Creative Occupation Research Articles

The Benefits of Knitting for Personal and Social Wellbeing in Adulthood: Findings from an International Survey

Introduction:There is increasing evidence that engaging in creative and meaningful occupation can impact positively on health and wellbeing. Much of the research in this area has concentrated on general occupational categories and less is known about the benefits of specific occupations. This study aimed to identify the benefits of knitting for individuals' personal and social wellbeing as a prerequisite to investigating its therapeutic use.Method:An online survey was conducted through an internet knitting site. Responses were received from 3,545 knitters worldwide. Quantitative data were analysed statistically to establish relationships and differences among variables and qualitative data for key themes.Results:Respondents came from a virtual community of knitters. The majority were female white adults and frequent knitters, who commonly reported knitting for relaxation, stress relief and creativity. The results show a significant relationship between knitting frequency and feeling calm and happy. More frequent knitters also reported higher cognitive functioning. Knitting in a group impacted significantly on perceived happiness, improved social contact and communication with others.Conclusion:Knitting has significant psychological and social benefits, which can contribute to wellbeing and quality of life. As a skilled and creative occupation, it has therapeutic potential — an area requiring further research.

Shobha De's Socialite Evenings: A Yearning for Sophisticated and Fulfilled Life

The enduring theme of Socialite Evenings is a search for identity who finds fulfillment and self in a creative occupation. The female character's hatred towards a middle class pedantic life and inadequate facilities that run throughout their life, forces them to yearn for a sophisticated life. The unfed hunger to lead a happy and prosperous life makes the characters to compromise everything, as they get all the financial security and the luxuries they cannot do without. Women characters find that the freedom to do what they like gives them absolute joy. Wealth and its accompanying social status is therefore constantly sought, displayed and reinforced by the heroines. This paper is an attempt to show how Shobha De has portrayed the women characters who first yearn for a sophisticated life but later are contented with the life they have in the first novel, Socialite Evenings.

The Creative Class and the crisis

The economic crisis contributed to sharp increases in US unemployment rates for all three of the major socio-economic classes. Results from regression models using individual-level data from the 2006–2011 US Current Population Surveys indicate that members of the Creative Class had a lower probability of being unemployed over this period than individuals in the Service and Working Classes and that the impact of having a creative occupation became more beneficial in the 2 years following the recession. These patterns, if they continue, are suggestive of a structural change occurring in the US economy—one that favours knowledge-based creative activities.

Creative Occupations and Regional Development in Hungary: Mobility of Talent in a One-centred Transition Economy

This paper gives an example of how human capital contributes to regional development in a small transition economy. We add new categories of creative occupation in order to have better possibilities for regional education level-creative class comparisons. Efforts are also taken to handle mobility of talent by the type of knowledge being exploited in the occupations. The data are collected from 168 Hungarian sub-regions from 2001 and from 20 counties from years 1996 and 2005. Our findings suggest that contrary to the results in more developed countries, indicators of Hungarian creative occupations do not outperform education level measures of local labour force in describing regional development. Creative core is proved to have stronger effect on regional development than creative top and creative professionals. Moreover, university graduates with internationally mobile knowledge seem to be less attracted to the capital city than graduates, whose knowledge is more embedded into the national context. These latter occupations concentrate with a growing intensity in the capital, since it has been strengthened as the gate for the global market during the transition from planned to market economy.

Winning and losing in the creative industries: an analysis of creative graduates' career opportunities across creative disciplines

Following earlier work looking at overall career difficulties and low economic rewards faced by graduates in creative disciplines, the paper takes a closer look into the different career patterns and economic performance of “Bohemian” graduates across different creative disciplines. While it is widely acknowledged in the literature that careers in the creative field tend to be unstructured, often relying on part-time work and low wages, our knowledge of how these characteristics differ across the creative industries and occupational sectors is very limited. The paper explores the different trajectory and career patterns experienced by graduates in different creative disciplinary fields and their ability to enter creative occupations. Data from the Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA) are presented, articulating a complex picture of the reality of finding a creative occupation for creative graduates. While students of some disciplines struggle to find full-time work in the creative economy, for others full-time occupation is the norm. Geography plays a crucial role also in offering graduates opportunities in creative occupations and higher salaries. The findings are contextualised in the New Labour cultural policy framework and conclusions are drawn on whether the creative industries policy construct has hidden a very problematic reality of winners and losers in the creative economy.

