity is responding to the profundities and =
>> miracles in nature and life that are commonly devalued, depontentized -- =
>> simply not noticed -- by the curse of human blindness and the mediocrity =
>> of the mind-numbing routine imposed on everyday existence.=94=20
>> 
>> The Artist's Life, Creativity (1994)
>> 
>> ---
>> 
>> =93The underlying theme of this review is the need for a systems view of =
>> creativity. We believe that more progress will be made when more =
>> researchers recognize that creativity arises through a system of =
>> interrelated forces operating at multiple levels, often requiring =
>> interdisciplinary investigation. =85. And, in fact, the =93whole=94 of =
>> the creative process must be viewed as much more than a simple sum of =
>> its parts. Individuals are much more than their affect, cognition, or =
>> training. And social environments or groups may be embedded within =
>> particular cultures or societies, but they also crosscut them, as when =
>> multiple cultural or religious groups live together within a society.=94
>> 
>> Beth A. Hennessey and Teresa M. Amabile. (2010). Creativity. Annual =
>> Review Psychology 61:569-598.
>> 
>> ---
>> 
>> =93In fact, any creative product emerges from a unique coincidence of =
>> individual intellective abilities; the nature and relative =
>> sophistication of a scientific, artistic or entrepreneurial domain; the =
>> complexity and structure of the field of legitimization; and the =
>> distribution of power and resources within a group, community, or =
>> society.=94
>> 
>> Seitz, Jay A. (2003). A Communitarian Approach to Creativity. Mind, =
>> Culture, and Activity 10(3):245-249
>> 
>> ---=20
>> 
>> =93Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, =
>> I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned =
>> about serif and sans-serif and typefaces, about varying the space =
>> between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography =
>> great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that =
>> science can't capture, and I found it fascinating. None of this had any =
>> hope of a practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we =
>> were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me, and =
>> we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with =
>> beautiful typography. If I had not dropped into that single course in =
>> college the Mac would never have had multiple typefaces or =
>> proportionally spaced fonts, and since Windows just copied the Mac, it's =
>> likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped =
>> out, I would never have dropped in on that calligraphy class and =
>> personal computers might not have the wonderful typography they do. Of =
>> course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was =
>> in college. And it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years =
>> later. Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only =
>> connect them looking backwards.=94
>> 
>> Steve Jobs, Speech to Stanford=92s graduating class, June 12th, 2005. =
>> YouTube
>> 
>> ---
>> 
>> In 1995, the Theoretical Archaeology Group conference was hosted by the =
>> University of Reading=92s Department of Archaeology.  Steven Mithen led =
>> whole group of heavy-hitters spoke about creativity and archaeology on =
>> Tuesday, December 19th:
>> 
>> Margaret Boden. The Creative Mind.
>> 
>> Richard Byrne. Creative Thinking by Monkeys and Apes.
>> 
>> Clive Gamble. Neanderthal Creativity.
>> 
>> Steven Mithen. Creative Thinking and the Origins of Art.
>> 
>> Robert Lavton. Creative Thinking in Traditional Aboriginal Society.
>> 
>> Ian Hodder. Plus ca Change.... How Can Archaeology Contribute to an =
>> Understanding of Creativity.
>> 
>> Richard Bradley. The Good Stones: Architecture, Imagination and the =
>> Neolithic World.
>> 
>> Colin Renfrew. Chevalier d'honneur: Assessing the Mental Map in the =
>> European Iron Age.
>> 
>> These led to some interesting publications more than 15 years ago.  =
>> Where are we now, considering creativity in the archaeology of the early =
>> modern and modern worlds?
>> 
>> 
>> Begin forwarded message:
>> 
>> > From: scarlett <[log in to unmask]>
>> > Date: March 28, 2012 12:48:07 PM EDT
>> > To: HISTARCH List <[log in to unmask]>
>> > Cc: BRITARCH automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]>, =
>> [log in to unmask]
>> > Subject: RFP: Reconsidering Archaeologies of Creativity
>> >=20
>> > Request for Papers: Reconsidering Archaeologies of Creativity
>> >=20
>> > Call for papers for the 46th Annual Conference on HIstorical and =
>> Underwater Archaeology, January 9-12, 2013, Leicester, Great Britain.
>> >=20
>> > Human creativity is fundamental to understanding the transformations =
>> brought about by both globalization and immigration, the dual themes of =
>> the 2012 conference. People act and react creatively to these processes, =
>> in mundane and grand ways, individually and collectively. Thus, =
>> creativity intertwines and entangles it's processes with all human =
>> interactions. The process and contexts of creative action, as well as =
>> the concept of creativity itself, can be understood from psychological, =
>> behavioral, social, humanistic, and philosophical perspectives. =
>> Individual persons and groups derive creativity from the cultural =
>> improvisations of social interactions surrounding economic, religious, =
>> technological, recreational, and familial activities; movement through =
>> spaces and among places; rituals; and the shifting practices of daily =
>> life. While archaeologists have produced numerous studies of human's =
>> creative responses, we have given less attention to creativity itself, =
>> particularly in those archaeologies of the modern world. Scholars in the =
>> sciences and humanities have been able to describe some of the processes =
>> and contexts of creative action in the human experience, but those =
>> insights have not lead to creativity's rationalization or "corporate =
>> domestication."
>> >=20
>> > I welcome archaeological studies that critically explore creativity =
>> from different perspectives, including:
>> > - the social construction of creative process
>> > - contexts of creative action, like work and play
>> > - archaeological perspectives on creativity and the brain
>> > - creativity and social change
>> > - creativity and adaptation
>> > - improvisation and creativity
>> > - creativity and behavior
>> > - creativity, capitalism, and entrepreneurial culture
>> > - prehistory vs. history in understanding creativity
>> > - detailed case studies of creative action, as critiques or assessment =
>> of creativity
>> >=20
>> > Please contact Timothy Scarlett by May 1st, 2012 to express interest.
>> >=20
>> > Best regards,
>> > Tim
>> >=20
>> > Timothy Scarlett
>> > Industrial Heritage and Archaeology
>> > Department of Social Sciences
>> > Michigan Technological University
>> >=20
>> > 1400 Townsed Dr.=20
>> > Houghton, MI 49931
>> > (906)487-2359
>> > [log in to unmask]
>> >=20
>> > Additional conference information:
>> >=20
>> >> The Conference Committee has announced their Call for Papers: =
>> http://ow.ly/9Vdzg
>> >=20
>> > Conference webpage:
>> > http://www.sha.org/meetings/annual_meetings.cfm
>> >=20