Social and Ecological Impact Theory
What change can Creatives create when we elevate our creativity?
Does our creativity have the capacity to generate (r)evolutionary social and ecological change?
Could the scales of social and ecological justice become increasingly balanced?
If 25% of western society has a preference for creativity,
and creativity’s fundamental purpose is to generate new life and new growth,
could we have enough creative power needed to positively impact our ecology and society?
Is this what our creativity is designed to do?
What would happen:
- if we expanded our creative capabilities,
- if we increased our value of creativity,
- if we enhanced our knowledge about creativity?
Creatives tend to share a vision.
Many Creatives share a vision of and drive to create a better world for ourselves and the future of life on Earth.
The vision has elements of social and ecological justice that lies in
- regeneration,
- self-sufficiency,
- sustainability,
- social equality,
- healing, and
- a thriving ecology.
Feeling called to bring our gifts, interests and passions to this shared vision, we have lots of ideas for ways to contribute such as:
a business, a movement, a point of view, an exhibition, a peice of clothing or jewellery, a house, a film, balance, music, an event, a community, a piece of writing, an art work, a philosophy, a program, self-sufficiency, a front door to a home, a YouTube channel, a resculptured body, an app, a regenerated eco-system, a studio, an alternative way of trading, a policy, a piece of furniture, an animal run for the outdoors, a school, alternative power sources, an ecos, a picnic area, a decorated wall, a book, peace, a village, a food forest, a new sport, technology, a gift, a story, a resource of somekind… our ideas are endless…
a change, a solution, a lifestyle, a difference… something we LOVE!
What is an Impact Theory?
An Impact Theory is a theory of change.
It says…
“We are on Island A but it’s not good, and we wonder if we can change it because we see Island B which is a lot better, and we think we have the boat that might take us there”.
It has four parts:
- the recognition of a present condition(s) we feel called to change (Island A),
- a question that asks what if, and how that condition might change,
- a vision of how the condition can be when it’s in full life and growth (health) (Island B), and
- the undertaking of a process to generate (manifest, create) that change (the boat).
Do you have an impact theory too?
The School of Creatology’s Impact Theory
1. Recognition of a condition we feel called to change. Island A
Given the worsening problems within our
inner and outer, personal and impersonal, social and ecological conditions,
I (Jane Mac) believe it’s safe to assume our creativity is suppressed.
I actually believe it’s been oppressed, but someone I love suggested the word ‘oppression’ sounds too discouraging to use it in my publications.
This is highlighted by the call for more, increased, greater, better creativity,
from sectors such as industry, science, ecology, economic, education… even politics!
Therefore, SoC recognises two conditions it is called to change…
- the world’s need for taking, and therefore
- the world’s suppressed creativity.
Scales of Justice
As we decrease our creativity, we decrease social and ecological justice.
2. A question about if and how that condition might change.
Can we fulfill the world’s need for taking? What if it is possible?
Can we (more) fully express our creativity? How would this help?
25% of the Australian population has a preference for creativity.* That is 6,511,839 people!
If creativity is our #1 problem solving tool and creativity’s #1 purpose is to generate change (new life and growth),
with millions of people pursuing their creative energy,
our grandchildren might look back at our time and, with reason, feel so grateful that us grass-roots Creators put our power to work.
It is safe to assume, at least at this stage of SoC’s inquiry, that they answer to these two questions might be a “Yes”.
As it may be a “Yes”, then the questions are worth pursuing.
* SGS Economics and Planning. “Valuing Australia’s Creative Industries”. Creative Industries Innovation Centre, 2013
3. A vision of how the condition can be when in full life and growth (health). Island B
What might life look like if we were increasingly giving… expressing… our creativity?
Our society and ecology could reflect our increasing creativity.
Would we see an increase in the generation of new life and growth such as regeneration, restoration, renewal… recreation?
Would we see our work embodying creativity’s three functions, given that these three functions would have been used as we created our work? (A function is an action something uses to fulfill itself.)