Creativity and mental disorder: Family study of 300 000 people with severe mental disorder

There is a long-standing belief that creativity is coupled with psychopathology. To test this alleged association and to investigate whether any such association is the result of environmental or genetic factors. We performed a nested case-control study based on Swedish registries. The likelihood of holding a creative occupation in individuals who had received in-patient treatment for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or unipolar depression between 1973 and 2003 and their relatives without such a diagnosis was compared with that of controls. Individuals with bipolar disorder and healthy siblings of people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder were overrepresented in creative professions. People with schizophrenia had no increased rate of overall creative professions compared with controls, but an increased rate in the subgroup of artistic occupations. Neither individuals with unipolar depression nor their siblings differed from controls regarding creative professions. A familial cosegregation of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with creativity is suggested.

Creative Class and Regional Growth: Empirical Evidence from Seven European Countries

This article analyzes the regional distribution and economic effect of the “creative class” on the basis of a unique data set that covers more than 500 regions in 7 European countries. The creative class is unevenly geographically distributed across Europe; the analyses show that a regional climate of tolerance and openness has a strong and positive effect on a region’s share of these people. Regional job opportunities also have a large effect on the size of a region’s population of the creative class. The findings reveal some evidence of a positive relationship among creative class occupation, employment growth, and entrepreneurship at the regional level in a number of European countries. On the basis of the analysis, however, it is not clear whether human capital, measured by creative occupation, outperforms indicators that are based on formal education, or if formal education has the stronger effect.

The geography of creative people in Germany

It has been argued that creativity is an important source of regional growth. This article investigates the geography of people in creative occupation in Germany. The population share of the creative class as well as of bohemians and artists is relatively high in larger cities, but smaller places and rural regions may also have a considerable proportion of people with a creative job. While ethnical and cultural diversity and a high level of public supply in health care and education can explain the distribution of creative people, employment opportunities seem to play only a minor role. A high share of creative occupations seems to be conducive to regional growth; however, the exact nature of this relationship is still unclear.

‘Alchemy and Magic’: The Experience of Using Clay for People with Chronic Illness and Disability

Clay is used within various therapeutic settings, yet within the occupational therapy literature there is a significant lack of evidence to support its use. This phenomenological study sought to enquire into the experience of ceramics as a creative leisure pursuit for people living with long-term physical health problems. Six people responded to an invitation to participate published in an international ceramics journal. They were given the choice to be interviewed by telephone or in person, or to provide a written account about their experience of engaging in ceramics. The criteria for recruitment were people living with a chronic illness or a physical disability who currently engaged in the occupation of ceramics. The data collection and analysis utilised interpretative phenomenological analysis. Four main themes emerged from the data analysis: being productive and creating, promoting physical and psychological wellbeing, enhancing opportunities for social interaction and ‘alchemy and magic’. All the participants reported ways in which working with clay was beneficial to their health and contributed to personal wellbeing. The ceramic process afforded opportunities for experiencing flow and creative adventure, enabled social contacts, enhanced self-worth and provided the participants with a sense of achievement, all of which appeared to promote successful adaptation to ill health. For a minority, the material itself enabled expression about feelings of loss and, in some cases, maintained physical functioning. These findings have relevance for occupational therapists because they suggest that a meaningful creative occupation may be helpful for people learning to cope with chronic conditions.

Creative Class and Regional Growth − Empirical Evidence from Eight European Countries

We analyze the regional distribution and the effect of people in creative occupations based on data for more than 450 regions in eight European countries. The geographic distribution of the creative class is highly uneven. The creative class is not attracted to highly urbanized regions per se, but rather a climate of tolerance and openness seem to be rather important factors. We find that the creative class has a positive and significant effect on employment growth and new business formation at the regional level. Human capital as measured by creative occupation outperforms indicators that are based on formal education.

