Abstract
In the field of design education, the term ‘mindfulness’ has been criticised as a mystification of the creative process and derided as a ‘holy grail’ (Moore 2009). I will argue against this criticism, try to establish some general rules for the chaotic diversity of individual creativity and highlight the role of flow and mindfulness in connection with the creative act. These reflections are rooted in my own experiences teaching croquis drawing with a live model, as well as many years as a practicing artist and pedagogue. My main focus is on elucidating the relationship between context and mindfulness in a teaching situation. It is my hope that this presentation will contribute to a wider understanding of the act of drawing, including cognitive, psychological as well as philosophical aspects.
Keywords
focused/non-focused attention, croquis drawing, overlearning, flow, mindfulness, distributed attention, ego-centred control
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/learnxdesign.2013.098
Citation
Montarou, C.(2013) Mindfulness: The holy grail of design education?, in Reitan, J.B., Lloyd, P., Bohemia, E., Nielsen, L.M., Digranes, I., & Lutnæs, E. (eds.), DRS // Cumulus: Design Learning for Tomorrow, 14-17 May, Oslo, Norway. https://doi.org/10.21606/learnxdesign.2013.098
Creative Commons License
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Included in
Mindfulness: The holy grail of design education?
In the field of design education, the term ‘mindfulness’ has been criticised as a mystification of the creative process and derided as a ‘holy grail’ (Moore 2009). I will argue against this criticism, try to establish some general rules for the chaotic diversity of individual creativity and highlight the role of flow and mindfulness in connection with the creative act. These reflections are rooted in my own experiences teaching croquis drawing with a live model, as well as many years as a practicing artist and pedagogue. My main focus is on elucidating the relationship between context and mindfulness in a teaching situation. It is my hope that this presentation will contribute to a wider understanding of the act of drawing, including cognitive, psychological as well as philosophical aspects.