- Reciprocity,
- Resourcefulness, and
- Response-ability.
Would we, and our world, live in greater wellness?
What would life look like if we knew how to create our grassroots visions? Our callings, our interests, our passions, our dreams, our ideas, our gifts? What would the mix of everyone’s creativity look like?
Scales of Justice
As we increase our creativity, we increase social and ecological justice.
4. The undertaking of a process to create the change.
The Boat
The creative process is SoC’s chosen process, with the expression of our creativity to generate (manifest, create) change (new life and new growth).
Could our creativity… our creative way… be a boat that gets us from A to B?
In SoC’s case, our boat is the Subject of Creativity… the learning about creativity and doing it.
Be-ing creative.
Creatives often ask, “How do I create Island B?” or, “Can I create Island B?”
while focused on the Island but overlooking the boat.
That’s why I have created the creativity boat… Creatology.
Once we learn how we create, we always know how we create…
how to then travel from Island B to and Island C and beyond to Island Z,
whenever we choose.
What is SoC’s Impact Theory process?
The School of Creatology is a social education experiment with the intention of increasing Creative’s creative capacities so they can create more efficient and effective … and more speedy … positive social and ecological change.
Therefore, SoC’s Impact Theory is measured using a social-sciences approach, based in an arts-based research method.
It is measured in terms of personal and impersonal social and ecological impact within the measurement framework below.
Purpose of Measurement
To collect information about the impact of learning Creatology has on a person’s or group’s ability to create personal and impersonal positive change, SoC measures:
- the integrity of Creatology and its methodology, via and as well as
- the impact of it on participants’:
- creative learning journey, and
- creative outcomes.
Process of Measurement
SoC has three questions for inquiry:
- what value (negative to positive) is experienced by participants as a result of undertaking Creatology studies,
- what value (negative to positive) is created by participants as a result of undertaking Creatology studies, and
- what might have been the outcomes on the participants and their work if they did not undertake Creatology studies.
To do this, SoC collects the following information from its participants.
SoC teaches Creatology via:
- social media (small amounts),
- newsletters and YouTube (mid amounts), and
- the full curriculum (in the online Creatopia Village)
so participants across these three domains are asked:
- at the beginning of their journey with SoC (when identified),
- during their journey, and
- at the end of their journey
to anonymously or publicly share via writing, images, music, or any form of artifact:
- a description of their personal and impersonal conditions they seek to change (Island A),
- a description of the questions they ask themselves about the need for change,
- a description of their personal and impersonal vision they seek to create (Island B),
- a description of their creative journey (their Boat), and
- a description of their creative outcomes (the Island they created).
Participants of the full Creatology Award are also asked to complete two scales
- the Satisfaction of Life Scale upon enrolment, and
- a scale that reflects self-evaluation and evaluation of Creatology upon graduation.
These descriptions and scales focus upon the:
- wellbeing and satisfaction as a global measure of progress,
- steps taken to empower personal creativity,
- ways the creative work undertaken applies to a purpose and context, and
- ways the creative work adds (or negates) value to the changing of the chosen condition,
and include:
- regular self-evaluations of their integration of creativity concepts learnt during classes, and posted in their school’s social profile through media such as journaling, photos, graphic mapping, writing, etc, and
- project progress logs.
The Satisfaction with Life Scale by Ed Diener, Robert A. Emmons, Randy J. Larsen and Sharon Griffin (as noted in the 1985 article in the Journal of Personality Assessment), is online, involves five questions, takes around one minute to complete, and is done before a project is embarked upon and after.
SoC assesses this data and our findings are shared with the participants in the school, maintaining anonymity of the participants whose experiential data SoC collects.
All of this information will contribute to the evolution of Creatology and its methodology, classes, community, communications, and participants’ learning journeys and project outcomes, to ensure the integrity, and impact, of the Subject.
As social proof of the benefits of studying creativity grows, SoC aims to see Creatology included in secondary school curricula for students in Years 9-10 (aged 15-16) in years to come.