The Geography and the Effect of Creative People in Germany

This paper investigates the geography and the effect of people in creative occupation in Germany. The population share of the Creative Class as well as of bohemians and artists is relatively high in larger cities, but smaller places and rural regions may also have a considerable proportion of people with a creative job. While ethnical and cultural diversity and a high level of public supply in health care and education can explain the distribution of creative people, employment opportunities seem to play only a minor role. There is a positive statistical relationship between the share of people in creative occupations, the level of new business formation and the innovativeness of regions. A high share of creative occupations seems to be conducive to regional growth; however, the exact nature of this relationship is still unclear.

Creative Adventures and Flow in Art-Making: A Qualitative Study of Women Living with Cancer

This qualitative study invited women living with cancer who engaged in visual art-making to reflect on their experiences of the creative process. The study sought to explore whether the participants described experiences of flow during art-making and, if so, how such experiences helped them to cope with cancer. Ten women took part in semi-structured interviews. They described a range of difficulties associated with their illness. The interview data were analysed using a template approach, based on the theory of Csikszentmihalyi. The participants described a number of experiences that have been associated with flow in previous work. However, one aspect of flow, namely having clear goals, was not present clearly in the participants' accounts. The participants also described other facets of art-making that seemed part of the flow experience, including sensuous vitality, responsiveness to art materials and evolving imagery, and creative adventures. The flow experiences during art-making helped to banish intrusive thoughts about cancer, provided valued experiences of mastery and control and encouraged the participants to engage in positive journeys into the unknown, thereby alleviating some of the stress of cancer. The study offers a detailed analysis of the experience of creative occupation and has relevance to occupational therapists working with clients who have life-threatening illnesses.

Textile Art Promoting Well‐being in Long‐term Illness: Some General and Specific Influences

The paper reviews previous research into the meanings of textile art making for people living with long‐term illness. Qualitative accounts of the creative process suggest that textile art making is a multi‐dimensional experience. Some practitioners regard textile artwork as a means of coping with discomfort and other symptoms. For a minority, it enables expressions of anxiety and feelings about loss. Nevertheless, participants place more emphasis on the role of textile art making in rebuilding a satisfactory identity and restoring autonomy and quality to life. It fills occupational voids following early retirement and enables social contacts. Textile artwork also stimulates learning and personal development. It remains possible that any creative occupation delivers such benefits. The paper analyses qualitative accounts from seven participants to identify whether textile art making has any distinctive experiential qualities. As a creative occupation, it seems to be quite distinctive in being readily accessible even to those who do not consider themselves as artistic. Modern textile art embraces diverse techniques and forms, and practitioners’ choice and autonomy are enhanced by having several different projects in process at once. It accepts the use of assistive technology, thereby enabling people with a variety of physical impairments to produce ‘mainstream’ art. It draws upon rich social traditions, facilitating social contact. Many forms of textile art making are highly time‐consuming, fostering a future orientation, and the creative process is often socially visible within the home, with positive consequences for self‐image. This study is exploratory. Further enquiry into the distinctive influences of different creative occupations upon well‐being is recommended.

A decade of creative occupation: The production of a youth arts archive in a hospital site

Abstract This paper discusses creative occupation as a valid and empowering response to chronic illness and hospitalisation. Creative expression may be particularly necessary for humans to survive and flourish in potentially alienating environments such as hospitals. The Youth Arts Program has evolved to meet the health and maturational needs of young people in an Australian hospital. This innovative program has been archived to create a permanent record of occupational engagement. The space and place dimensions of creative occupation emerge as recurring themes that are significant to participants in the program. Archives provide a basis for explaining the theory and practice of those non traditional approaches that are relevant to occupational science. The preservation of source materials enables the beginnings of cultural transformation to be traced. Without the existence of permanent records, innovative programs too often become silent history.

Evaluating Contemporary Children's Biography: Imaginative Reconstruction and Its Discontents

Evaluating Contemporary Children's Biography:Imaginative Reconstruction and Its Discontents Leo Zanderer (bio) In a recent article in the Virginia Quarterly Review Francelia Butler, the editor of Children's Literature, reflects on the fledgling state of the field: its detractors fail to make a necessary distinction between "books" and literature; there is much good writing, but it is obscured by the bad; the academic world has given it only begrudging acknowledgement; only a meagre criticism has thus far developed.1 Thus, trying to evaluate children's literature provides us with a difficult task. Although we must be wary not to claim a complete identity between the two, it does seem logical, as well as expedient, to seek guidance about reading children's literature from mainstream literature and its criticism. Yet, when we turn to biography, we face a problematic situation equal to that of the state of children's literature itself. Biography itself is only now being recognized as a distinct form and genre worthy of rules, criteria, and controversy. There seems to be some uncertainty as to whether biography is essentially literature or history. Should the biographer pay attention only to the facts or should he invent, reconstruct, and recreate the life according to poetic license normally taken by the writer of fiction? Three recent considerations of the art by D. J. Enright, Anthony Alpers, and Michael Holroyd suggest the scope of the problem, and give us a point of departure from which to develop a way of regarding biographies written for children. Enright's view may be termed reactionary. He begins by saying: We continue to hear that biography is the most esteemed, indeed the most popular of literary forms nowadays. If this is true, then, first of all. it is sad, since the novel—the form of literature which has or can have the widest and strongest influence—ought to occupy that position. . . . Dissatisfaction with the pious memorial class of biography. Great Sexless Lives and so forth, led to all sorts of imaginative reconstructions or imitations which in no way got to "the truth". . . . The biographer is a historian, and we still expect historians to get things right, orat least aspire to; the real deserves a special respect. No doubt this is difficult to contrive—the historian wasn't there, whereas the novelist is there, in the middle of his creation—but difficulty is no reason for confusing genres.2 [End Page 33] Enright further maintains that we should resist inventing a life that is opposed to the surface facts of an individual's life and that only satisfies "our own notions of what we would like him to have been." Anthony Alpers is not as openly opposed to imaginative recreations, but his own standards for writing biography suggest a similar conservatism. The biographer is first and lastly concerned with the collection and arrangement of facts. "Biographies fall roughly into three kinds (and many more I'm sure), depending on the author's distance from his human subject in space and time. . . ."3 "Personal" biography is based on the writer's firsthand knowledge of his subject. In writing "proximate or reported biography," the writer doesn't know his subject, "but he either possesses or is equipped to acquire a thorough understanding of the human subject's background and activities perhaps in public action, or in science, or in one of the arts." In "historical biography . . . the biographer works from books and documents unburdened by the drudgeries (and wasted journeys for fruitless interviews) endured by the two other kinds, untainted also by that touch of the low detective." For Alpers "the uses of irony and 'brilliance' in biography are a topic apart. They can displace for a time, but not replace, what the craft demands." Compared to that of Enright and Alpers, Holroyd's biography is a highly daring and creative occupation; as such it seems to allow for the kind of writing that can make biographies palatable and useful to children. In Holroyd's view, biography is only now coming into its own. "It seems to be the product of a strange coupling between old-fashioned history and the old-fashioned novel. . . ."4 Holroyd acknowledges one critic...

The research worker in industry

An essential feature of making a success of research in industry is to obtain, to stimulate, and to retain, the right research workers. I think that throughout the day we heard too little about the role of the individual research worker and how to encourage him to produce the best results. It would have been interesting if, say, half a dozen young research workers from industrial research organizations had been given the opportunity to be present and to put forward their points of view. Research is a creative occupation. Industrial research as presented throughout the day sounded as if it might be in danger of becoming unexciting and over formal. I have myself on another occasion argued the case for planning and controlling industrial research, but we have also to ensure that such planning and control does not stifle scientific initiative. The cost accountant must be a member of the industrial research team and not its director. Particularly for longer range research one can misquote Mr Micawber’s philosophy and say that 99% of research budget with no outcome is failure, but that 101% of budget and a scientific result is success.